Sword of the Spirit Drills for Children, Youth and Leaders
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“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:17 (NIV)
A friend recently showed me a children’s book based on Jesus’ famous story of the lost son from Luke 15. The application was: ‘Don’t run away from home’. To me this was a dismal failure of Jesus’ original intent. When it comes to assessing written resources, how can we equip children and youth, leaders and parents to defend what is good and to reject what is bad? Can we help them work out what the Bible is saying in context so that they can apply it well, and not succumb to poor exegesis and the old adage, ‘a text without a context is a pretext for a proof text’?
In the closing paragraphs of ‘God’s Big Picture’ (IVP, 2002), Vaughan Roberts reminds Bible readers that every Bible passage is somewhere in the Biblical story of redemption, as well as teaching us something of God and ourselves. Each passage should therefore be considered across two dimensions: the horizontal, historical dimension which looks at its place in the Bible storyline, what went before and how it is fulfilled in Christ, as well as the vertical, relational dimension which asks what this passage teaches about God, and what does it teach us about people? As I’ve considered these very helpful questions, the image of a soldier holding their sword aloft is so fitting for myself, and for training others how to properly understand a verse in context. The sword held aloft physically has a horizontal and vertical dimension. The blade points up to God and the handle down to people; the hand guard points both left (to the past) and right (to the future). God’s people need to use their sword well and so sword drills or sword practice will help us become proficient at using them. Here’s a drill which you could use to teach children, youth, leaders and parents to handle the Bible well.
1. Take up your sword – Open the Bible and read the passage.
2. Look around –Read the surrounding verses to give some context. Where are we in the Bible storyline?
3. Look back –What has gone before? Are there any relevant promises from prior passages in Scripture?
4. Look forward –What happens after? How is this passage fulfilled in Christ?
5. Look up –What does this passage teach us about God?
6. Look down –What does this passage teach us about people?
Let’s use Jeremiah 29:11, a favourite Old Testament verse, as an example.
1. Take up your sword.
Read the passage.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
This is a precious promise held dear by Christians the world over which is also one of the most misapplied verses in all of Scripture.[1] To some, these comforting words to the children of the King promise prosperity, health and wealth. But what do they really mean for us today? We’ve done step 1. Let’s keep working through the drill…
2. Look around.
Read the surrounding verses to give some context. Where are we in the Bible storyline? The preceding verse tells us that the ‘you’ refer to a specific people in a specific situation, place and time. They are God’s people from Judah who are currently exiled in Babylon. God has planned to restore them back in Jerusalem after 70 years of exile are completed.
3. Look back.
What has gone before? Are there any relevant promises from prior passages in Scripture?
In Deuteronomy 30:1-4, the LORD promises through Moses that he would send his people into exile as a result of their idolatry, and then after they repent, he would bring them back from the nations where he scattered them.
4. Look forward.
How is this passage fulfilled in Christ? Looking ahead, God’s people did indeed return to God’s place, Jerusalem, led by Nehemiah. Yet ultimately the promise is complete in Christ, through whom God’s people can be in God’s place, and with him forever.
5. Look up.
What does this passage teach us about God? The LORD is forgiving and merciful. He has not abandoned his people, nor does he punish his people forever. He has a loving plan to save and restore them.
6. Look down.
What does this passage teach us about people? God’s people do suffer for their sins. We need to trust God’s plan to save us and turn back to him with our whole hearts.
Now we are able to work out what this verse means for us today. We are not exiled in Babylon and so must be careful not to take this verse as a pretext for our lives. However, we are under sin, and God has provided a way back to him through Jesus. Even if life is hard right now, God loves us and we can trust his plans. He will work out all things for our good, through Jesus.
This is an easy drill to use, and with practice will become easier. Try it with your children, youth and leaders to help them handle the Bible, the sword of the spirit, with greater skill.
[1] https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2019/08/jeremiah-2911/
