Family Home Evening Armor of God

Advanced Prep: For each person get small paperdolls from a scrapbook store or here. We made the dolls to resemble family members. Make your own helmet, shoes, loin cloth, shield, breastplate and sword to fit your paperdoll. Color, if neccessary, and laminate. Make sure you have a die for the game.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-17 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery dart of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" or

D& C 27:15-18 "Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand. Stand, therefore, having your lions girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, which I have sent mine angles to commit unto you; Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my work which I reveal unto you, and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until I come, and ye shall be caught up that where I am ye shall be also. Amen."

Song: Seek the Lord Early, (Children's Songbook, page 108)

Poem/Thought: “Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. … Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments.” President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982), First Counselor in the First Presidency, “‘Put on the Whole Armor of God,’” Ensign, May 1979, 46.

Lesson: So what is the Armor of God and how can it protect us?

Girt up your loins about with truth -(Ephesians 6:14; D&C 27:16). Loins mean the area between the hips and abdomen. Girt means tied around firmly with a belt. Generally, to “gird your loins” means to prepare for action. We prepare ourselves to take action in the battle against evil by learning the truth through prayer and scripture study

Breastplate of righteousness-” (Ephesians 6:14; D&C 27:16). Why do you think the Lord called it the breastplate of righteousness? A breastplate protects vital organs such as the heart and lungs. We need to have righteousness in our hearts. We need to want to do right with all our hearts. We can keep this in our hearts and be able to withstand peer pressure, have the strength to leave if we find ourselves somewhere we should not be or if we are tempted to do things we shouldn't. Our righteousness, both in thought and deed, protects the core of our spiritual lives.

Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace-(Ephesians 6:15; D&C 27:16). Shod means wearing shoes. “Your feet … represent your goals or objectives in life. … Preparedness is the way to victory, and ‘eternal vigilance is the price of safety.’ … The tide of victory rests with him who is prepared” (President Harold B. Lee [1899–1973], “Message from the First Presidency,” Ensign, Jan. 1971, 2). How can we be prepared? We can study the scriptures, pray to our Father in Heaven, living the teaching of the gospel , going to church to learn of him, (these are some we came up with but you may come up with others) What are we preparing for? The return of Jesus Christ, eternal life with God.

Shield of faith-(Ephesians 6:16; D&C 27:17). A shield is the most versatile and effective means of defense in battle. Our faith, if it is built upon Christ and His gospel, can defend us against the adversary’s numerous onslaughts, just as a shield, if it is made of the right material, will withstand volleys of fiery darts. Why is Satan's weapons compared to a dart rather than a large tank or cannon. A dart makes a small hole in the dartboard and holds on. Satan doesn't start with the big stuff; he starts with the little stuff. Little lies, "just this once". Little things can lead to big things.

“In the Church we can teach about the materials from which a shield of faith is made: reverence, courage, chastity, repentance, forgiveness, compassion. In church we can learn how to assemble and fit them together. But the actual making of and fitting on of the shield of faith belongs in the family circle. Otherwise it may loosen and come off in a crisis.” President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Shield of Faith,” Ensign, May 1995, 8.

Helmet of salvation-(Ephesians 6:17; D&C 27:18). A helmet of salvation shall guide our thinking through all our days. Focusing our minds on Christ and His salvation will protect us from unworthy thoughts, keep our “eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 4:5), and guide us in our decisions. How would remembering Christ more regularly help us resist the influence the devil tries to have over us?

Sword of my spirit-(Ephesians 6:17; see D&C 27:18) How is the sword different from the other pieces of armor listed? It is a weapon rather than just protection. A sword is a weapon used to strike at the enemy. The word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). With our testimony and the power and peace of God’s Spirit, we can strike against and conquer the enemy of all righteousness.

I gave them bookmarks that I printed from here. I thought these were great as they point out everything and what it means. Hopefully, the visual will help them remember.

Activity: The object of the game is to be the first to "put on the whole armor of God" on your figure. Each person got a boy or girl figure. There were 6 piles of armor. The first player rolls the die. If he gets a 1 he can get a helmet and roll again and try to get a 2 then 3, etc. until all pieces of armor have been collected in order. If he does not roll the number he needs, die goes to the next player. Each player must receive each piece of armor in the order given. Key: 1-helmet, 2-breastplate, 3-lions, 4-legs and feet, 5-shield, 6-sword Closing Prayer:

Refreshments: Doughnut Balls