Pentecost Sunday is an amazing opportunity to talk to children about the life changing power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14-18, Jesus promised that after He ascended, He would send His followers the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit would change everything! The Holy Spirit helps us know Jesus deeper and He guides us as we seek to live for God’s Glory. This is great news to share with your class! In this article, we’ve provided 10 Sunday School lessons from Sharefaith Kids that are perfect for your upcoming Pentecost Sunday School lesson for Kids. These lessons feature key moments from the Book of Acts and some of the Apostle Paul’s greatest teachings.
1. The Holy Spirit Comes (Acts 1:1-2:47)
One day, as Jesus and His disciples were sharing a meal, Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem because the Lord was going to give them an amazing gift: the Holy Spirit! Jesus told the disciples that they would act as witnesses to the whole world about the great works He did while on Earth. Then, right before their eyes, Jesus rose up into the sky and was hidden from them in a cloud! Jesus ascended to Heaven, just as He had promised! As they stood there staring into the sky, two angels appeared. They asked the disciples, “Why are you looking at the sky? Jesus will return to the Earth one day the same way He left.”
After witnessing Jesus ascend to His Father in Heaven, the disciples began the daylong walk back to Jerusalem. They gathered together in the upstairs room of the place where they were staying. There, the disciples, the women, and Jesus’ mother and brothers joined together in prayer on a regular basis. After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, His close followers devoted their lives to prayer.
On what seemed like a normal day, the group of Jesus’ followers gathered as usual in the upper room to pray and fellowship, when a sound like a rush of mighty wind from Heaven suddenly filled the entire house. As they tried to figure out what just happened, they looked at each other, and saw what looked to be tongues of fire that settled on each person in the room. This was it! This was the gift Jesus promised would come: the Holy Spirit! When they opened their mouths to praise God for this incredible gift, they began to speak in different languages—languages they had never spoken before! This was the power of the Holy Spirit!
Jerusalem was packed with people who had traveled from many foreign lands for the festival of Pentecost. These foreign pilgrims began to overhear the disciples speaking foreign languages. A crowd of stunned and confused people gathered outside of the house where the disciples were staying. When the disciples spoke, the people in the crowd heard them speaking in their own foreign languages! How was this possible? Some people were amazed, wondering what this could mean, but others mocked the disciples and said they were drunk.
Peter came out of the house and addressed the crowd of people, explaining how they were able to speak all these languages. He told the crowd that everything that was happening at that moment had been promised long ago in Scripture. Peter explained that Jesus, the man they had put to death, was God’s Son and He had risen from the dead and ascended to Heaven. Peter said, “Let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
When the people heard Peter’s message, it pierced their hearts. Filled with sorrow, grief, and regret, they were desperate to know what they could do to make things right between themselves and God and the Messiah they did not recognize and had rejected. People in the crowd cried out to Peter and the other disciples, “What must we do to be saved?!” Peter shared the simple Gospel message with them: turn from sin, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
Peter continued preaching to the crowd, telling them that the promise of forgiveness of sins through repentance and baptism was for them, their children, and everyone who would believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Peter urged the people to save themselves and turn away from the path of the evil Jewish leaders. About 3,000 people who heard Peter’s message that day believed and were baptized! They devoted themselves to the disciples’ teaching about all the great works Jesus had done and His call for us to love each other. This group of new believers met to learn, fellowship, and pray together, just as we do today. This was the birth of the Christian church.
You can download the Holy Spirit Comes Sunday School Lesson here!
2. The Ascension & Pentecost (Acts 2)
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and many others. As the time drew near for Jesus to go back to His Father in heaven, the disciples began to realize that spreading the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to the whole world was going to be a big job. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus told them. “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Then, after teaching them one final lesson, the heavens opened up and Jesus rose up into the sky until they could see Him no more.
The disciples stood there, gazing up into the sky. At first, they were sad, but two angels came and spoke to them, saying, “Don’t worry. Jesus will come again someday.” The disciples knew what they had to do. Their job now was to spread this Good News to all the people around the world.
It was the celebration of Pentecost, when the Jews remembered the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. The city was bustling with people, and the disciples needed to get away to find a quiet place to pray. Before Jesus had left, He told them that the “Comforter” would come. Who was this Comforter? Jesus had said, “The Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God.” He would give them boldness. The Holy Spirit would be God’s power and presence in their lives, but the disciples didn’t understand all of this yet. All they knew to do was pray.
