Fri June 12

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the word pray.

Reading

Ephesians 6:13–17—Take Up The Full Armor of God.

Optional Reading

Isa 11:1-5, 59:15-17, 52:7

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Fighting spiritual battles requires armor.
God gives us the armor to use.
Our ultimate armor is Jesus.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

What are the pieces of armor Paul tells about?
How are those pieces of armor aspects of God’s character?
What are the goals of our spiritual battles?

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

Since the writer refers to pieces of armor used by soldiers of that day, it would be natural to interpret the passage mainly on the basis of the military significance of each piece. While that would be instructive, the more important point of reference is the Old Testament book of Isaiah. There the various pieces are part of the armor of God himself, actually aspects of his own character. (Is 11:4–5, 59:17, 52:7) …

A survey of these passages, especially those in Isaiah 11 and 59, suggests that the significance of the armor is not as much in the individual pieces, important as they are, as in what they signify together as God’s armor, which is also that of his Messiah. …

Therefore the armor of Ephesians is the armor of God and of his Messiah, and the basic concerns are for (1) the achievement of righteousness and justice and (2) the proclamation of God’s truth that brings peace. It would seem appropriate to conclude as well that in Ephesians the point is not merely protection of God’s people during satanic attack but the achievement of truth, righteousness and justice as well as of the peace brought by the gospel. We should not be so preoccupied with our personal spiritual struggles, obsessed with the possibility of satanic attack, that we neglect larger fields of conflict involving God’s righteousness in this world.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 143a, 111d

Prayer

Thank God that He provides His armor for your spiritual battles
Give thanks for something from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.