Believers are called to share the gospel with the world.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-17; 1 John 2:15-17
Central Truth
God’s kingdom is also coming in its fullness, and we eagerly wait for it. While we wait, we must be aware of Satan’s attacks so we can stand firm and continue to spread the gospel.
Key Question
Why is it important to know there is spiritual warfare all around us? How should that affect the way you live?
Keep in Mind
While we can’t see it, there is a battle going on in the spiritual realm. Satan is very real, and dark powers and forces exist. Students will sometimes become overwhelmed or even fascinated by this concept. While we want our focus to be on things that are lovely and praiseworthy (see Phil. 4:8), this verse also reminds us that we must think on what is true. We can’t be blind to the reality of spiritual darkness because this makes us vulnerable. Instead, once we know how very real spiritual warfare is, we can use what God has given us to fight—the full armor of God. We’ll recognize when our own evil desires are tempting us and luring us away from God too (see James 1:14).
APPLICATION
How might we hinder people from seeing Jesus when we love the things of this world?
THE WIN
FOR THE STUDENT: When we love the things of this world more than we love God, we become a distraction for non-believers. Instead of seeing someone living radically for the Lord, they see someone who doesn’t look any different than them. It can cause them to question why they need Jesus since He doesn’t seem to make a difference in our lives. When we love God with all of our hearts, we work with Him to help the spiritually blind gain sight.
FOR THE LEADER: We want our students to be able to look at our lives and see what it looks like to love Jesus. This means we must radically different from the world. It’s a great reminder to live intentionally because our students are watching us.
