Who am I? What does God want with me? During my youth, and perhaps even still now, those were questions I constantly considered. After all, I’m just a simple human without a grand life or thrilling adventure to speak about. Yet God has called us to be His own through baptism, made us His children, and has called us into His salvation story. How can you encourage your youth to see that, even in the monotonous, their lives are part of God’s epic story of salvation?
The Shield of Faith
The Ancient Enemies of the Devil, the world, and our sinful flesh constantly wage war against God’s people. Youth experience this assault every moment of every day. They’re confronted with limitless temptations to sin, pressure to conform to the world, and challenges to the truth of God’s Word. To engage their place as royal warrior priests in God’s epic of salvation, they have been equipped with the shield of faith and the armor of God. They have been called into God’s plan of salvation by their baptisms and given a new destiny in and with Christ forever. As the Spirit continually strengthens them with God’s Word, they are to hold up their faith like a shield, clinging to the truths of God’s Word as they live their lives in the midst of this broken and fallen world.
The Sword of the Spirit
God has not left His called and chosen people alone. No, He has promised to be with us even to the end of the age. In addition, He has geared us for battle, so that we can faithfully and joyfully cling to His promises amid the assaults of the Ancient Enemies and engage our true calling. God has equipped us with His Word, the Sword of the Spirit. Just as youth practice for sports or other activities, they too are to practice the art of receiving the gifts of God’s Word. It is a mighty gift that many youth and adults often neglect, but through God’s Word He continually forms and transforms our identity and meaning in life. Regardless of where youth will go in life, they will benefit from not only holding up the shield of faith but also learning to faithfully wield the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.
The Battlefields of Faith
Equipped with the shield and the sword, the same God who has called youth into His epic plan of salvation also sends them into the world. Wherever they live and serve, be it at home, at school, in the congregation, or in society, they are to stand firm in the faith and love and serve their neighbor. Though the routines of life may seem monotonous and unimportant, through their epic calling they can view every part of life as an opportunity to be epic warriors. God has called them to live lives of love and service to Him and to the world in the different battlefields of life in their vocations. God’s Word transforms the ordinary into the epic.
In today’s world it can be increasingly difficult for youth to see their worth in God’s eyes and to know that they truly are soldiers of the faith. Everyone, including today’s youth are part of an epic story; the story of a hero defeating the greatest villain of all time: the devil. A story of Christ giving himself for the world He so loved in order to protect it. And a story of Christ’s people working to resist the Ancient Enemies of the Devil, the world, and our sinful flesh as we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
To show your youth their place in the epic story of salvation, take a digital youth Bible study, Epic Warrior: Grab Your Gospel Armor, by clicking the button below.
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