Armor of God: Sword of the Spirit

5/2/2024

In Ephesians 6: 10-17, Paul tells the Ephesians that to be ready against Satan, we must put on the full armor of God. Our sixth and final piece of armor isn't actually armor at all. The sword is a soldier's primarily a weapon. A sword isn't primarily used to defend--it's used to attack!

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

The spirit of God, as discerned through His Word, is the very tool we need to slice through the devil's lies and anything that would bind us to Him. It gives us wisdom when we are making decisions. It teaches corrects, and trains. It slices through the lies of the devil because it is truth.

Today, we are going to remember a story in the Old Testament about Joseph. Joseph's faced many trials in his life. He wrongfully suffered due to others dishonesty. However, he used the gifts God gave him faithfully and God never forgot about Joseph. He never gave up and eventually could see how God used him to save others. Joseph's spirit is one that we can learn from in our own lives too!

Key Themes:
1. God wants me to read and understand my Bible!
2. I need to use the sword of the Spirit (my Bible) when making choices and decisions about my life.
3. God is powerful and equips us to face anything the devil throws at us.

Memory Verse

Ephesians 6:11 ESV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Songs

1,2,3 The Devil's After Me
Books of the New Testament
Be Careful Little Eyes
This Little Light of Mine
There is a Flag that Flies in the Castle of My Heart
I'm in the Lord's Army
My God is So Big
I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N
Saint's Medley

Story

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time

Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. Balloon or Pool Noodle Swords
Note: check for latex allergies if you plan to use balloons
Supplies: long balloons (like the kind balloon artists use) or pool noodles. Allow the children to pay with the swords. Share about how a soldier had to keep his sword sharp and ready. If you're really ambitious, consider making or teaching the kids to make their own balloon swords. Here is a video that teaches you how.

2. Draw Your Sword Game from KidMinMama
Supplies: Plastic Knives with Scriptures About God's Word
This is a verse find game. Teams will take turns drawing a plastic knife from a cup and then race to find the verse. Here is a resource for verses.

3. Sharing Time
Ask the children: "Is it important to read the Bible?" Why or why not? Allow younger children to share when they study the Bible. Bible class, family reading time, etc. You might ask what their favorite Bible story is.

For older kids, brainstorm ways we can make time to read our Bible. Introduce the idea of priorities and habits.

Story: Paul told the Ephesians to take the sword of the spirit into battle. Would you feel safe if you went into battle with only protective armor, but without a weapon? I wouldn't! A solider without a weapon is not able to win. Their best hope is to not lose.

God did not leave us without a weapon! He gave us his word, which is everlasting, strong, and powerful. In John 8:34, Jesus said that anyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. It is like the devil has God's people tied up as his slaves. We can use the Sword of the Spirit to cut through any rope or chain the devil can use! There is nothing too strong that this sword couldn't cut through!

Satan would love to keep God's children as His slaves. Today, we are going to talk about a story in the Old Testament about a man named Joseph. Joseph endured hard times, but He never lost his faith in God. Eventually, all of his trials enabled him to be in a position to rescue his family that treated him so badly.

SHOW the story of Joseph or read portions of Genesis 37-46 in the Bible.

EMPHASIZE that: