God's Battle Plan for Purity: Strategies for Victory against Sexual Temptation: The Bible Teacher's Guide
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The battle for purity in society is raging, and unfortunately, many are captives or severely losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, our churches, and most importantly to honor our God.
How can we win the battle for purity? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Paul commands believers to avoid sexual immorality and to learn to control their bodies in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the Gentiles, who do not know God. It is the believers' relationship to God that encourages them to remain pure in a world that promotes and glorifies sex. In Scripture, God gives a Battle Plan for Purity with strategies for victory against sexual temptation. Let's study it together with The Bible Teacher's Guide:
"Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend The Bible Teacher's Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God's Word."
—Dr. Young–Gil Kim, Founding President of Handong Global University
Read more from Gregory Brown
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Reviews for God's Battle Plan for Purity
3 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was truly a blessing. I highly recommend it. All glory to Jesus.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"When we are walking in obedience, meditating daily on God's Word, constantly worshipping, fellowshipping with the saints, and serving God, we will win against our flesh." (Gregory Brown, "God's Battle Plan for Purity")
This book contains 12 strategies for victory against sexual temptation. They are:
1. Know our battle;
2. Count the cost;
3. Declare war;
4. Guard our eyes;
5. Guard our ears;
6. Guard our mind;
7. Guard our free time;
8. Guard our brothers and sisters;
9. Guard our marriage;
10. Find faithful soldiers to fight beside;
11. Battle from home by living in the Spirit; and
12. Declare victory.
The author is very open in this book with his own struggles with sexual temptation. He shares what he has learned in his own battle for sexual purity. This is in order to help others in Christ be strengthened and have victory. In the beginning of this book, he gives some ramifications for practicing sexual immorality. He says, "Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one's faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it." Paul the Apostle's instruction to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 16:18 was:
"Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."
There are two Bible characters and stories in the Bible that we would do well to study. One was victorious over sexual temptation and the other was not. Can you guess who these people were? The one that fell into sexual temptation was King David. If you remember, his idleness caused him to fall into sexual sin with Bathsheba. At a time when he should have been leading his men in battle, he was at home, and this is when he came across Bathsheba (a married woman) taking a bath, and had her brought to his palace and he committed adultery with her. The other character who had victory over sexual sin was Joseph. The author says, "When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on your TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost."
The good news the author shares in this book is that through the cross all sexual sin has been paid for and if we have been forgiven, then our sins are on the cross and we are free from any guilt or condemnation. In strategy 11 he talks about how when we are "at home with the Spirit", the Spirit will cause us to put the deeds of the flesh to death. The author says, we are in a war with sexual impurity in this world, and that we should treat it like a war. Our flesh is warring against our spirit, and spirit is warring against the flesh. Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph! And if we do sin, we know we have an Advocate with our Father, Jesus Christ! That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Amen.
Book preview
God's Battle Plan for Purity - Gregory Brown
Preface
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
2 Timothy 2:2
Paul’s words to Timothy still apply to us today. We need to raise up teachers who correctly handle and fearlessly teach the Word of God. It is with this hope in mind that the Bible Teacher’s Guide (BTG) series has been created. The BTG series includes both expositional studies and topical studies. This guide will be useful for personal devotions, small groups, and for teachers preparing to share God’s Word.
God’s Battle Plan for Purity: Strategies for Victory against Sexual Temptation can be used as a four-week to thirteen-week small-group curriculum depending on how the leader chooses to divide the intro chapter and the twelve strategies. Every week, the members of the group will read a chapter or more, answer the questions, and come prepared to share in the gathering. Each member’s preparation for the small group will enrich the discussion and the learning. Another way to lead the group is for the members to read the chapter and answer the questions together during the small group and continue with the next strategy as time allows.
I pray that the Lord may richly bless your study and use it to build his kingdom.
Introduction
For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God
1 Thessalonians 4:2-5
––––––––
Purity is a raging battle that, unfortunately, many are losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, and our churches, and most importantly to honor God.
How can we keep ourselves pure? How can we win the battle for purity?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church and tells them to avoid sexual immorality.
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul said, Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
This is startling because with many other dangers in Scripture, we don’t get such a command. In James 4:7, we are told to resist the devil
and he will flee from us. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul says that believers wrestle
against powers and principalities which refers to demons. With Satan and demons, we resist and wrestle, but when it comes to sexual immorality, we should avoid it and flee from it.
This demonstrates how dangerous sexual immorality is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife to commit adultery, he jumped out of the window to escape her. It is the same for us. This is a danger that we should not flirt with, enjoy on our TV, or fantasize about. It is something that we must flee from at all cost.
It is for this reason that many stumble in this area and find themselves bound and unable to be set free. Sexual immorality is dangerous because when we commit sexual immorality, we sin against our own bodies. This sin affects one’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions. It can have drastic effects. It opens the door for physical disease and emotional baggage. It can even affect one’s sexual orientation. Those who have been sexually abused often grow up with perverse tendencies, whether that be towards the opposite sex or even children. Sexual immorality destroys homes, careers, friendships, and even one’s faith. It is so hazardous that our only recourse is to flee from it.
One might ask, If it’s so dangerous why did God create it?
When God created everything, including sex, he said it was good.
However, when the world was perverted by sin, sex gained the potential of being destructive. In the confines of a marriage relationship—fulfilling God’s original plan—sex is good and powerful. It creates intimacy and pleasure between a husband and wife and has the ability to lead to procreation. However, outside of that, it is destructive. In fact, Romans 1 says that one of the primary results of denying God is a distorted sexuality. When a nation, a community, or a person has turned away from God, it will typically be demonstrated through pervasive sexual immorality. Romans 1:22-24 says:
For although they knew God, they