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    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide
    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide
    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide
    Ebook161 pages2 hours

    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide

    By Neil T. Anderson

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    About this ebook

    Discover Who You Are in Christ!
    "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

    I am accepted. I am God's child (see John 1:12). I have been justified (see Romans 5:1). I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him (see 1 Corinthians 6:17). Your promise of self-fulfillment is told and retold in Scripture--and the road to discovering it leads to Christ and Christ alone.

    In this bestselling study guide, Neil Anderson poses thought-provoking questions for personal reflection or group study that will help you learn how to grow in the strength and truth of your identity in Jesus Christ. The answer to your question, Just who am I? will be changed forever by Victory Over the Darkness and this study guide.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateAug 31, 2011
    ISBN9781441265654
    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide
    Author

    Neil T. Anderson

    Dr. Neil T. Anderson is the founder and president emeritus of Freedom in Christ Ministries, which has offices and representatives in 40 countries. Dr. Anderson has authored more than 70 books on Christ-centered living, including Victory Over the Darkness and The Bondage Breaker. He was formerly chairman of the Practical Theology Department at Talbot School of Theology and has five earned degrees, including two doctorates. Dr. Anderson lives in Franklin, Tennessee. Learn more at ficm.org.

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      Plagued by doubt, burdened by fear, held captive by worry, trudging in the darkness of depression, shackled by the shame of the past, uncertain of your true identity? Are you searching for the confirmation of who you are - wondering what it is that defines you?Discover who you are in Christ - open the pages of this book, and study the work book. This darkness and doubt that presses on the human race can be brushed away. Christ has called each of us to a life of victory free of the burdens of the past, courageous in the battle field for our souls, strong against the forces of evil. In this book the reader is taught to find their identity in Christ. Anderson explores what God truly thinks about each of us. He uses the scripture to shed light on the dark places of bondage in the readers life and challenges readers to confront the lies of the enemy - to no longer be defined by the lies but to embrace their identity in Christ. He further instructs readers on how to use scripture to form a firm foundation on which to build and renew their lives - leading to ultimate victory over the enemy.Thank you Gospel Light for this review Copy.

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    Victory Over the Darkness Study Guide - Neil T. Anderson

    Anderson

    CHAPTER 1

    Who Are You?

    Jesus promises His people that You shall 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 grow to Christian maturity.

    Introduction

    (pages 23-24)

    Who are you? It sounds like a simple question, but attempting to answer it soon reveals the complexity of the issue. How would you answer the question if someone asked you, Who are you?

    We tend to identify ourselves and each other by what we look like, what we do, and perhaps even by our theological position, our denominational preference or our role in the church. But is who you are determined by what you do, look like and believe in? Or is what you do, look like and believe in determined by who you are? That’s an important question, especially as it relates to Christian maturity.

    Neil Anderson believes that your hope for growth, meaning and fulfillment as a Christian is based on understanding who you are, specifically, your identity in Christ as a child of God. Your understanding of who God is and who you are in relationship to Him is the critical foundation for your belief system and your behavior patterns as a Christian.

    Do you naturally identify yourself as a child of God as you think about who you are? Why or why not?

    Where in your own life do you see a connection between your belief system and your behavior patterns? Give an example or two of how your beliefs about yourself influence your behavior.

    What changes in your behavior might result if you were able to clearly see yourself as the much-loved child of God that you are?

    False Equations in the Search for Identity

    (pages 24-27)

    Neil tells of an attractive 17-year-old girl who, from the outside, seemed to have everything going for her: excellent grades, musical talent, a full-ride university scholarship, a wonderful wardrobe and a brand new car.

    Upon talking with Mary, Neil quickly realized that what was on the inside didn’t match the outside. He asked Mary, 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?

    What does your appearance suggest about you? What do you think people see as they look at you?

    Perhaps, like Mary, you have felt inadequate and wished you were somebody else. How does what is inside you differ from your outward appearance? Comment on any discrepancy between your outward appearance and your inner reality.

    Shame, fear, insecurity, loneliness, past hurts—there are many reasons why people, intentionally or otherwise, hide their real selves from others. Why do you hide your real self under an outside appearance that is so different from what is inside?

