A session exploring Ephesians 6 – the armor of God

Suitable For Ages 11 upwards

Required: paper, pens, fli-chart, tape, cardboard, scissors, felt-tips, string, candles, matches

Extra Files Needed (i.e. worksheets etc): No Files Required – click to download

Session Plan

Opening Activity – Split the groups in two giving each some cardboard and masking tape and ask them to make a complete set of armour including shield, sword, helmet, shoes, belt and breastplate for one of their team members.

Read – Ephesians 6: 10 – 18 ‘The Armour Of God’ (NIV)

Explain/Do – Explain that the passage will be read again, during which they need to label the different parts of the armour i.e. ‘Sword of the spirit’

Explain – Tonight we will be looking at preparing ourselves for battle, not with each other but against evil and the devil.

Brainstorm – Ask the group to think of ways which the devil tempts them.

Read – Luke 4: 1-13

Activity – Get the group to think about how each other the items in the armour of God match each temptation of Jesus. (Perhaps explain that we now have Salvation which means Jesus has already one for us and we can have the strength to use the rest of the armour)
What would you do?

Explain – The group will get a series of scenarios, they must think about and discuss how they’d react

Scenario 1 – Someone at school offers to copy their entire CD collection for you, you are broke and don’t have the money to buy the albums yourself, they even have the new Cliff Richard album you desperately want! What would you do?

Scenario 2 – You are known as a loser at school who hangs around with the geeks, you are invited to a big party where all the cool people are, but you remember that you’re meant to be having a sleepover with the geeks, what do you do?

Scenario 3 – You finally get broadband in your bedroom, over msn one of your friends tells you about an ‘amazing’ pornography site. What would you do?

Activity – Get the group to try and come up with a rap based on temptation, it could be using one of the scenarios just discussed or one of their own, it could include their reaction from a Christian point of view.

Re-Read – Ephesians 6: 10 –18

Discuss! – Get the group to think about why each one of the items of armour is important in their life and how it can be applied. Perhaps leaders give examples in their own as the discussion takes place. You can also link the experience of Jesus to their lives and temptations here.

Response – Give everyone a piece of paper and a pen, play some quiet music and ask them to think about an area of their life they struggle with temptation. Have some candles on a table and allow them to each light a candle as a response to God to symbolise that they want his light in their life.
Allow time for quiet, personal prayer.