Object Lesson

Hold up the helmet. This is a bicycle helmet. What does it do?

It protects your head and can save you from a serious injury if you have an accident while riding your bike. Now, what if I just held it in my hand while I rode my bike, or what if I hung it on the handlebars? Would it protect me?

No, that would be careless and asking for trouble! I have to put it on!

Hold up the oven mitt or pot holder. What is this?

And what does it do? It protects your hands when you take something out of a hot oven or off a hot stove.

Playfully put it on your head. Will it protect me now? No!

Why not? You have to put it on your hand.

That’s right!

Optional: Hold up the goggles or safety glasses. Have you ever worn a pair of goggles or safety glasses? What do they do?

Yes, they protect your eyes if you are doing things like a science experiment, mowing the lawn, or doing a cleaning chore. Goggles keep liquids from splashing into your eyes or objects flying up and striking them. Now what if I just sat them on top of my head or hung them around my neck. Would they protect my eyes? No!

Certainly not—I need to actually put them on to keep me safe!

It is the same with spiritual things. God can save us, but we also must be wise and prepare for temptations and tests that we may encounter each day! Let’s read what God’s Word says about how we can prepare for the trials we will face.                

Volunteer reads Ephesians 6:13:

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

God provides protection to us in the spiritual battles we face—through His Word and through His Holy Spirit. However, we must put on every piece of God’s armor so we are fully protected. Let’s read about all the pieces of armor that God gives us.

Volunteer reads Ephesians 6:14–18a:

¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Discuss how each piece of spiritual armor protects us in our spiritual walk.

If we keep a Bible next to our bed but we never open it and read it, will we be fully protected when we face a trial or a temptation? If we never pray and ask God for guidance, and if we never listen for His quiet voice in our hearts, will we know what God wants us to do? When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and to show you how to apply God’s Word in your life. When we do this, we can stand firm as the three Hebrew men did when they faced an angry king! God is able to save us, but we cannot take His protection for granted. He expects us to do our part by obeying Him.      

Who remembers our SuperTruth? On the count of three, let’s all shout it together; 1–2–3! “God is able to save me.”

It is wonderful to know we serve a God who can save us from anything in the world. What has God saved us from?

All of us have sinned—and the punishment for sin is death! But God sent Jesus to take our punishment, and save us from our sins.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Did Jesus ever sin? No.

No, Jesus, never sinned—not even once! Yet the devil tried to get Jesus to sin! Let’s read about it in the Bible.

Volunteer reads Matthew 4:5–7:

⁵ Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,⁶ and said, “If You are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect You. And they will hold You up with their handsso You won’t even hurt Your foot on a stone.’” ⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

The devil told Jesus that to prove He is the Son of God, He should jump off the highest point of the Temple, and God would save Him from harm. What did Jesus tell the devil?

Jesus replied that we must not test God. Do you think it would be smart to climb up on a high building and jump off to see if God will catch us? No.

We must live wisely and follow God’s will for our lives. He gives us His Word, the Bible, to show us how to live. He gives us our parents and teachers to guide us. He gives us His Spirit to live in our hearts, showing us what to do and what not to do. Yes, God is able to save us but we have a responsibility to make good choices and prepare ourselves for what we may face each day.