Living a Holy Life
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. 14 Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. 15 Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. 16 Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:11-17
Memory Verse
Ephesians 4:26-27
26 Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry 27 and don't give the devil a chance.
Elena slammed the door when she got home. “I’m never talking to Madison again!”
“What happened?” asked her dad as he handed her some carrot sticks and sat down at the table with her.
“We were playing catch at recess,” said Elena as she twisted the carrot around with her hands. “But when it was her turn to toss the ball to me, she missed and it went right through Mrs. Weatherstone’s window and smashed her solar system diorama. Then when Mrs. Weatherstone asked us what happened, she said I got mad at her and threw the ball at her as hard as I could, but missed and hit the diorama instead.” Elena chomped on a carrot and crossed her arms. “I’m never talking to her again.”
Have you ever wanted to do something that you knew wasn’t right? Maybe you, like Madison, wanted to tell a little lie about not knowing how something broke so you wouldn’t get in trouble. Or maybe you’ve been in Elena's shoes and haven’t wanted to forgive someone who hurt you.
As Christians, we must honor and guard our relationship with God by loving the people around us. We all wrestle with sin, but we need to take personal responsibility. We can’t blame Satan for our poor behavior (Ephesians 6:11-17). Did you notice that the verse says when the day of evil comes not if. We should expect opposition. This is a great reminder that part of holy living is to make sure we don’t get so angry that we sin by withholding forgiveness (Ephesians 4:26-27). We need to forgive others even if the relationship is not fixed. Let’s not give the devil a room in our lives.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, please fill my heart with your wisdom and love, and help me to put on the full armor of God so that when I’m tempted I am protected. Amen.Related Resources
Christina Van Starkenburg
Christina Van Starkenburg is an award-winning freelance writer and author of The Key Thief and One Tiny Turtle: A Story You Can Colour. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, and exploring the world with her husband and three kids. Visit her at www.christinavanstarkenburg.com to read more.