A young man dressed in New Testament era armor with a sword and shield.
We are in a war for the souls of humankind. Heavenly Father inspired Paul to teach about how we can survive Satan’s attacks. This lesson is intended to help you understand what God has provided to protect you from the evils of the world, evaluate your current spiritual preparation, and make a plan to improve your spiritual protections.
Student preparation: Invite students to review and complete the activity titled “The armor of God will help protect me from evil” in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and to come prepared to share what they learned about the armor of God (“October 2–8. Ephesians: ‘For the Perfecting of the Saints,’” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023).
Possible Learning Activities
Satan is aggressive in his tactics
What do you think are the greatest differences between what you are experiencing as a teenager and what your parents experienced when they were your age?
Read the following statement by Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and find one difference he highlighted:
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Official portrait of Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2003
Your fathers and grandfathers never faced the temptations that you face on a regular basis. You are living in the last days. If your father wanted to get in trouble, he had to go searching for it. Not anymore! Today temptation finds you! Please remember that! Satan desires to have you, and “sin lieth at the door” [Moses 5:23]. How will you resist his aggressive tactics?
What are the ways that temptation finds us today rather than us having to seek it?
Consider displaying the following instructions and questions where students can see them. Invite students to silently ponder their answers.
Ponder the following questions, or write your responses in your study journal.
What are some ways Satan is trying to tempt you personally?
What are you doing to seek the Lord’s help to withstand Satan’s temptations? What have you done well? What might you need to do to improve?
As you study this lesson, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you know how you can seek and more fully receive the Savior’s protection in your life from Satan’s attacks.
The Lord’s protection
Read Ephesians 6:10–13, looking for what Paul said the Saints in his day were fighting against.
What similarities do you see between what the Saints in Ephesus were fighting against in their time and what we fight against now?
Why would Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to be protected against evil? What does this desire teach us about Them?
What did Paul invite the Ephesians to do to be able to withstand these evils?
From Ephesians 6:10–13, we learn that if we put on the whole armor of God, we will be able to withstand evil.
The armor of God is a metaphor or symbol for the protection Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ offer us. In the battle that we face, God’s armor is especially designed for you and the dangers in your life. To help you understand this divine protection, you may want to copy the following image in your study journal or print it out. Record on the diagram your responses to the following activity:
Provide the following handout to students. Or students could re-create the handout in their study journals. Display the questions students will answer for each piece of armor.
Read Ephesians 6:14–18 to identify each part of God’s armor, or watch “The Armor of God” (2:01), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Write what each piece of armor represents on your diagram. It may be helpful to know that “feet shod” (Ephesians 6:15) refers to wearing a protective covering on the feet.
As an alternative to the video suggested above, consider showing the video of Elder Hales’s talk “Stand Strong in Holy Places” from time code 0:40 to 2:37, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Consider dividing the class into groups. Assign each group one piece of armor. If the class is small, groups may need to be assigned more than one piece of armor.
What spiritual concept did Paul relate to this piece of armor?
What could the body part being protected by the armor represent spiritually?
How do we put on this piece of the Lord’s armor to receive His protection against evil?
To model for students how to complete the handout, consider going through the steps using the following example of one piece of the armor. Have a student read Ephesians 6:14 aloud. Discuss with the class possible answers to each question. Students could answer questions 2 and 3 in a variety of ways. See the article “The Armor of God” (New Era, Jan. 2009, 22–23) for additional insights about how students could answer these questions.
For “loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:14), the following could be answers to the questions above: (1) truth; (2) it represents our chastity or moral purity; and (3) we can learn truths about Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation that can motivate us to remain morally pure.
After sufficient time, invite a representative from each group to report on their assigned piece of armor. As each group reports, invite students to record the group’s findings on their own handouts. Consider asking students what questions they have or what insights they have gained about Paul’s teachings on the armor of God.
What dangers do you see with wearing only a portion of the Lord’s armor? Why do you think Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want you to be completely protected?
What will you do each day to more fully put on the whole armor of God to protect against the temptations that you face?
How is turning to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for help in this way a show of your love for and trust in Them?
Testify of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s desire to protect us from temptation and express confidence that students can receive this strength and protection from Them as they follow promptings they have received.
Commentary and Background Information
What is the significance of the parts of the body protected by the Savior’s armor?
President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) stated:
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Head and shoulders portrait of LDS Church President Harold B. Lee.
We have the four parts of the body that the Apostle Paul said [are] the most vulnerable to the powers of darkness. The loins, typifying virtue, chastity. The heart typifying our conduct. Our feet, our goals or objectives in life and finally our head, our thoughts.
(Harold B. Lee, Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Nov. 9, 1955], 2)
What can I do to put on the whole armor of God?
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Last official portrait of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, 1992.
The putting off of the natural man makes possible the putting on of the whole armor of God, which would not fully fit before! (see Ephesians 6:11, 13).
(Neal A. Maxwell, “Plow in Hope,” Ensign, May 2001, 60)
President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Official portrait of President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2004.
I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil.
How are temple garments related to the armor of God?
Elder Carlos E. Asay (1926–99) of the Presidency of the Seventy explained:
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Portrait of Carlos E. Asay
There is, however, another piece of armor worthy of our consideration. It is the special underclothing known as the temple garment, or garment of the holy priesthood, worn by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have received their temple endowment. This garment, worn day and night, serves three important purposes: it is a reminder of the sacred covenants made with the Lord in His holy house, a protective covering for the body, and a symbol of the modesty of dress and living that should characterize the lives of all the humble followers of Christ.
Listed below are other ways the lesson could be started:
Consider bringing some protective equipment used in sporting events or other activities and discussing how they protect participants.
Show images of several plants (such as a plant with thorns) or animals (such as animals with antlers, claws, teeth, or armor), and discuss how they protect themselves.
Jesus Christ as the armor
Students could be invited to study the following verses to learn more about the parts of armor found in Ephesians 6:14–17 and how each part represents Jesus Christ:
