The Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take
your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

What is the Armor of God?

God's armor brings victory because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the very life of Jesus Christ Himself.

"Put on the armor," wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, "...clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus
Christ." (Romans 13:12-14)

When you do, He becomes your hiding place and your shelter in the storm -- just as He was to David. Hidden in Him,
you can count on His victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He also fills you with His life.

"I am the vine; you are the branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in him, he will bear
much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Since living in the safety of the armor means oneness with Jesus, we can expect to share His struggles as well as His
peace. Remember, God offers us His victory in the midst of trouble -- not the absence pain. So "do not be
surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to
you, but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ..." (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Committed Christians who face torture for their faith continue to testify to the supernatural strength--even joy--that
enables them to endure unthinkable pain. They affirm with Paul--

"that in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.... For I am
convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers.... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:37-39)

This wonderful truth has become reality to all who believe and follow Jesus. When you put on His armor, His life
surrounds you and keeps you safe in Him. He is your precious friend, and you are His! So "put on Christ." (Galatians
3:27) He is your victory!
 SEARCH FOR GOD'S ARMOR
 
God tells us to put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able
to stand our ground. Use this Word Search to familiarize yourself with the different pieces of
God's armor
The words can be across, down or diagonal. See if you can find them all

Q S H Q A J W V Y G L S S V I
E X A D L E I H S P H S M T G
I V D L B T G L K D E N I X P
Q P N R V X R Y O N L P D I L
S H O E S A F U S V M B X X I
H J J R E E T U T R E E X J K
W X U S I P O I W H T L M G J
Y G H O A E N H O L W T O P D
E V K C T F E K M N L S R N H
E P Q H B R E A S T P L A T E
J C G Z H D C Q I I L F F H V
D I A T G R T C R Z G O L V I
R R I E F O L I U O Z Z S F V
A A A H P W T Z U O L N R S X
F P A X P S T F V A J S G W Q

BELT HELMET
SALVATION SPIRIT
SWORD PEACE
SHIELD BREASTPLATE
RIGHTEOUSNESS FAITH
SHOES TRUTH

Spiritual Warfare (Lesson 1)    

 Full Armor of God

by Kathy Harrington,

Harvest Church Children's Church, Kingwood, Texas

Go to Lesson Lesson Index

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Topics:

Armor of God, Stand Firm

This lesson teaches the importance of being on guard spiritually and to use all of the resources God gives us.

AS KIDS ARRIVE (15 minutes)

Search for God's Armor (Word Search) Click here

Put on the Armor of God (Coloring Activity) Click here

Print out the word search and the color pages. As Children arrive have them start working on these pages.

OPENING PRAYER AND PRAISES (5 minutes) Further info? Click here

MEMORY WORK (6 minutes)

Have the children find Ephesians 6:11 Write the verse on the board and recite the verse. Erase a word or two
and recite the verse again. Continue in this manner until the children can recite the verse from memory.
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
Ephesians 6:11
 

SCRIPTURE READING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes)

Introduction:

This verse tells us that we must be prepared as we go into battle, a spiritual battle. Without God's Armor and protection we do not stand a chance.

God will empower us to fight the good fight and to make a stand against the devil.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (Spiritual Warfare)
Read the verse together. Once you've read the verse explain how each piece of armor protects us spiritually, which in turn can protect us
physically.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do we need spiritual armor? (To stand against the wiles of the devil)

2) What is it we fight against? (against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of

evil in the heavenly realms.)

3) Should we be afraid of this battle? (No, God will help us stand against evil. The powers of darkness will be defeated by God.)

4) How does God help us in the battle against evil? (He gives us the weapons and armor we need to stand strong)

5) Why is it important that we that we put on our spiritual armor every day? (Without it we will be weak and easily defeated)

6.) How can we use each piece of spiritual armor at home? At school? At church?

EXPLANATION :

The Belt of Truth: The belt worn by a roman soldier was important because it held the weapons needed
to fight. Jesus holds the truth for us. Like the soldiers weapons, we must be anchored to the truth that is
found only in Jesus.

The Breastplate of Righteousness: The typical Roman soldier wore a protective covering to cover the
vital organs, like the heart, the lungs, liver, etc. If any of these were injured, the life of the soldier would be
in serious jeopardy. If we try to do battle over Satan's enemies with only our own righteousness, we will
never win. We need a righteousness that comes from our Savior.

Feet with the Gospel of Peace: To do battle, a soldier must be prepared to go, and good strong sandals
were absolutely necessary. Likewise, before we can do battle, we must be prepared, but our preparation
comes from the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news about Jesus, and through it we can tell others how
they can have peace with God.

The Shield of Faith: The shield protected the Roman soldier from arrows and sword blows. Our spiritual
enemies are constantly throwing arrows and thrusting swords towards us. The best way to deflect these
blows is with the shield of faith. When we hold on to our shield, when we hold firm to our faith in Jesus,
we can go forth boldly.

The Helmet of Salvation: An essential item for a soldier's survival. The helmet protects the head of the
soldier, where there is the mind and spirit. Our salvation comes from Jesus, and it is a lasting protection
until the day we are with Him in heaven.

The Sword of Truth: The Roman sword was short and lightweight so they could use it easily. At close
range, it was a deadly weapon. The sword of truth represent the Word of God. The Word of God is truth.
It is a powerful weapon when use under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.