“You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength” – Psalm 8:2, NLT One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is this one from Matthew 21: The blind and the lame came to [Jesus] in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'” Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.[1] If you’ve spent any time around children, then chances are you’ve heard them say some pretty profound things. Things that speak of their innate, God-given aptitudes and creative gifts; complicated things related perhaps to philosophy, psychology, sociology; wise, wonderful things that point straight up to their Creator. At an indoor playground a few weeks back, I had the pleasure of meeting a young boy who said something pure and powerful. Something I’ll never forget. He taught me a lesson that I’d known in my heart, but had never thought to apply the way he did. Before I go on, I must tell you that this was no ordinary boy. When he introduced himself, he declared, “Hi! I’m a prince! Do you need rescuing?” At the time, I was seated at the edge of a small trampoline watching my three-year-old Isaiah jumping happily with a few other children. “Wow,” I said. “I’ve never met a real prince before. I don’t need rescuing right now, but if I do, I’ll definitely give you a shout.” Just then, I heard a scream behind me. Turning, I saw a toddler standing over Isaiah, his hands tugging Isaiah’s hair, and Isaiah kicking up at the boy’s belly. Isaiah had a curious smile on his face; the other boy was, understandably, red-faced and yelling. The prince looked at me expectantly, like a loyal knight awaiting his orders. “Would you please rescue my son?” I asked, then pointed out which boy was mind. No sooner was the request made than the prince was on the trampoline, gently lowering Isaiah’s legs and extricating his hair from the boy’s fingers. Then he took Isaiah by the arm and led him off the trampoline and into my lap, my makeshift time-out spot, where he sat grumpily for the next few minutes. “Thank you, prince,” I said. “You are so brave!” The boy gave a shy smile, then his face brightened as he stood up straighter. “I have a secret sword, too!” “No way! May I see it?” The boy shook his head. “No, because it’s invisible. That’s why it’s secret.” “That’s so cool. I’ve never heard of a secret sword before.” The boy ran off for a few minutes, off to rescue more damsels, and their toddlers, from distress, I suppose. When he returned, he leaned casually against a hanging punching bag and said in a low, quiet voice, “My sword is the Bible.” I felt my jaw fall open. Did I just hear what I thought I’d heard? Did a preschooler just articulate one of the most beautiful metaphors ever? Yes, yes he did. “That’s wonderful!” I gave Isaiah a firm, punctuating squeeze. “It’s the Sword of Truth, isn’t it?” The prince smiled, nodding. “That’s why I can’t show it to you. It’s not a real sword.” “It’s very real,” I said, “even if you can’t see it.” He gave one last grin before disappearing around the corner, likely unaware of the impact he’d made on me. At the beginning of this year, I made one New Year’s resolution: memorize one Bible verse each week. After meeting “the prince,” each time I sit down to read and meditate on my weekly memory verse, I envision an Excaliburesque sword, gold, glittering and grand, hovering in the air above me. The words are not just words. They’re real weapons for a real enemy. They are bullets and blades, missiles and rams, made by God’s own hand. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as “alive and powerful” and “sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword.” It “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Second Timothy 3:16 tells us that Scripture equips us “for every good work.” Psalm 119:105, one of the first verses I ever memorized as a child, says God’s Word is a “lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” James 1:21 testifies that the Word of God “has the power to save your souls”! At a remarkably young age, the preschool prince has already grasped a spiritual truth that most people never consider, let alone walk by every day. And that is that the battles we face often have spiritual roots. Therefore, if we desire victory, we must use spiritual weapons, like the Sword of the Spirit and the other pieces of God’s armor listed in Ephesians 6, rather than the weak, worldly tools we humans are prone to employ.[2] The more ammo, that is, verses of the inerrant, God-inspired Word, we have stored in our souls, the better equipped we are to confidently face our foes and fears…or to rescue the damsels and toddlers we meet at playgrounds. “I refuse to be an ordinary man. You say, ‘Why do you?’ Because I have an extraordinary God who makes extraordinary people.” – Smith Wigglesworth