As they were praying, they heard a sound, faint at first, but growing louder and louder. It sounded like a huge rushing wind. The sound was all around them, filling the entire house. Then suddenly, as they looked around in wonder, small flames of fire appeared on their heads. It didn’t hurt, it just shone brightly. The Holy Spirit had arrived. The disciples could speak in languages that they had never learned. They were filled with burning joy and incredible courage. The time had come to break out of their room and tell the world the glorious message!
They rushed out into the streets where thousands of people thronged the busy city. Peter stood tall and began to speak. “Listen to me,” he shouted. Then he preached to the people about Jesus. Thousands of people listened as Peter told them why Jesus died. People from all nations heard Peter’s words in their own languages. They were shocked, but they were also convicted of their sin. The people cried out, “What should we do?!” “Repent and be baptized!” the disciples replied.
The people exclaimed, “What Good News!” That day, 3,000 people were brought into God’s family and were baptized. It was a beautiful beginning to a marvelous new life for many. Everyone was in shock at the wonders and miracles. All they could do, day after day, was talk to God and praise Him.
You can download the Ascension and Pentecost Sunday School Lesson here!
3. Peter Heals the Lame Beggar (Acts 3)
To the cripple who sat in the Beautiful Gate of the temple in Jerusalem, begging was a familiar life. It was all he knew, as he’d been unable to walk or move properly since the day he was born. Each day he was dropped off in the same spot, and each day he sat, hoping to earn just enough money to cover his basic needs. Today he expected no more or less as he watched Peter and John, apostles of Jesus, approach the entrance to the temple. The beggar called to them, “Please, if you have anything to give…”
Peter and John looked intently into the eyes of the lame man—which startled him at first, because no one passing by had ever stopped to look at him before. But confusion gave way to expectation as he gestured toward the two, holding up an empty cup. Peter spoke kindly to the man, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
The words, “rise up and walk,” begged the attention of onlookers, who waited to see what would happen next. The crippled man’s weak, shriveled legs had never been used before. Surely, he would collapse back to the ground. They watched as the man stood, walked, and then began leaping about and praising God!
The people were filled with wonder and amazement over the miracle, and word quickly spread. Soon the crowd grew even larger, and they began to follow Peter and John into the temple, hoping for some explanation. While the healed man clung to the apostles, the fascinated crowd followed them into the temple courts. Peter turned and said, “Why are you so impressed with us, as though we did this in our own power? Jesus, the Messiah, who you rejected and crucified, is alive, and it is by the power in His name that this man walks.” He continued boldly, “Repent, and turn back to God, and your sins will be forgiven you!”
The captain of the temple and the Sadducees, religious leaders who didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah or in His resurrection, were annoyed at the disturbance. There was something strangely familiar about the apostles’ message. They arrested Peter and John and put them in jail overnight. Despite this opposition, many people believed in Jesus as the Messiah. On the next day, the religious rulers gathered together and began to question Peter and John: “By what power or by what name do you do these things?” Instantly, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he replied, “Let it be known to all of you that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who you crucified and God raised from the dead—by His name this man stands before you completely healed!” He continued, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The rulers were astonished at the supernatural courage of these common, uneducated men; then it occurred to them that they had been with Jesus.
Finding no crime in healing the lame man, and fearing an uproar from the people who witnessed it, the rulers finally set the men free—but they warned them that if they ever spoke of Jesus again, they would most certainly suffer for it. The apostles were not afraid. They knew that God was more powerful than any ruler on earth, so they continued to preach Jesus everywhere they went, and the young church grew in boldness and great power.
You can download the Peter Heals the Lame Beggar Sunday School Lesson here!
4. Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5)
The early church, filled with God’s grace, was so perfectly united in their love for God and for others that many Christians sold their land and possessions and distributed the money to those in need. But the power and unity that the early church enjoyed was challenged when Satan himself whispered in the ears of Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias said to his wife, “Let us sell our property, but instead of giving all the money we earn, we will secretly keep some of it for ourselves.” His wife agreed to the plan.
Ananias was eager to lay his portion of money at the feet of the apostles. True, it was not everything he and his wife had earned from the sale, but it was a lot. He felt confident that it was enough to fool everyone into believing his lie, and he could walk away with the honor of men without having to sacrifice all of the money.
But the Spirit of God revealed to the Apostle Peter how Ananias and Sapphira had conspired to lie about how much they were giving to the church. Peter confronted Ananias, “The land belonged to you, and the money you made from the sale belonged to you. Why didn’t you just tell us the truth instead of leading us to believe you had given us everything? You have not lied to men, but to God!”
