Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide , livre ebook

Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 1994, 2000 by Neil T. Anderson (First Edition)
© 2013 by Neil T. Anderson (Second Edition)
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www .bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2020
Previously published by Regal Books
ISBN 978-0-7642-3600-6
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-6565-4
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Cover design by Rob Williams, InsideOutCreativeArts
Contents
Cover 1
Half Title Page 2
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
A Note from Neil Anderson 7
1. Who Are You? 9
2. The Whole Gospel 25
3. See Yourself for Who You Really Are 39
4. Something Old, Something New 53
5. Becoming the Spiritual Person God Wants You to Be 67
6. The Power of Believing the Truth 79
7. You Can’t Live Beyond What You Believe 89
8. God’s Guidelines for the Walk of Faith 101
9. Winning the Battle for Your Mind 111
10. You Must Be Real to Be Right 123
11. Healing Emotional Wounds 135
12. Loving One Another 147
Back Cover 159
A Note from Neil Anderson
Luke 5:1–11 illustrates how our Lord and Savior taught. Jesus was instructing the multitudes from Peter’s boat. “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch’” (v. 4). Jesus had stopped talking, but He had not stopped teaching. Peter heard what Jesus said, but he hadn’t fully learned until he got into the boat and put out the nets.
This study guide gives you an opportunity to get into the boat and put out the nets. You can skim the surface, or you can venture into deep water. You can do it alone, but I recommend that you do it with other faithful learners. It provides an opportunity to hear another person’s perspective, and greater learning always takes place in the context of committed relationships. Developing trusting relationships and being devoted to one another in prayer are what make group study so enriching.
It is my prayer that you will comprehend who you are in Christ and be equipped to live as a child of God. If this study guide helps make that possible, I will be forever grateful. May the grace and love of our heavenly Father bless you with all the riches of your inheritance in Christ.
Neil T. Anderson
1 Who Are You?
Jesus promised that “you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Our identity in Jesus Christ is a fundamental truth that we believers need to understand if we are to experience this promised freedom and to mature in Christ. “Who are you?” sounds like a simple question, but attempting to answer it soon reveals the complexity of the issue.
We tend to identify ourselves and each other by what we look like, what we do, where we live, and what our social standing, political affiliation, or denominational preference is. But does that determine who we are, or does who we are determine what we do? That’s an important question, especially as it relates to our self-perception, and how we live.
How you ever thought about who you are and formed an opinion about yourself? How has that self-perception affected how you live?


What influenced this perception of yourself?


Why can’t the sciences of psychology and biology unlock the mystery of the person ?


People cannot consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with what they believe about themselves. How important is it that we have God’s perspective for who we are?


FALSE ATTEMPTS AT SELF-VERIFICATION
PAGES 22–24
I shared the story of an attractive young woman who, from the outside, seemed to have everything going for her: excellent grades, musical talent, a full-ride university scholarship, an attractive wardrobe, and a new car.
Upon talking with her, I discerned that what was on the inside didn’t match the outside. I asked her, “Have you ever cried yourself to sleep at night because you felt inadequate and wished you were somebody else?” Through her tears, she asked, “How did you know?”
How we appear affects the perception that others may have of us, but how does that affect our understanding of who we are? Why are so many concerned about what others think of them?


Have you ever felt inadequate and wished you were somebody else? Have you ever been tempted to project an image of who you are to others that was different from how you perceive yourself? How did that make you feel? What is wrong with doing that?


Why do so many strive for acceptance and affirmation from others? How important is that to you?


There is certainly nothing wrong with appearing attractive, performing well, or having social status, but why don’t such attainments determine who you are and guarantee fulfillment in life?


Does everybody have the same opportunity to find purpose and meaning in life? Why or why not?


What is wrong with labeling people as losers, failures, derelicts, alcoholics, addicts, co-dependents, etc.?


In the introduction to the book, I mentioned that every defeated Christian I have worked with had one thing in common: None of them knew who they were in Christ, nor did they understand what it meant to be a child of God. Why do you think that is?


What labels have you been saddled with that still influence your perception of yourself, and do such labels affect how you live.


THE ORIGINAL CREATION
PAGES 24–28
Genesis chapters 1 and 2 begin the creation story and elaborate on how God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness. All other organic matter functions according to its God-given instinct, whereas Adam and Eve had the capacity to think, feel, and choose. After God breathed life into his nostrils, Adam was both physically and spiritually alive (see Genesis 1:26–27). Adam’s soul was in union with God, and that union assured him of the following attributes: Significance—In the original creation, Adam and Eve were given a divine purpose—dominion over all the birds of the sky, beasts of the field, and fish of the sea. Safety and security—In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve’s needs were fully met. Belonging—They not only knew and belonged to God, but they also belonged to each other in a mutually beneficial and intimate relationship.
Try to imagine what Paradise was like, and contrast that to our present experience on earth.


What was totally unique in the universe about God breathing His life into Adam?


Explain the difference between being physically alive and spiritually alive, and what makes humanity totally different from all other created matter?


THE EFFECTS OF THE FALL
PAGES 28–35
The effects of the fall were dramatic, immediate, and far-reaching. The result of Adam’s sin not only affected Adam and Eve, but also all their descendants.
Spiritual Death
Since we are all born physically alive but spiritually dead, how would you describe the natural person? What is that person’s destiny?


Lost Knowledge of God
The fall affected the way Adam and Eve (and you and I) think. The fact that Adam and Eve tried to hide from God (see Genesis 3:7–8) clearly indicates a faulty understanding of who God is. Why do we try to hide something from others when we know we have done something wrong, and what does that say about us?


Is it comforting or condemning to be made aware that God knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart and “there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13)?


At the time of Christ, logos (word) was a philosophical concept. What are the ramifications of the Word becoming flesh, and why does the book of Proverbs personify wisdom and understanding? Also, why does Scripture refer to Jesus as the Truth and the Word? Why does the writer of Hebrews say “the word of God is living” (4:12), and which Word is he talking about—the Bible or Jesus, or both?


Dominant Negative Emotions
The fall had a profound effect on us emotionally. Anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem in the world. How have fear, anxiety, and panic attacks affected you and your family?


What is the difference between guilt and shame, and which has bothered you the most? Why?


Depression has been called the “common cold” of mental illness. Why are so many depressed, and how can a relationship with God be the answer?


Rage is the dominant emotion displayed on the internet. Why are so many people angry?


In Genesis 4, God talks to an angry Cain about his feelings and says, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7 NIV ). In other words, if you do what is right, you won’t feel so angry and depressed. When have you noticed that bad feelings follow wrong behavior and/or good feelings follow right behavior? Be specific.


Generally speaking, does the local church have adequate answers for the mental and emotional problems that plague the world? Why or why not?


Too Many Choices
In the garden, everything that Adam and Eve wanted to do was fine except for eating from the Tree of the Knowle