Behind Enemy Lines
October 18, 2026
You can’t stand firm in a battle you don’t know you’re fighting. In Ephesians 2, Paul identifies three enemies working together against us: the world around us, the flesh within us, and the devil against us. Their influence is so powerful that Paul does not describe us as spiritually weak but spiritually dead. Yet the most important words in the passage are “But God.” Because of his great love and mercy, God has made us alive with Christ. In this opening message of Battle Lines, we will learn to recognize our enemies without becoming afraid of them and discover how to stand in the victory Jesus has already secured.
Passage
Recognize the ##Enemies## Working Against Us. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Acknowledge Our ##Helplessness## Against These Enemies. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Receive the ##Victory## God Has Provided. (Ephesians 2:4-10)
Principle
We were ##dead##, but God has given us life and victory in ##Jesus##.
Practice
##Surrender## to Jesus and begin walking in the ##new## ##life## God has prepared for you.
Small Group Questions
Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couple or family, or with a small group.
HANGOUT
When you hear the phrase “spiritual warfare,” what comes to mind? Does the subject tend to make you curious, skeptical, anxious, or something else?
HEAR
Read Ephesians 2:1-3
- What words and phrases does Paul use to describe our condition apart from Christ?
- Where do you see the world around us, the flesh within us, and the devil against us in these verses? How are these enemies distinct, and how do they reinforce one another?
- Paul twice says that we were “following” something. Why is that significant in a culture that prizes personal freedom and independence?
Read Ephesians 2:4-7
- What changes when the words “But God” appear? List everything God does in these verses.
- Why does Paul describe us as dead rather than merely weak, confused, or struggling? How does that affect our understanding of salvation and spiritual warfare?
- Paul says that God has raised us and seated us with Christ. How might our secure position in Christ change how we face the battle?
Read Ephesians 2:8-10
- What do these verses teach about the relationship among grace, faith, salvation, and good works?
- Compare how we once “walked” in verse 2 with how God created us to “walk” in verse 10. What has changed?
- What is the difference between obeying Jesus to save ourselves and obeying because God has already made us alive?
HUDDLE
Where are you most tempted either to deny the battle or to fight it in your own strength? What would surrendering that area to Jesus and walking in his way look like this week? Discuss it, invite accountability, and take time to pray together.
OPTIONAL READING
Live No Lies by John Mark Comer. Read pages 5–48 (Introduction, The Truth About Lies, and Ideas Weaponized). Even if you don’t get or read the book, you can still keep up with the discussion each week.
Daily Reading
As you read each passage, recognize the world, the flesh, and the devil, and how God has given us victory in Christ.
- Day 1: Ephesians 2:1-10
- Day 2: Genesis 3:1-13
- Day 3: James 3:13-18
- Day 4: 1 John 2:15-17
- Day 5: Romans 7:14-25
- Day 6: Colossians 2:6-15
- Day 7: Titus 3:3-7
Passage to Memorize: Ephesians 2:8-10
Think Deeper
- What lie about God, yourself, or the good life are you most tempted to believe?
- What desire most often pulls you away from the way of Jesus?
- Where have you accepted as normal something that is inconsistent with the life God has prepared for you?
Suggested Resources
Live No Lies, by John Mark Comer
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Renovation of the Heart, by Dallas Willard
Check out these and other books from our suggested reading list at https://bit.ly/AspireSMB.