Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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INTRODUCTION DEVOTIONAL READING:
A. DRESSING FOR BATTLE LUKE 11:14-23
One of the most popular spectator sports of the twenty-first century is BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:
American-style football. Although it is somewhat obscure outside the United EPHESIANS 6:10-18
States and Canada, this is one of the highest revenue-generating sports on the PRINTED TEXT:
planet. High school football teams have rabid fans. The fans of football teams EPHESIANS 6:10-18
of major universities are no less passionate. The "identity" of a large city can
be tied to its professional football franchise.
At its core, football is a type of mock warfare. Points are scored by pushing
the battle line into the opponent's end zone. Brutal, hand-to-hand combat LESSON AIMS
occurs in the trenches, the line of scrimmage. The key player, the quarterback, After participating in this
is often referred to as the field general who directs his troops. Players with ex lesson, each student will be
perience are veterans. A long pass is called a bomb. able to:
As the game of football has developed, there have been many improve 1. List the elements of the
ments in equipment. A fully dressed football player wears many items to armor of God.
protect himself from the physical pounding of the game. All players wear 2. Explain the need for
helmets with face masks. Each player wears a custom mouth guard to protect each piece of "annor" in
his teeth. Very prominent are the pads that allow players to use their shoul more literal terminology.
ders like battering rams. Some players wear flak jackets to protect their ribs. 3. Identify one element of
Football pants are equipped with hip pads, thigh pads, and knee pads to the annor of God that he or
guard those body parts. Some players even use shoes with steel toes to pro she needs to don and make a
tect their feet. plan to do so.
While there are many injuries in football, this system of body armor is
amazingly effective, given the speed of the game and the intensity of the hits.
We can imagine how quickly a person wearing only a soccer player's gear
would be injured on the full-contact football field.
When we look at a depiction of a Roman soldier of Paul's day, the soldier
may appear to us to have used strange equipment. But he was armed and ar
mored using the finest equipment available at the time. If his armor kept him
from becoming a casualty, he could fight the ne.xt battle too.
The apostle Paul never served in the Roman army. But he had seen Roman
soldiers up close on more than one occasion. Paul knew that there was a far
more consequential war being waged outside the realm of earthly armies.
Paul understood and taught that all believers would be called upon to engage
in warfare against spiritual powers that would seek to destroy their faith. KEY VERSE
Their commander was not sending them into battle unannored, though. God Put on the full armor of
has provided spiritual armor for each believer God, so that when the day of
evil comes, you may be able
B. LESSON BACKGROUND to stand your ground, and
In writing Ephesians, Paul revealed a special concern for spiritual reali afteryou have done ev
ties. He was acutely aware that there is a spiritual realm, unseen to us, where erything, to stand.
important things take place that affect us. Paul referred to this place as the ·-Ephesians 6: 13
..
LESSON 14 NOTES "heavenly realms." This realm is the source of our spiritual blessings (Ephe
sians 1:3). Yet this realm is also the habitation of "rulers and authorities,"
meaning the evil spiritual forces that seek to enslave humanity (Ephesians
3: 10). The New Testament teaches that all spiritual powers eventually will be
brought to submission (l Corinthians 15:24; Philippians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22),
but that time has not yet come (Hebrews 2:8).
There are two extremes to be avoided when considering the nature of the
spiritual realm or the spirit world. Animism, on the one hand, is the belief
that almost everything in nature has a spirit associated with it. There is a
river god, a tree god, a monkey god, a mountain god, a storm god, etc. In this
worldview, life is a matter of tiptoeing through the spheres of these little gods,
pleasing and appeasing each as necessary.
On the other end of the spectrum, secular materialism is based on the idea
that there are no spiritual realities at all. In this worldview, gods and angels
are no different from elves and leprechauns. At the end of the day, if there is
no tooth fairy, then there are no gods, either. There are no hidden spiritual
powers, good or bad, and humans are called to make their way boldly in a
godless world.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS Paul taught neither the chaotic and fearful world of the animists nor the
Monday, May 25-Truth lonely and even scarier world of the materialists. He personally had experi
(Psalm 25: 1-5) enced the spiritual world in dramatic, convincing ways (see 2 Corinthians
Tuesday, May 26-Righ 12: 1-4). Yet he understood that this realm was not a playground for compet
teousness (Proverbs 11: 1-1 0) ing deities of varying powers. Paul knew that there is one God. The spiritual
Wednesday, May 27 world is delineated between those forces aligned with God and those forces
The Good News of Peace : in rebellion against God.
(Isaiah 52: 7-12) We do not understand why the all-powerful God continues to allow these
evil spiritual forces to exist (nor did Paul). However, for as long as the spiri
Thursday, May 28
tual realm is populated with these rebellious powers, they will seek to bring
Faith (Hebrews 10:35-11:3)
men and woman under their thrall as co-rebels against God.