As soon as he heard these words from Peter, Ananias dropped to the ground and died instantly. The shocking news of this event spread quickly, and all those who heard about it were filled with great fear. A couple of young men nearby wrapped up the body and took it outside the city to be buried. From that day on, Ananias would be remembered as a liar and a hypocrite—a far cry from the honor and respect he desired.
This sad story does not end with the death of Ananias. About three hours later, his wife Sapphira, unaware of what had happened, came before Peter. No doubt she was filled with pride about what she and her husband were presenting as a great and generous sacrifice. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this amount the price you and Ananias received for the land you sold?” She replied, “Yes, that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Holy Spirit and lie about the money? The same men who buried your husband have returned and will now bury you.”
As soon as she heard these words from Peter, she fell down at his feet and immediately died, just like her husband. The same young men who had just returned from burying Ananias took her body and buried her alongside her husband. And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who had heard about the tragic events.
You can download the Ananias and Sapphira Sunday School Lesson here!
5. The Stoning of Stephen (Acts 7)
After the resurrection of Jesus, many people became believers and were baptized. One such person was Stephen. He was full of God’s grace and power. When he preached, people listened. He was speaking wisdom, healing the sick, performing miracles, and proving the power of Christ among the people. Every day, Stephen would go into public places and tell people about Jesus. Some of the leaders and Pharisees were not happy about this. One such Pharisee was named Saul. He hated Christians and wanted to destroy them. Every day, the religious leaders looked for an opportunity to arrest Stephen.
As more and more people started to believe in Jesus, the religious leaders knew they were running out of time. Some of them decided to make up lies about Stephen, spreading rumors that he was saying bad things about God. This was called blasphemy, and it was the perfect accusation to get rid of Stephen.
One day, while Stephen was still preaching, they grabbed him and brought him before the religious council. Their evil plan finally succeeded. Stephen was dragged into court, where false witnesses said, “This man is saying bad things about our holy temple and the Law! He is saying that Jesus will destroy the temple! He’s saying that Jesus has changed the laws!” “What do you have to say for yourself?” the leaders demanded.
As Stephen began to speak, the Holy Spirit came upon him and his face started to glow. “Listen to me,” said Stephen. Everyone quieted down as the angel-like man began to talk. He told them all about their country’s great history, their sad disobedience, and how Jesus came to change it all. In telling the story, he had to tell them about their own sin and evils. They did not like this at all. They became so angry that they decided to kill him.
They seized Stephen and dragged him outside the city walls. They picked up stones and started to throw them at him. As the stones fell onto Stephen’s body, breaking his bones and bruising his flesh, he did not stop praying. Instead, he continued to preach about Jesus. As he died, he cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
One man standing there was Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee, who later would become the Apostle Paul. At that time, Saul wanted to do everything to stop people from believing in Jesus. Later on, Jesus would appear to Saul, and Saul would himself become a believer.
You can download the Stoning of Stephen Sunday School Lesson here!
6. Philip & the Ethiopian (Acts 8)
As the strength and power of the early church grew, so did hatred against it. Persecution increased in Jerusalem, forcing many of the early believers to flee to surrounding areas. But God in His mercy moved the early disciples out of Jerusalem, so they could take the good news of Jesus into the world. One of these special servants of God was named Philip. As he was teaching and preaching in Samaria, an angel spoke to him and said “Journey south to the region of Gaza by taking the road that goes through Jerusalem.” He obeyed the call and began the dangerous journey through the very city he earlier was forced to flee.
On the same road toward Gaza, he came upon a chariot belonging to an important dignitary. He was an Ethiopian who was in charge of all the treasures of an extremely wealthy kingdom, and he was returning from one of the Jewish feasts in Jerusalem. The spirit of the living God called to Philip, commanding him to approach the chariot. So Philip ran and caught up to the Ethiopian.
As he approached the chariot he heard the Ethiopian reading from the book of Isaiah, one of the books of the prophets. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian replied, “How can I? I have no one to help me understand what is written in it.” With that, he eagerly invited Philip to come sit with him in the chariot.
Not only was the Ethiopian reading from the book of Isaiah, but astonishingly, it was a passage talking specifically about Jesus the Messiah! God had arranged perfectly for Philip to explain this important passage that, years before, had predicted the coming of Jesus. They began reading together, “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
The Ethiopian asked Philip, “Who is this man who quietly and willingly gave up his life?” Philip began to preach boldly to him the good news—how Jesus was the sacrificial lamb described in the passage who had offered himself up to be crucified on the cross, and who had been slain for the sins of the world! He explained all about salvation through Jesus, and the Ethiopian believed. As they continued along the road, they came upon some water. Eagerly the Ethiopian said, “What’s to prevent me from being baptized right now?” Then he commanded the chariot to stop.
The Ethiopian walked with Philip down to the water and was baptized. In this act of faith, he was washed clean from sin and became a disciple of Jesus the Messiah! As soon as the Ethiopian came up from the water, Philip was taken miraculously from that place and transported to another town. The beautiful Gospel of Jesus continued to spread. The Ethiopian was overjoyed and went home a changed man, and God moved Philip to his next mission in another town. The kingdom of God was expanding, and God’s salvation was reaching to the very ends of the world!
You can download the Philip and the Ethiopian Sunday School Lesson here!
7. The Conversion of Paul (Acts 9)
A short time had passed since Jesus’s death and resurrection. Pentecost resulted in the growth of the church in size and influence. By now, the news about Jesus was spreading far and wide — the good news that He died, rose again, and returned to heaven. Disciples were traveling all around Israel proclaiming the Gospel. The church was growing. Lives were being changed. Joy was overflowing.
But the Christians faced a serious danger. They had enemies. The Pharisees, religious leaders, and others absolutely hated the Christians. These were powerful and zealous men. They were the ones who had tried to put an end to Jesus’s life, who killed Stephen, and who were now putting believers in jail.
Saul — a leader among this group of Jesus-haters — was the Christians’ worst enemy. He was a Pharisee, trained in the law, strict in his standards, and unstoppable in his violent actions toward Christians. Saul was the man who had presided over the death of Stephen. His passion in life was to squash the message of Jesus and put as many Christians in jail as he could.
Many Christians were afraid of Saul. He traveled the country, sniffing out their meetings, capturing their leaders, and persecuting the followers. Saul was a powerful and evil force against the church. But Jesus wasn’t afraid of Saul. He had a plan for Saul’s life. What happened next, nobody expected — not the fearful Christians, and especially not Saul himself. What happened to Saul would change the course of history.
Saul was on a trip to a city called Damascus. He was riding on a horse while traveling with a group of others. They were on a hot, bright, dry, and dusty desert road.
All of a sudden, a blinding light flashed from the sky — many times brighter than the sun. The searing intensity blinded Saul. He fell from his horse as the caravan stumbled to a confused halt. Saul crumpled on the sand, shocked and blind. Then a voice, louder than anything that Saul had ever heard, boomed from heaven with a single question, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” This was the voice of Jesus, confronting Saul with his sin and offering grace and forgiveness.
“Who…are you Lord?” Saul whimpered humbly in response.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Saul’s life would never be the same. He shakily stood to his feet, unable to see anything. In an instant, Saul had met God. His persecuting days were over. He was forever changed. Saul went to the place where God told him to go — the house of a Christian who lived in Damascus. Saul did not eat or drink, but instead, he prayed and prayed and prayed. God told a man named Ananias to visit Saul. Ananias was afraid, “I’ve heard about this man! He persecutes Christians!”
But God responded with the shocking news about Saul, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.”
Ananias went to the house where Saul was staying and cautiously met Saul, who was stunned, blind, and humbled. “Brother Saul,” Ananias spoke to him, “Jesus sent me to you, so you can be healed and filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Saul’s eyes were opened, and his heart was changed. He was called by a different name, too. No longer was he Saul the persecutor. Now, he was Paul the missionary. From that point onward, Paul’s passion was to proclaim the name of Jesus, to plant churches, and to spread the good news of Christ wherever he went. Paul would suffer deeply — jail, stoning, shipwreck, beating, riots, homelessness, and pain. Through the power of God, he carried the gospel of Jesus far beyond the small country of Palestine and into the vast reaches of the Roman Empire.
You can download the Conversion of Paul Sunday School Lesson here!
8. The Missionary Journeys of Paul (The Book of Acts)
After Jesus ascended to Heaven, Christianity swept across the land and many believed. Jesus’s disciples and all who trusted in Him were filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, performing miracles, and preaching to thousands of people. One such apostle was named Paul. He took God’s message to the Gentiles.
Paul began traveling to areas far away to preach about Jesus. One of the cities he visited was called Lystra. There, he and his friend Barnabas began to preach to the people, telling them that Jesus was the Promised One who could save them from their sins. Paul performed many signs and wonders, and people were amazed. Those that were sick came from all over to be healed. Paul was not preaching any ordinary message. He was a messenger from God. Thousands of people listened to God’s message and turned to Jesus. The religious leaders were not happy about this. They stirred up the people and made up lies about Paul and Barnabas. One day, the people were so furious that they dragged Paul away and started to stone him, as Stephen was stoned, they wanted to kill Paul, too.
They thought they had killed Paul, so they dragged him outside the city. But that was not the end. God’s power came over Paul and he stood up and went right back to preaching in the town. The people were amazed!
On another journey, Paul and his friend Silas were put into jail for preaching. That night, as they sat chained in a jail cell, they decided to start singing and praying. Then, something strange happened — an earthquake started to shake the prison! The prisoners’ chains fell off, and the jail door opened. Everyone could escape, but no one did. The jailer knew he was in big trouble and wanted to kill himself. Then Paul told him that all the prisoners were still there. The jailer was relieved. He invited Paul to come to his house to preach the Good News.
That night at the jailer’s house, Paul and Silas told them about Jesus. The jailer and his entire household believed and were baptized. Paul went on many more missionary journeys to bring the Gospel of Jesus to as many people as he could. At one time, he was headed to Rome, but had to journey by sea. As they were drifting on the water, a violent storm erupted and forced their ship into the rocks. Paul and everyone else nearly drowned. They were in the water for a long time, but the current eventually swept them to shore.
There they were, stranded on a little island, but everyone was unharmed. Paul was right — no one had died. Even on this remote island, shivering in the cold and recovering from shipwreck, Paul preached the gospel and healed the sick. Many came to believe in Jesus.
Paul was unstoppable. With God’s power, he kept preaching and planting churches. He was beaten, stoned, whipped, imprisoned, starved, punished, robbed, falsely accused, and suffered greatly. However, he kept going. Paul was more than just a missionary traveler, preacher, and healer. He also wrote long letters. The many letters that Paul wrote to the churches he planted have been preserved for us in the Bible. These letters are inspired. They teach us about Jesus and about how to live as Christians. God used Paul to spread the Good News to many countries.
You can download the Missionary Journeys of Paul Sunday School Lesson here!
9. Love Is (1 Corinthians 13)
God gives us many wonderful gifts, such as the ability to speak well, spiritual understanding, or a heart for giving to the needy. As the Apostle Paul worked to spread the Good News of Jesus, the church in a place called Corinth began to argue over which gift was the best. Paul wrote to this church to remind them that love is the most important gift of all. In fact, Paul would tell the church of Corinth that without love, every other gift God gives becomes meaningless. Love is the only way to use all other gifts as God intended.
Some people are gifted in speaking the truth of God. When people with this magnificent gift are filled with the love of God and speak about what He has done in their lives, their audiences stop and listen. Their words help to teach about Jesus and to open otherwise cold, hard hearts. But without love, these same words are empty and have no meaning. The Apostle Paul said without love, a person with this gift is “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
People gifted with spiritual understanding of who God is and His mighty power know what God is capable of and what that means for our lives. People with this gift who are filled with the love of God can confidently face any difficult situation and never fear because they know God is more powerful than anything they may encounter. The Apostle Paul writes that while people with this gift can have a faith that moves mountains, without love, such miracles will look like nothing more than cheap magic tricks.
God gives some people hearts that care for others. Whether they are giving money, time, or talent, these people are following Jesus’ command to love others as Jesus loves us. But Paul explains that if a person gave away everything, including his own life, he gains nothing if it is done without love. Without love, the giving this person does is not meant to help others and glorify God, but is an attempt to show how great the giver is.
So, if these powerful and wonderful gifts are nothing without love, what is love? Paul explains that love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous of what other people have, and it does not brag or act proud. Love is not rude, selfish, or quick-tempered. Love doesn’t keep a list of all the wrong or bad things everyone has ever done. Love does not find happiness in evil things, but is delighted by the truth. Ultimately, love is outward, giving, and selfless. It’s no coincidence that these descriptions of love also describe Jesus. Jesus is love.
Paul explained how temporary these gifts are using the example of a child growing up. When children mature into adults, they can see life as bigger than themselves and their own personal needs. According to Paul, on Earth, we are like children—we can only see part of the picture—but in Heaven, we will have an understanding that is perfect and true. In Heaven, we will fully grow up in Christ!
