Children’s Church Lesson
Sometimes it would be in their hearts when they were angry or tempted to get revenge. Sometimes they would hear lies and need to remember what was true.
Sometimes they would be tempted to do something they knew was wrong.
Paul wanted the church to understand that they needed to be prepared for these kinds of battles.
So Paul used something they understood very well: armor.
He told them to put on the Armor of God.
He talked about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word. And Paul reminded them to pray.
Paul wasn't telling them to put on actual metal armor. He was teaching them that God gives us what we need to stand strong when we face the battles of life.
Paul knew how important it was for the church in Ephesus, and for future churches, to understand that the battles we face aren't always face to face.
Sometimes the battle is simply knowing how to handle a situation. It's choosing forgiveness when someone hurts us. It's choosing what is right when we're tempted.
It's trusting God when we're afraid. It's knowing what is true when we hear a lie.
And when we face those battles, God gives us His armor so we can stand strong.
Storytime: The Armor of God
A long time ago, there was a church in a city called Ephesus. The people in this church loved Jesus, but following Him wasn't always easy. They faced temptations, difficult situations, and people who didn't always understand why they believed in Jesus.
The church needed some encouragement and Paul was someone who understood what it was like to face difficult things because of his faith. He had traveled from place to place telling people about Jesus and helping churches grow. But when Paul wrote his letter to the church in Ephesus, he was in prison because he had been preaching God's Word.
Even though Paul was in prison, he was thinking about the church and wanted to encourage them to stay strong so Paul wrote them a letter.
He reminded them to follow Jesus, love one another, forgive one another, and live according to God's ways. Then he told them something very important:
"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."
Paul knew that following Jesus meant they would face battles. But these battles wouldn't always look like what we think of as a battle.
Sometimes the battle would be in their minds when they were afraid or discouraged.