NBC Sunday School Manual For Novenber 27, 2022 :Topic – God Gives Tools For Our Protection

By | November 27, 2022

NBC Sunday School Manual For Novenber 27, 2022 :Topic – God Gives Tools For Our Protection

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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON (NBC)

Sunday, November 27, 2022

TOPIC: GOD GIVES TOOLS FOR OUR PROTECTION

Devotional Reading: Psalm 91

Background Scriptures: Revelation 2:1-7; Acts 19; Ephesians 6:10-24

Lesson Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

GOLDEN TEXT:
Take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13.

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:

I. Describe the nature of the fight Christians are exposed to.

ii. List the spiritual tools needed by Christians to fight the battle.

iii. Make a verbal commitment to always put on the spiritual amour for their protection.

INTRODUCTION
The world we live is characterised by all kinds of evil that threaten our survival so much that divine protection is needed. People often recite Psalm 91 especially when they are passing through terrible situation or anticipate danger. Christians believe that God’s word is a necessary tool for protection against the enemies. Having addressed many subject matters, Paul concludes and concluded his message to the brethren in Ephesus on the kind of warfare they were exposed to. He did not leave them in the dark about the reality of warfare in the Christian journey. He viewed the Christian life as a kind of warfare and wanted the brethren to have complete knowledge of the nature of the battle and how to prepare for it with corresponding tools. In his explanation, he gave a beautiful and a concise analogy of a Roman soldier regalia. Perhaps Paul was inspired by the sight of a Roman soldier patrolling his prison and decided to use it
as an illustration to prepare the minds of the brethren of the necessity of putting on the armour of God so as to fight against spiritual forces.

There are spiritual powers that rule the world (Ephesians 2:2), and they are constant threat to Christians, even though we have been raised up with Christ to rule with Him (Ephesians 2:6). The armour of God Paul referred to in the passage is a metaphor that reminds the Christian of the reality of spiritual battle and the tools for protection available to them. However, even in the midst of battles, we are assured of God’s abiding presence and He has provided tools for our protection. The focus of today’s lesson is Paul’s encouragement for believers to put on the full armour of God when we are faced with spiritual battles, pray in the spirit always and be alert in order to gain victory.

THE LESSON EXPLAINED

A. The Nature of the Battle. Ephesians 6:10-13

Paul concluded his message to the believers in Ephesus to be strong in the Lord. He encouraged them to activate the power of Christ within them. His admonition is a result of the kind of warfare he described that believers are fighting. He said, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devils’ schemes.” (vv. power. 10-11) According to verse 12, we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against the rulers, the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, Paul encouraged the Ephesians to put on the whole armour of God like a Roman soldier who is fully kitted for war. When we are always prepared for war, we will able to withstand the attack of the enemy and still stand firm when the day of evil comes. The implication is that we cannot fight spiritual battles with physical weapons..

The Christian warfare is not against the physical things of this world (John 18:36-38), but against the devices of Satan who seeks to kill, steal and destroy humanity (John 10:10). Earlier on, Paul had talked about evil spiritual powers that rule the world and how they have posed constant threat to Christians even though we may not be aware. Paul’s caution to put on the full armour of God in order to withstand the attack of the Devil is also relevant to all believers in our contemporary time, knowing well that the arm of flesh will fail. But those who abide with God will always be victorious in all battles of life. In addition, our strength is maintained if we remain in fellowship with God who never fails. After all, He is the source of our strength to fight against all battles of life (Romans 8:31; 2Corinthians 10:3-6).

DISCUSSION TIME
1. Based on Paul’s encouragement to put on the full armour of God in order to win spiritual battles, what should be the response of a Christian who is advised to use charms as a means of protection?
2. Can Christians be involved in physical fight to confront their enemies!

B. The Nature of the Battle. Ephesian 6:14-18

Paul’s description of fighting spiritual battles is quite interesting. Having described the nature of the battle, he urged the brethren to stand firm. He mentioned different tools (armour) needed for the fight. His description is better understood when one see a kitted Roman soldiers who is ready for battle. So, he recommended the following:

▪︎ The belt of truth tied around the waist.

▪︎ The breastplate of righteousness.

▪︎ Shoes in readiness to proclaim the gospel of peace. Ordinarily, shoes help us from stumbling and to maintain balance.

▪︎ Faith as a shield to withstand the arrows shot by the evil one.

▪︎ Salvation as a helmet that protects the head from injury.

▪︎ The Word of God, which the Spirit gives.

▪︎ Prayer as the Spirit leads, alertness and resilience.

Paul rightly recommended the best spiritual tools to fight spiritual battles. He did not pretend it will be easy to live a troubled-free Christian life according to Jesus’ words in John 16:33. He made us know that Christians are constantly in warfare. There are powers in the unseen world against which we cannot fight with our physical weapons except we put on the whole armour of God. Christians should depend on God’s word to stand against all that is morally wrong in our society that is devoid of justice (Isaiah 11:5). Another important tool is prayer according to verse 18. It is needed to win spiritual battles by asking for the help of God. We are therefore encouraged to pray always in the spirit with the help of the Holy Spirit who teaches us what/how to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

DISCUSSION TIME
1. How can we use the Word of God as a weapon to fight the devil and the agents of darkness?
2. Is prayer alone sufficient to win the war on terrorism and religious fanatismin Nigeria? What else can the Church do to overcome these challenges?

Commitment: Make a personal commitment to always remember to put on the spiritual amour of God.

Fellowship and Ministry Building Activity:
Let a class member share a personal testimony of how he/she was able to win a battle recently using the Word of God. They should identify someone who is in the captivity of the devil and pray with him/her during the week using the Word of God.

Prayer Points
1. Pray that God will make you strong and victorious to fight life’s battle.

2. Pray for grace not to loss guard in fighting spiritual battles.

3. Pray for renewed strength to press on until you overcome the challenges of life.

Take Home:
State three main lessons you are taking home based on today’s lesson

REVIEW: Thank God for His unfailing love and mercy. I am convinced in my spirit that God Himself will inspire us to always live what we teach so that the society will become a better place for us to live. Therefore, we want to know some facts about your understanding of the lesson:

▪︎ How did the Holy Spirit help you to do good works since the beginning of the month?

▪︎ What were some of your struggles about the understanding of spiritual armour?

▪︎ Did you gain any new insights about the grace of God that will help you grow more spiritually?

▪︎What lesson did you learn about the doctrine of adoption and redemption?

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