    Often what we show on the outside is a false front arising from our belief that if we appear attractive, perform well or enjoy a certain amount of status, then we will have it all together inside as well. But such is not the case. You plus attractiveness, you plus good performance and you plus status do not equal wholeness and significance. The only identity equation that works in God’s kingdom is you plus Christ. Only you plus Christ equal wholeness and meaning.

    How did you learn that being attractive, performing well or earning status does not mean wholeness or does not win you love?

    In what area(s) of your life has Christ given you the wholeness and meaning you once were seeking?

    In what area(s) of your life would you like Jesus to give you wholeness and meaning?

    In God’s kingdom, everyone has the same opportunity for a meaningful life. Why? Because wholeness and meaning in life are not products of what you have or don’t have, what you’ve done or haven’t done. In Christ you are already a whole person positionally and you already possess a life of infinite meaning and purpose because of who you are—a child of God.

    Although a Christian’s identity in Christ is the key to wholeness, many believers have difficulty with their identity, security, significance, spiritual maturity and sense of worth. Ignorance is probably the primary reason (see Hosea 4:6). For others it is carnality, or the lack of repentance and faith in God, and for some it is deception by the father of lies (see John 8:44).

    What false ideas might you have about who you are?

    Asking a person about false ideas about him- or herself may be like asking fish about the water they swim in. The individual can’t see what is so much a part of his or her reality. If you’re not sure which ideas about yourself are false, ask someone you trust to help you see yourself as God sees you. Also, spend some time in prayer asking God to help you see yourself through His eyes.

    Neil tells of a young woman convinced that she was evil. While she may have done some evil things, at the core of her being she wasn’t evil, as evidenced by the deep remorse she felt after sinning. She did, however, let Satan’s accusations about her behavior influence her perception of herself instead of believing the truth.

    In what ways are you trapped in this same downward spiral? Have you, for instance, failed at something and therefore see yourself as a failure? Are you basing your identity on something you’ve done rather than on who you are as a child of God? Be specific, and then, as you pray about this downward spiral, thank God that He sees you as His child.

    Why would it be to your disadvantage to focus on the missteps you’ve taken in your life?

    When we swallow Satan’s lie and believe that what we do determines who we are, that false belief sends us into a tailspin of hopelessness and more defeat.

    The Original Creation

    (pages 28-32)

    Genesis 1 and 2 tell how God created Adam and Eve in His image which gives us the capacity to fully think, feel and choose. After God breathed life into his nostrils, Adam was both physically and spiritually alive (see Genesis 1:26,27). For the Christian, to be spiritually alive is to be in union with God by being in Christ. And that union with God means three important things for believers.

    1.  Significance—In the original creation, humankind was given a divine purpose—dominion over all the other creatures. As a restored child of God, you have important work to do for your Lord.

    2.  Safety and Security—In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve’s needs were cared for. Likewise, we who follow Christ lack nothing. Safety and security is another facet of our inheritance in Christ.

    3.  Belonging—A true sense of belonging comes not only from knowing that we belong to God but also from belonging to each other just as God created Eve to provide a meaningful, open, sharing relationship for Adam.

    Which of these is most appealing to you right now? Why?

    Which of these seems most unreachable to you? Why?

    Significance, safety and security, and belonging were no longer human attributes once sin entered the world.

    The Effects of the Fall

    (pages 32-38)

    The effects of man’s fall were dramatic, immediate and far-reaching, infecting every subsequent member of the human race—infecting you. We’ll look at five effects of the Fall.

    Spiritual Death

    With the Fall, Adam and Eve’s union with God was severed. They were separated from God. When did you first become aware of your separation from God? What circumstances brought you to the realization that you needed God?

    Maybe you’re just now realizing your need for God. In a brief prayer, tell Him of your need and how you have fallen short of being the person He wants you to be. Read 1 John 1:9 and thank God for the gift of His forgiveness. Cleansed and forgiven because of Jesus’ death on your behalf, accept Jesus as your Savior and ask Him to help you live with Him as Lord of your

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