When I was a preschooler, my mom bought me a little journal in which she wrote memory verses she wanted me to learn. God uses those verses in my life even today. One of those verses is a go to when I am struck by fear: “God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7).
My mom not only used this passage to teach me a powerful truth about God’s gifts of power, love, and sound judgment to us but also about the reality of spiritual warfare. God sends us good gifts, but a spirit of fearfulness is sent by someone else who wants to be paralyzed by fear. Together we would pray this verse when we were afraid and stand upon God’s promise. Spiritual warfare became a normal part of my faith, and I learned a powerful lesson about praying truths found in Scripture.
Author Priscilla Shirer is no stranger to what the Bible teaches about spiritual warfare. She wrote the popular women’s study, The Armor of God, an in-depth study of Ephesians 6:10-17. But Priscilla credits one question her son asked her with an entire new line of thought. He asked, “Mom, will I ever be in a war, a battle . . . with Satan?”
This question inspired Priscilla to write the Prince Warriors trilogy for kids about spiritual warfare. She wanted kids to know that we are in a battle—a daily battle. The novels help bring home those truths for kids through the characters they read about.
I am excited to announce that kids can also go deeper with Priscilla’s newest Bible study: Unseen: The Armor of God for Kids. Based on Priscilla’s study of the Armor of God, this 7-week study of Ephesians 6:10-17 helps equip kids to put on the Armor of God to fight life’s battles. This Bible study challenges kids in Grades 1–6 to come to understand these truths and how God equips us with His armor.
With our kids, it is much like the story of Elisha and his servant. “Elisha prayed, ‘LORD, please open his eyes and let him see.’ So the LORD opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). We must pray that God will open the eyes of our little ones to these truths much like Eli guided little Samuel to hear God’s voice and respond.
Let’s join together in teaching our kids about this unseen reality and equip them as God intended to battle with His armor.
William Summey is Lifeway Kids team leader of short-term discipleship resources, devotionals, and ParentLife magazine. You can purchase Unseen: The Armor of God for Kids by visiting lifeway.com.
