Children’s Lesson 7

CHOOSING SIDES

Weā€™ve been talking a lot about being a good team member. But the most important thing we can do is to choose the right team we want to be a part of. After all, if weā€™re not on Jesusā€™ team we are on a losing team.  Satanā€™s team is a losing team and he knows it, but he doesnā€™t want YOU to know it.

2 Timothy 2:3-5 speaks of Soldiers and Athletes

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

THERE IS A COMPETITION BEING WAGED THAT IS MUCH BIGGER THAN ANY GAME!

Itā€™s a battle for your heart, for your mind, for your very soul. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12,

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

This verse has no exceptions.  All struggles are spiritual.  Not physical/personal.  Youā€™re not fighting with your brother/sister, your parents or any human.  You may think that bully at school is your problem, but he or she is notā€¦.  Itā€™s the spiritual issue that is the problem.  Something is spiritually wrong with that bully.  They need Jesus, for sure.  Maybe they donā€™t have anyone who they feel loves them, and so they donā€™t know how to love or even get along with someone else.  Who knows?  But one thing is for sure, because the Bible is TRUEā€¦. Itā€™s not about you and a bullyā€¦.itā€™s about the spiritual battle that bully is going through. (and maybe even your spiritual battle where you need to learn how to love people just because Jesus loved them enough to die for them)

Not that knowing this fixes all of our circumstances, but we can still WIN if we are on Jesusā€™ team.  Jesus will always WIN. 

It helps us to know problems are not a fight between me and another personā€¦.itā€™s Satan trying to do some dirty tricks in this world.  He tries to cause hate, and hurt and lies.  He is a loser.  I donā€™t want to be on his team!

Here is his story:  Satan started out as a beautiful angel of God named Lucifer, who was given great wisdom and talent. He was a leader of angels and was one of Godā€™s masterpieces in the angelic realm. To behold Lucifer was to behold a great sight, but the problem was that Lucifer knew it. He was so proud, he wanted his own team. He didnā€™t want to serve God, He wanted to BE a god.  So he rebelled against God.

As the result of his pride and rebellion against God, Lucifer was judged. He was cast out of heaven to the earth where heā€™s messing things up for us!  But eventually he will be condemned to spend eternity in hell. The Bible tells us that there will come a day in the future when Jesus will cast Satan and all of his wicked angels (we call them demons) into the pits of hell never to be let out.   But in the meantime, he is waging a battle that you and I are caught up in whether we like it or not.

Satan wants you on his team, and even if you choose to be on Jesusā€™ team, Satan is the kind of ā€˜playerā€™ that wants to break your ankle or something so you canā€™t play anymore.  He wants to get you to make bad choices and do things that will hurt you or get you into trouble so that itā€™s hard for you to be like Jesus.  He doesnā€™t play fair.  He plays DIRTY.

There are only 2 teams.  Jesusā€™ and Satanā€™s.  Are you on the right team?  Jesusā€™ team?  The only way to win all the time is to be on the winning team.  Jesus is the winner.  Satan is the loser.  The Bible makes that plain.  Going to hell is NOT winning.  Satan is a loser.

Do you know if you are on Jesusā€™ team?

If not,

Go to Romans Road to Salvation and/or Prayer of Rededication