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Armor of God

Art Workshop

(This could be an interactive/object oriented storytelling workshop as well.)

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will verbalize the passage. Those who choose to memorize it may earn a prize from the memory room. Children will make Armor of God figures and commit to putting on the armor every day.


Supplies:

  • Biblesball
  • Journals
  • Paper dolls
  • Armor pieces
  • Scissors
  • Markers or colored pencil
  • Throw and Tell Ball




Lesson Plan


Opening:

[Introduce yourself to children as they enter. Using the “Throw & Tell Ball,” spend about 5 minutes getting to know each other better.(These discussion-ball can be purchased online from various Christian retailers. There are several different versions. One is pictured here.)]

[Pass out Bibles.]

The Armor of God is described in Ephesians. Paul the Apostle wrote the book of Ephesians during a time when he was in Rome under house arrest. This arrest allowed him to reside in his own house, and come and go, but required him to be continually chained to a Roman soldier. For this reason, Paul became very knowledgeable about the armor and implements of warfare belonging to the man to which he was chained.

Can I get a volunteer to read Ephesians 6:10-18? [Be prepared to read it yourself.]

Paul says “Put on the full armor of God” twice. He really wanted to point out that it is an all-or-nothing proposition. Paul then explains that the armor allows us to stand against the devil’s schemes. What are the devil’s schemes? (He schemes to tempt us to turn away from God and do wrong.)

How many times did Paul say "put on the FULL armor of God"?  "Why would you want ALL the armor, and not just some?  Paul says “Put on the full armor of God” twice. He really wants us to remember this.

And Paul tells us who we are fighting against. We are not fighting against flesh and blood - people at school, people in other churches, etc. Who ARE we fighting against? (powers of darkness, Satan) What does that mean? (Allow time for discussion.)

Editor's Note:  Different churches express the concept of evil/Satan differently, and some parents may be sensitive to teaching their children about a literal devil (or not). Please check with your pastor about the right way for YOUR church. 

Jesus often talked about the evil that comes from within us, the bad choices, the bad intentions and thoughts. How does God's armor protect us from the evil in the world, and what's wrong within each of us?  

In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he remembered scripture. That was his "weapon". How is that different than Paul's armor metaphor?


Dig:


Our art project is to make our journals.
[Pass out journals and people. Pass out markers. Instruct children to decorate their people] Each of you have a journal. This journal will go with you each week for the remainder of the school year. You will take it home at the end of May next year.

Editor's Note:  Here's an ALTERNATE Journal Idea for those not using journaling in their workshops:

Make a "Manual for the Armor of God".

Begin with a picture/graphic of someone standing in the Armor of God (this could be a coloring page or graphic found by a google search. There are MANY!). As each item is passed around and described, students can either color in that item on their drawing, OR, cut it out in felt and paste it onto the drawing. Then, have them write a description, keywords, and "instructions" for each piece based on your description.

As we go along, we'll examine each piece of the armor that Paul is describing. We will add a piece of armor at a time and say the part of the verse that goes with it. We will add to our armor and our scripture as we go along.

[Pass out belts. Point to belt.]

Let’s say the part of the passage that goes with the belt of truth. "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist."

[Children should color as you talk.] What do you use a belt for? What happens when you don't use a belt? What does a soldier use a belt for? The Belt is not the most noticeable piece of the armor, however, it is actually the central piece that holds all the rest securely in place. From the belt hung specialized hooks and holders on which to secure the sword as well as any other weapons. The battle shield would also have had a place to rest on the belt. Also on the belt were clips with which to hold the breastplate in its proper place. Even supplies of bread, oil and water were held on the belt!

Paul called this the belt of ‘Truth’. What could he have been referring to? (Allow discussion, but guide students to realize that the truth of God is contained in his word, the Bible, and stands in direct opposition to Satan, who is known as the Father of Lies.)

[Pass out breastplates for children to color.]

This is the breastplate of righteousness. Say the verse with me up to the breastplate. "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…"

Each breastplate was custom made for the soldier that wore it. Breastplates were often made very elaborate with additional decorations and polished to a brilliant mirror finish that was blinding to the enemy in the sunshine. Despite its beauty, the breastplate was very functional, protecting the heart and other vital organs from penetration through its metal shell.

What is righteousness? (Allow some discussion) It simply means, “Right standing before God.” Last month, while studying Deuteronomy 6, we learned that the Israelites said, “If we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” Obedience to God, doing what is right allows us to be called righteous. Even though we all mess up and make wrong choices some times, through Christ, our sins don’t count against us, and we are made righteous.

So how does being righteous or making good choices protect our hearts? (Guide the discussion to point out that when we sin it hurts our hearts and our relationships. Being righteous, doing the right things, helps us protect our hearts from getting hurt.) [Teacher note: See James 2.]

