Week 1: Introduction — The Table Is Already Set

1.Giglio opens the book by framing Psalm 23 not just as a comfort psalm but as a warfare psalm. Had you ever read Psalm 23 that way before? What shifts for you when you see verse 5 — "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" — as the centerpiece rather than just a nice detail?

2.The core image of the book is a table set by God, at which we are invited to sit — but at which the Enemy has no rightful seat. Why do you think so many of us keep unconsciously "pulling up a chair" for the Enemy anyway?

3.Giglio establishes that the battle being described is primarily a battle for the mind. What does that mean practically? How is a battle fought in the mind different from the kinds of battles we might more easily recognize?

4.Read Psalm 23 slowly, all the way through. Which phrase or image strikes you most freshly right now, given where you are in life? Why that one?

5.Giglio uses the shepherd-and-sheep metaphor throughout the book. What does it mean to you, personally, to be called a sheep? Is that imagery encouraging, humbling, uncomfortable — or some combination?

6.The subtitle and framing of the book promise that this is a spiritual warfare book "for those who are leery of spiritual warfare books." Why might someone be leery of that topic? What concerns or past experiences might make it feel dangerous or strange?

7.How would you describe the current state of the "table" in your own life — the space between you and God? Is it a place you regularly sit and linger, or does it feel more like a table you rarely visit? What gets in the way?

8.Giglio insists that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is the one who sets the table and leads the battle — we don't fight alone. How does starting with that truth (rather than starting with our own effort or willpower) change the tone of engaging in spiritual warfare?