Ephesians 6:10-20
Your Story
What are some things you have worn to protect you? (Examples might include a raincoat to protect from the rain or a helmet to protect your head if you fall off your bicycle.)
My Story and the Bible story
Have you ever seen some of the equipment that comes with playing sports? Football players put on helmets, chin guards, mouth guards, cleats, and shoulder pads in order to protect themselves when they play. Soccer players may wear shin guards and cleats. Hockey players wear helmets with face masks and shoulder pads. It’s important to protect yourself in sports. In Ephesians, Paul talks about how important it is to protect ourselves with the armor of God. In this world, there are things that will try to knock us off course with God. We will be tempted by things, bad things will happen, and we may try to run away from God. That’s why the armor of God is so important: to keep us following God.
Read Ephesians 6:10-20. Here it is from the New Living Translation: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
The armor of God is the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. The truth is always better than lies, because the truth reminds us of who we are and that we are God’s. God’s righteousness covers us. Not our righteousness, God’s. We know that we will always do something wrong, no matter how great we try to be. God is the only One who is righteous because God is perfect. Thanks to Jesus, God’s righteousness covers us. The armor of God also includes the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. As followers of God, we are to bring peace with us wherever we go, so it makes sense that peace would be shoes. The shield of faith keeps us going even when we don’t understand what’s happening. We have faith that God is there and God knows what is best for us. Salvation is our helmet. And we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The sword of the Spirit is the Bible. The Bible reveals things to us and shows us how to live. It helps shape us into people of God. God gave us all of these things to help us along the rough journey of life. By using our faith in God, our belief in truth, God’s righteousness, God’s peace, our salvation, and the Bible, we can follow God no matter what happens.
Discussion
• As a family, talk about how you each have used the armor of God.
• If you have active children, run a race, adults versus kids, to see who can put on the armor of God the fastest (a belt for the belt of truth, a vest or button up shirt for God’s righteousness, shoes for the shoes of peace, a piece of cardboard for the shield of faith, a hat for the helmet of salvation, and finally a Bible for the sword of the Spirit).
Prayer
Thank God for all that He has given us to help us always follow Him. Ask Him for strength and courage to tell others about how much He loves us.
Jessica Asbell is currently serving as the Minister to Children at First Baptist Church of Roswell, GA. She has worked with children in various capacities at several churches, including Winter Park Baptist in Wilmington, NC, First Baptist of Decatur, GA, and Highland Hills Baptist in Macon, GA. She has a Master of Divinity from McAfee School of Theology and a BBA from Mercer University. In her spare time she loves to read, watch movies, and of course spend time with her sweet kitty, Lucy.