[Pass out boots]

Let’s say all the parts so far. Point to your pieces as we mention them. [Don’t allow children to rush it.] "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."

What do sandals or boots do for you?  What do they allow you to do, that would be hard barefoot? The sandals of the Roman soldier were not ordinary shoes. Their shoes were really more like boots because they came up around their shins. They consisted of an elaborately cut and laced sandal with layers of metal and leather in the soles. They even had spikes on the bottom of the sole to plant into the ground to keep them from being moved. That is why Paul could say stand firm – it would be hard to move a soldier whose spikes were planted into the soil!

Remember, Gospel means “Good news” – so we are ready to go anywhere because of the good news of peace. We keep the peace by telling others about Christ – how he laid down his life for us and them. Would we need to fight wars if everyone were TRUE Christians? (no!) We would treat each other right even if we disagreed. In our lives, we do not need to fight others – we need to get along and be friends – to bring peace to our school, our home and our churches.

Before we pass out the next piece, let’s review. Remember, point to each piece as we speak about it. "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."

[Pass out shields.]

OK, now let’s add the shields to what we have been reciting. "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."

What is a shield for?  What kind of "shields" do you use?

Scripture tells us that the shield can “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the devil.” The Roman battle shield was a large shield. It looked like the soldier was carrying a leather covered door! Each shield was made of six layers of thick animal hide specially tanned and woven together making them as tough and durable as metal yet relatively light weight. The shields could be soaked in water before battle so that in the event the enemy would rain fiery projectiles on them, the fire would be extinguished on impact.

When Paul says “take on” the shield of faith – he refers to intentionality – you don’t just have it, you take it. We must grab onto our faith. We grow in faith through hearing or reading our Bibles (Romans 10:17). How often do you take on faith?

That brings us to the helmet. [Pass out helmets.]

It is another thing we are to take. Let’s say the passage all together up to the helmet part. "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…"

The helmet was the most noticeable piece of armor. It was often ornate, intricately decorated and plumed with brightly dyed feathers or horsehair. The Roman helmet was designed to deflect blows and yet allow the soldier maximum visibility.

Name some reasons why people wear hats (identity, protection)

The helmet of salvation protects the mind. How? [Guide discussion so children understand if you know that in the end, you will win – you will live in heaven with God. The things that the Devil throws at you in this world – the lies he tries to get you to believe have no force. If you know you win, Satan’s attacks all of a sudden don’t mean very much! If you know you will go to heaven, death isn’t quite so scary! (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:54, 55)]

OK, we are almost done. We have one more piece of armor to color.

[Pass out swords.]

This is the last physical piece of armor Paul tells about. Let’s say the whole passage so far. "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."

Is Paul telling us to be ready to stab people?  What is a sword? Is it dull or sharp?  Are you dull or sharp?

Remember that the scabbard that held the sword hung on the belt of truth. The Bible is the sword. It is the source of truth, and the words that can conquer Satan. Remember how Jesus defeated Satan by saying, “It is written”?

So then, to properly wield the sword, you must be knowledgeable of what the Bible says (particularly the promises and statements of fact) and receive that word into your heart. Keep receiving to the point that your heart begins to overflow out of your mouth, in the power of the Holy Spirit and authority of the Name of Jesus.

Now let’s add the last part and say the whole thing. Point to each piece as we go. "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 Lord’s people."

Paul concludes by saying: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Prayer is not a ritual, it is a conversation. And it is a very good sign of our relationship with God.

How often do you pray?
Do you just ask for things?
Do you include praise and thanksgiving along with your requests?
Do you pray for yourself and your needs along with the needs of others?
(Allow time for discussion.)
What would happen to a soldier who never talked to their commander?  
How can you follow God if you don't talk to him?

Now it’s time for your person, and you to put on the whole armor of God.

How do we put on the Armor of God? [Ask a volunteer to show a piece of armor and how to put it on. For example: Breastplate of Righteousness – I can put it on by choosing to do right and making good choices. Helmet of Salvation – I can put it on by being baptized (or by choosing to believe in my salvation). There may be several right answers. Give everyone a chance to participate.]

Why is it important for Christians to wear the Armor of God every day? (to avoid temptation, to follow God’s laws, to love others, to spread God’s live to others, etc.) How many of you will put your armor on tomorrow? How about every day?


Reflection:

[If there is time, discuss a time when the students wore their armor and defeated Satan’s temptations. Be prepared to share one of your own experiences. Each person can start out, “I wore the ________ when I…” Give everyone a chance to participate.]

[Close in prayer thanking God for our armor and asking God to help us fight and win the battle against Satan.]

References:
https://tgm.org/the-whole-armor-of-god/


A lesson by Staci Woodruff from: Jenks Church of Christ


A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

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Last edited by Luanne Payne
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