Friday, May 29
Salvation (Isaiah 12: 1-6) This, then, is cosmic warfare of the most deadly type. Paul knew that
. Christians must constantly be on guard against spiritual attacks, for their
Saturday, May 3D-The
Word of God (Psalm 119: hearts and minds are the battleground. Paul also knew that God had not left
105-112) believers \-vithout defenses. Such is the focus of this week's lesson.
Sunday, May 31 1. THE PERIL OF BELIEVERS (EPHESIANS 6:10-13)
The Full Annor of God
(Ephesians 6: 10-18) A. SPIRITUAL RESOURCES (v. 10)
10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Paul begins the final section of the letter by urging his readers to be
strong. This has the sense of empowerment, of the unleashing of latent
, strength.
The source of this strength is nothing physical, however. It is not a mat
ter of weight training or nutritional supplements. It does not come from an
injection of steroids. Instead, spiritual strength comes from our relationship
with God, from being in the Lord.
Paul uses an unusual phrase to describe God's strength: his mighty power.
This is similar to a common Bible description of God as the Almighty. There
are no holes in God's power. He is strong everywhere.
A repeated mistake for most Christians is to fall into the trap of trusting
in their own inner strength in times of trial. If we spurn the spiritual as
sistance and power of God, we will become casualties in life's battles. As
LESSO ,N,,~1,--4,-----_ _ 365__ MAY 31, 2009
Paul explains it elsewhere, when we understand our weakness and rely on
God, then we are truly strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
How TO SAY IT C.
SPIRITUAL VICTORY (v. 13)
animism. a-nuh-mi-zum 13. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day ofevil comes,
(a as in mat). you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to
apocalyptic. uh-pock-uh-LIP stand.
tih. The day ofevil that Paul foresees is not necessarily a time of apocalyptic
Corinthians. Ko-RlN-thee distress for all humanity. It is, rather, the day that each believer faces, the day
unz (th as in thin). when faith itself is sorely tested. It is the day when our trials wear us down,
Ephesians. Ee-FEE-zhunz. and we are tempted to forsake our Savior for the life of sin and despair. This
epistle. ee-PIS-ul. day may be repeated many times in our lives.
Isaiah. Eye-ZAY-uh. Paul's image here is of a soldier who is still standing when the battle is
Legionnaires. Lee-juh done. If the fight is over and we are standing, then we are not casualties. We
NAIRS. have not been thrown down and dominated in the spiritual wrestling match.
medieval. mee-DEE-vul. As Paul says elsewhere, we are victors in the battle, "more than conquerors"
Philippians. Fih-LIP-ee-unz. (Romans 8:37).
Thessalonians. THESS-uh This survival will not be from our own resources, but from the protective
LO-nee-unz (th as in
full armor provided by God for our safety. God does not save us one day only
thin). to lose us later. He wants us to be safe, even on the most evil of days.
WHAT Do You THINK? terattack against the devil? We do so whenever we proclaim the Word ofGod,
i
What does good swords . when we communicate the truths of the Bible. We bring light to the dark
manship look like in a spiri ness, and our active resistance to Satan causes him to flee Games 4:7).
tual sense? How do Matthew The spiritual battle is not a matter of holding our position. It is our assault
4:1-11 and 2 Timothy 2:15
on the strongholds of Satan (see 2 Corinthians 10:4). To make this assault re
help us answer this question? quires an offensive weapon.
CONCLUSION
In real warfare, soldiers have long recognized the value of protective body
armor. Although this can be expensive, military strategists know that shield
ing a soldier from the enemy's attack allows that soldier to fight another day.
WHAT Do You THINK? No army has ever had an inexhaustible supply of troops, so wise command
ers always have sought to protect the ones they had.
Which aspect oj the armor
The truth is that many churches are littered with spiritual casualties. This
oj God are you most lacking
problem is traceable to a failure to put on the full armor of God. We have let
right now? How will you cor
, the cares of our materialistic world grow strong and choke us (Mark 4: 19).
rect this problem ?
We have not equipped ourselves with the many spiritual resources that God
I
The first step to spiritual victory is to recognize the dangerous reality of the
battle: Satan is real, and he wants to destroy us. The second step is to unite
I
LESSON 14 }62 _ MAY 31,2009
with other believers in resistance to Satan's methods and tricks. An army THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
must fight as a team. ''An army of one" is a contradiction in terms. God provides all the spiri
The third step is to attack our adversary with the truths of the gospel, with tual annor we need.
the love of the fellowship, with our prayers for the saints. May we be vigilant
and bold in this battle!
Discovery Learning
Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpful. At the
back of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activity learning.