Elementary Object Lesson: The Armor of God

This object lesson will help kids understand how the armor of God keeps their hearts safe and secure.

Protecting Important Things

You’ll need:

• Bible
• bucket half-filled with water
• paper towels
• plastic or foam cups (1 per child)
• pens or markers

Give each child a paper towel, a pen or marker, and a cup.

Say: Think of a few things or people that are very important to you. Write or draw these on your paper towel.

Allow time for children to do this, then ask:

• What kind of protection do these people or things need?
• What would you do to protect these things or people?
• How can these things or people be treated without your help?

Have children crumple their paper towels into tight wads and press them firmly into the bottom of their cups. The paper towel should stay in the bottom of the cup when the cup is turned upside down.

Let each child turn his or her cup upside down. Then slowly push the cup straight down into the water, making sure to keep the cup level. Hold the cup down in the water for a few seconds, then slowly pull the cup straight up and out of the water. After each child has done this, let children remove their paper towels from their cups and see if they are wet or dry. If done correctly, the paper towel will be dry.

Ask:

• Why didn’t your paper towel get wet?
• What protected these things that were important to you?

The Armor of God

Say: A pocket of air was trapped between your paper towel and the water. The air, even though it was invisible, protected your paper towel from the water. This invisible protection of air reminds me of the invisible protection that God offers us. We call it the armor of God.

Read: Ephesians 6:10-18.

Ask:

• What does armor do?
• Who needs armor?
• Why would you need armor?

Say: Most kids don’t need to wear armor like a soldier would wear. But we do need God’s protection against things and attitudes that keep us from wholeheartedly following Jesus. For this we need God’s armor.

When a soldier wears armor, that soldier feels secure and safe. In the same way, the armor God gives us helps us feel safe and secure in our friendship with God. God’s armor frees us from fear.

Ask:

• Why do you think God wants to protect you?
• What are things you want God to protect you from?
• What kind of armor do you think God might give us?

Pray: Dear God, thank you for your love and protection. Help us to always remember that your power helps keep our hearts safe and secure. We love you, amen.

This object lesson comes from Kids’ Travel Guide to the Armor of God. This resource contains 13 Bible lessons on the armor of God, helping kids discover how they can stand firm during tough situations. For even more object lessons, check out these posts!