Helping Our Kids Put On the Armor of God
Winter boots tucked away, summer sandals fill the cubbies. Snow-pants handed down, summer shorts ready for sunny-day play. Mittens and stocking caps washed and stowed, sunscreen and sunglasses resume their place. Transitioning our family wardrobes from one season or age to the next is an on-going part of parenting, but it’s only one part—covering the visible. No matter the climate or seasonal activities, Scripture prescribes the on-going necessities for every child—their invisible spiritual covering.
Ephesians 6:12–13 expounds on these spiritual essentials: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”
Every parent yearns for their child to stand in the face of peer pressure, evil enticements, false claims, and even amidst their own disappointments and losses. Fitting them in these six pieces of spiritual armor will help equip and enable them to stand—this summer and beyond!
Truth: “Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist” (Eph. 6:14)
A belt holds everything in place and allows us to run confidently. Similarly, the belt of truth holds all the other armor in place. Without truth to hold them up, our kids may get sidelined by false teaching and the distractions of life. New research studies override previous health claims, and best educational practices come and go. Biblical truth, conversely, stands for all time and will be unwavering throughout our kids’ lives. The only way for kids to be savvy at recognizing cultural whims and falsities is to know the truth through Jesus, who is Truth.[1] Truth can be passed on little-by-little. Through a verse in the morning and a Bible story at bedtime, truth upon truth will grow.
Righteousness: “Righteousness like armor on your chest” (Eph. 6:14)
Knowing the trouble that can befall our kids when they engage in un-righteous actions, it’s time well-spent to help them learn to live rightly.Righteousness will produce long-lasting fruit. Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Through Christ and his power, our children can grow in righteousness, and we can participate in the work the Lord is doing in their hearts as we continually point them to him.[2]
Hebrews 12:11 encourages us to keep the future goal of righteousness in mind and reminds us of the importance of discipline which, “yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Loving discipline today, along with daily prayers with our kids, asking God to help them obey and make the right choices, can lay a foundation for righteousness.
Gospel of Peace: “And your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15)
We often have shoe issues when the grandkids visit. They enter one door and drop their shoes, only to run out a different door, foregoing shoe retrieval. Soon the patio is too hot, the rocks hurt, or they can’t run fast enough, so we return for the shoes and head back out with feet prepared.
We need to “ready” our kids with the gospel, because they’re faced with a multitude of unanticipated situations. They can respond inwardly and go forth outwardly with peace because of the gospel. Daily opportunities abound to practice the application of peace between sibling rivalry, sharing the gospel with unbelieving neighbors, or praying about worries and concerns.[3]
Faith: “In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16)
When our kids experience success and need to guard against pride, their faith reminds them that “victory comes from the Lord” (Prov. 21:31). When plans fall through, relationships fail, or kids are mean, our child’s faith serves as a shield against arrows of discouragement, fear, and disengagement. Faith fuels their hope and moves them toward obedience as they trust God, in spite of challenging circumstances.
Parents often long for a shield around their child’s heart. Such a shield actually does exist through faith. Even though it doesn’t mean our kids will never experience pain and suffering, we can model enacting the faith shield by recounting God’s faithfulness and displaying our own trust in his goodness during difficult days.
Salvation: “Take the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17)
When gathering the grandkids for a bike ride, a chorus of “Don’t forget your helmet” echoes from the garage. Sporting favorite colors or characters, they’re each quickly identified by their helmet, which simultaneously covers and protects their head from injuries. Salvation is a covering that protects and identifies our kids as children of God.[4] Our role is to put the message of Jesus’ saving gospel ever before our children. Once they’ve accepted this free gift of salvation, we must continually remind them whose they are and of the hope they have in their Redeemer. When they’re discouraged by life or feel stuck in a sin pattern, we can encourage them to grab their helmet—the “helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8).
Word of God: “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17)
This figurative sword aids in offensively resisting temptation, delineating between cultural lies and truths of God, and maintaining a godly perspective after a costly mistake. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, Jesus fought back with Scripture.[5] Jesus’ knowledge and belief in the Word of God in this critical juncture of his ministry paved the way to fulfill his calling all the way to the cross. Just imagine if our kids could face every trial and temptation with the sword of the Spirit. They can! A verse memorized today becomes part of their arsenal tomorrow, and a Bible story at breakfast could alter their playground experience in the afternoon.
Unlike the summer tank tops that will be replaced by sweaters in the fall, the armor of God is timeless and will carry our kids through life. In fact, it will be through truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God that they stand—summer after summer, season after season.
[1] John 14:6
[2] 2 Corinthians 5:21
[3] Philippians 4:6-7
[4] Psalm 69:29
[5] Matthew 4:1-11
