Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power… Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV
‘This Little Light of Mine’ is a song that everyone knows. It has been sung round the world in hundreds of languages since the 1920’s. It became an anthem in the civil rights movement. It was even sung at the end of a royal wedding. It has been adapted, time and time again, and yet the message remains the same. Light wins, darkness has no chance!
This song is an anthem for all, young and old. It is a message of hope that has its source in Jesus alone, the true and everlasting light. “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8.12, ESV).
When we are teaching our children to clothe themselves in the armour of God, we need to be providing them with words they can write upon their hearts so that when they face darkness. Then they can stand firm in the Light of Jesus and hold on to the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Children love to sing, maybe you could make ‘This Little Light of Mine’ their Jesus anthem.
LISTEN and watch here on YouTube: This Little Light of Mine by Listener Kids
One of the ways we help children to clothe themselves in Jesus every day is to pray with them and teach them to pray. You could learn this prayer together. Start at the top and get dressed in the armour of God every day. We include all of the armour in Ephesians 6 and the cloak that is added in Isaiah 59:17
Jesus, you make me strong.
Help me to stand firm in you today.
Clothe me with your:
Helmet of salvation (put your hands on your head)
Breastplate of righteousness (put your hands on your heart)
Belt of Truth (put your hand around your waist)
Shoes of the Gospel (touch your toes)
Shield of faith (hold your hands, palms out, in front of you)
Sword of the Spirit (put your hands together and open them like a book)
And clothe me with your
Cloak of zeal (give yourself a hug)
Aaaaamen (raise your hands in the air to worship Jesus)
Tabitha is the Lead Missioner for Inspire for Kids, (children and families)
