Hand out pieces of paper and pens/pencils to your students. If your class is meeting online, have students bring pieces of paper and pens/pencils with them to class.
So far in today’s lesson, we’ve looked at how God used ordinary people to defeat the greatest evil of the time period. Now, Scripture tells us that He can use us in the very same way, so long as we’re willing to pick up the tools that He lays before us.
Have a student read Ephesians 6:13-18. One of the most visual depictions of the tools God provides comes in the form of the Armor of God. This armor is made up of the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit—some people include Prayer in the armor as well based on verse 18. Now, possessing the right equipment is only half battle—understanding how to use it is another thing entirely. The key to this understanding is anticipating the devil’s attacks and in turn how to combat them.
One method we can use to uncover the devil’s attacks is by analyzing each piece of our Armor of God and working backward to determine which strike it can counter. For example, if we consider the function of the Belt of Truth by taking the antonym of the word truth, we are led to one of the devil’s primary assaults: deceit. Next, let’s consider how the devil uses deceit to attack us (in the Bible it says that Satan is the “father of lies” and that deception can immediately drive a wedge between us and our Creator).
Instruct your class to develop a deeper understanding of the Armor of God by considering each component in the same fashion. Allow your students to work independently (or in small groups, if you are meeting in person) using their Bibles or Bible search apps as a reference. Once finished with every piece, allow the class to share and discuss the attacks that they uncovered. Ultimately, the list should look something like this:
- Belt of Truth v. Deception
- Breastplate of Righteousness v. Corruption
- Shoes of Peace v. Confusion
- Shield of Faith v. Doubt
- Helmet of Salvation (Deliverance) v. Temptation
- Sword of the Spirit v. Our Own Understanding
- Prayer v. Self-Reliance
Once your students fully understand the function of each piece, close today’s lesson with the following challenge.
The Bible tells us that each day we must put on this armor. This phrasing suggests that the Armor of God is not something that we are naturally equipped with all the time. In fact, the devil’s strikes can be so cunning and powerful, that when we do not consciously guard ourselves with each piece, we are sure to sustain damage. Give your students an opportunity to write out a sample prayer they can use to “put on” their armor each day. This can be as simple as, “Lord, I choose to put on my Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, etc. today” or it might look like: “Lord, help me walk in truth, righteousness, peace, etc. today.” Still another example: “Lord, keep me from deception, corruption, confusion, etc. today.”
Challenge your students to begin each day by putting on the full Armor of God so that they can be on the winning team—victorious against any opponent that they face.
Close in prayer, thanking God for allowing us to be a part of His winning team and for giving us the tools to be prepared in any situation. As an optional way to close, you might want to ask some volunteers to pray their composed prayers, “putting on” the armor of the entire group.
