Winning the Battle - Part 4: The Enemy's Tactics

September 6th, 2026

MICRO CHURCH GUIDE
September 6, 2026

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

MyOneLife - A 4-Week Sunday Morning Small Group Experience
The first step for every OneLifer to get involved and get to know our church culture and mission is a 4-week small group experience called MyOneLife. It takes place on Sunday mornings in the Meeting Room at each of our campuses. You’ll learn about the vision & values of our church, discover your personal mission & spiritual gifts, and find out tons of ways to get involved. The next MyOneLife will start Sunday, September 13th, so for more information or to sign up, mark the “MyOneLife” box on your Connection Card.

Starting Point for Kids & Parents, September 20th
Is your child asking questions about following Jesus, baptism, or what it means to have a relationship with God? Our Starting Point Class is designed for 3rd-5th Graders and their parents to explore these important conversations together. During this interactive class, families will discover what the Bible teaches about salvation, learn the foundations of the Christian faith, and talk through what it means to trust and follow Jesus. Parents will also receive practical tools to continue these conversations at home, helping them confidently lead their child in their faith journey. We want every 3rd-5th Grade parent to sign up for this one hour experience! Our next class will be Sunday, September 20th in the large group room at both campuses. Ball Roads class will start at 9am and Knox Centers will start at 11:15. For more information or to register go to onelifeknox.com/events.

Child Dedications, September 27
The partnership between parents and the Church is vital to families! We encourage our families with younger children to commit to this partnership publicly through a special child dedication service. Our next child dedication service will be on September 27th. There is a parent meeting on Sunday September 13th during the 9am service at the Ball Road Campus and at 11:15 at the Knox Center Campus. Child Dedications will take place after the last service on September 27th at both campuses. For more information or to sign up, go to onelifeknox.com/childdedications or mark the Child Dedications box on your Connection Card.

Baptism
If you’ve given your life to Jesus but haven’t gone public with your story through baptism, now is the time to take that step! Baptism is an opportunity to publicly declare your faith, celebrate God’s work in your life, and take the next step in your journey with Jesus. We would love to walk with you through this process, answer your questions, and help you experience the joy of declaring your faith through baptism.
Mark the baptism box on your Connection Card, and we’ll help you get started!

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Bottom Line: The enemy wants to change what I believe so he can change what I become.

Genesis 3:1 NLT

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

Tactic 1: Question God’s Word.

Genesis 3:2-4 NLT

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.“It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

Tactic 2: Contradict God’s Word.

Genesis 3:5 NLT

“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

Tactic 3: Distort God’s character.

Genesis 3:5 NLT

“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

Tactic 4: Offer a counterfeit.

Genesis 3:6 NLT

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Tactic 5: Appeal to my desires.

Genesis 3:7 NLT

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Tactic 6: Hide the price.

Genesis 3:7 NLT

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Revelation 12:10 NLT

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

Tactic 7: Move from temptation to accusation.

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START TALKING:

When has something you believed changed who you became? Maybe it was that a new city or job would be better than where you were before, that getting healthy was necessary, or any number of things! Share what that was. Then, share how becoming someone or something different impacted what you did and how you "behaved" in everyday life.

START THINKING:

Read Genesis 3:1 and Genesis 2:16-17. What do you notice the enemy doing in Genesis 3:1 that proves he is a liar and the father of all lies since the beginning of time?

Read Genesis 3:2-3. What does this show that Eve knew about the word of God? What does she do with the word of God? How can this teach us something we should do when temptation comes?

Read Genesis 3:4-5. Now, again compared to Genesis 2:16-17 and also Genesis 1:27, what does the enemy do to increase the pressure and lie some more?

START SHARING:
Think through each of the tactics that the enemy uses listed below. Share how you have experienced each of these. Then share how did (or in hindsight could have) overcome this tactic to stay rooted in truth.

Tactic 1 - Question God's Word - the enemy asked Eve "Did God really say..." When have you felt this questioning of God's word? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 2 - Contradict God's Word - the enemy says "You will not die," the exact opposite of what God said When have you heard or even believed something in God's word wasn't true or didn't apply? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 3 - Distort God's Character - the enemy paints a picture of God not being good, focusing on the one restriction God has given rather than all the many blessings and provisions God has given. When have you seen the character of God distorted to try to get you to believe something that wasn't true? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 4 - Offer a counterfeit - the enemy offers something that looked like the truth that Adam and Eve were made in the image of God when he tells them they will become like God. When have you accepted a counterfeit (or been tempted to) rather than trusting the real truth of God's word? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 5 - Appeal to My Desires - Eve sees the fruit is beautiful and looks delicious and she wanted the wisdom that the enemy lied about and presented in the counterfeit. What desires do you find are most vulnerable to attack, especially when you find yourself in HALTS - hungry, angry, lonely, tired, or sad? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 6 - Hide the price - what the liar, accuser, and enemy didn't tell Adam and Eve is that there would be a high price for disobeying God. When did you fall to a counterfeit or one of the previous tactics - or were tempted to - but the price of doing so wasn't considered? How did you/could you overcome this?

Tactic 7 - The enemy then brings shame and accuses (Revelation 12:10). How have you experienced the shame that comes after falling to temptation? What are the accusations that come? How did you/could you overcome this?

START DOING:
Each tactic can be met with a counterattack! Consider how you can do each of those below and share your plan of counterattack.

When Satan questions God's Word—
Know the Word.

When Satan contradicts God's Word—
Believe the Word.

When Satan questions God's goodness—
Find God's true character.

When Satan offers a counterfeit—
Trust God's true way.

When Satan appeals to your desires—
Recognize your vulnerabilities and surrender them to the Spirit.

When Satan hides the consequences—
Look beyond the bait.

When Satan accuses you after failure—
Run to Jesus.

How will you do each of the bold points above this week when you experience one of the enemy's tactics? How can we help each other and lean on each other when the tactics come?

START PRAYING:

Pray for what each person shared in the previous section. Pray that we will all continue to become more like Jesus each and every day despite the enemy's schemes and attacks that are designed to prevent you from doing that. Pray that we will not believe the lies and accusations of the enemy when we do fall, but find victory and forgiveness through Christ alone.
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CONNECTION CARDS
Be sure to fill out the online Connection Card to let us know next steps, prayer requests, or other information you'd like to share, click here.
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MULTIPLICATION
Share spiritual/missional conversations you've had where you live, work, and play:
- Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
- What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
- How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
- How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
- Who in your life do you think could be disciple-able or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
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WHAT'S NEXT?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?
- Discuss the next step for your micro church. When will we gather again, and which purpose will it fulfill (missions, fellowship/care, growth, worship, multiplication)?

Posted in Micro Church Guides