Love is so important for us to focus on because, of all the magnificent gifts God gives us, love is eternal. Love is at the heart of everything God does and asks us to do, making it something we should focus our lives on. The love we experience on Earth is good, but in the presence of God once we’re in Heaven, love will not only be felt, but also will be seen. When we see the face of God, we will truly know what love is!
You can download the Love Is Sunday School Lesson here!
10. The Armor of God (Ephesians 6)
A very long time ago, a war started in the spiritual world. This is a battle we cannot see. It is fought between Satan’s evil armies of darkness and God’s good armies of light. It is a dangerous war that threatens all of God’s children. But God wants us to fight in this battle as brave soldiers in His army, so He has made for us powerful armor. This armor covers us from head to toe, protecting us from every danger we face. It is given to us by God’s Holy Spirit, and we can read about it in the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians teaches us that Satan is a sneaky liar. He loves to trick us into doing things that hurt the people we love and hurt the heart of God. Satan’s power is behind every lie we tell, the pain we cause others, and bad choices we make. We may not be able to see our enemy, but we can see the hurt he causes all around us. Yet, we do not need to fear. Satan may be strong, but God’s armor is stronger. In our battle against Satan’s army, we like all good soldiers, must put on each piece of God’s armor.
The belt of truth holds the rest of our armor in place, so we must be sure that it is on good and tight. In our battle, truth is so very important because Satan is a master of telling lies. He whispered lies to Adam and Eve in the garden, disguised as a snake, and he whispers lies in our ears today. But the truth of God’s Word will protect us from Satan’s lies. Like a belt, God’s truth holds us tight. It reminds us to believe in Him, believe His promises, and believe what He says about us.
Battle is dangerous and can fill our hearts with fear. For this reason, God has given us the breastplate of righteousness. This piece of armor covers our hearts which God asks His soldiers to guard above all else. Satan wants to wound our hearts by always pointing out the bad things we’ve done. He wants to embarrass us and make us feel like fools. He wants our sin to send us running from God’s love. But Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and because of His death, our hearts are covered with God’s forgiveness. Through Jesus, everything sin made wrong, God can make right.
Satan’s dark army loves to fight in dark places — places where it is easy to trip and fall. But God wants us to stand strong in mighty shoes: the shoes of the Gospel! Satan tries to steal the peace of God from our lives, attacking us with worry. He wants us to believe that we may slip at any time, and fall in battle. But the Good News of Jesus is powerful. It teaches us that no ground is too dangerous for God’s soldiers. For God’s love puts our feet on solid ground; it helps us to stand strong.
One of Satan’s most deadly weapons are his words. They are evil lies. Ephesians tells us these words are like arrows set on fire. Satan shoots these arrows through the darkness and aims them at our hearts. A single arrow can set our whole heart on fire with fear or worry. But God has given us the shield of faith to defend ourselves. Faith can block every evil word Satan shoots our way. And our faith is strong because our faith is in Jesus. He is the strongest of kings, the greatest of champions. He destroys every weapon of our enemy.
Our mind is very important; it is the place where we think. Satan wants to fill our thoughts with things that aren’t true. He wants us to think that we have to be really good for God to love us. He wants us to believe that we have to work really hard to earn God’s forgiveness. But God has given us the helmet of salvation to protect our minds! This helmet covers our thoughts in God’s truth. It reminds us that God will save anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus. It is important that we fill our thoughts with Jesus and His cross. Jesus has saved us, won the battle, finished the work, and paid for our sins.
The Bible describes Satan as a dragon, and many people are too scared to face him in battle. But God has given His soldiers a mighty weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This is the one weapon Satan cannot fight against. There is no other weapon like it. It was made by God’s Holy Spirit. It teaches us soldiers how to fight, it leads us in true worship, and it reveals to us the future — and it is the future that Satan fears most. For the Bible ends with God defeating Satan, throwing him in prison forever! Satan’s strength is no match for the perfect power of God’s Word.
To put on the whole armor of God, is to put on Jesus. And so, in our battle, there is nothing more important than knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Through Jesus, the battle has already been won! Jesus defeated Satan when He died on the cross and rose again. In that moment, light conquered darkness once and for all time. We should always pray, thanking God for the amazing gift of Jesus. And every day, we should put on the full armor of God.
You can download the Armor of God Sunday School Lesson here!
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