Day 13: Standing Strong: Equipping Ourselves with God’s Armor

Let’s take a moment today to be with God. If you want to do this as a family, we encourage you to set aside time after your own quiet time to go through the family content at the bottom together.

PAUSE

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”—Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)

Sometimes, discovering God’s will isn’t the challenging part. Sometimes, in fact, His will is made very clear to us, whether through Scripture, prayer, the testimony of a brother or sister in Christ, or the leading of His Spirit. Sometimes (a lot of the time, actually), the hardest part is following through and being obedient.

You see, even though you might not be able to see it, perceive it, or really put much thought into it, there’s a full-scale war happening in the spiritual realm. The devil and his forces do NOT want you to walk in God’s will for you. And they’ll literally throw everything they can to keep you from it—distractions, lies, and deceit meant to discourage and trap you, temptations to throw you off the path, obstacles, and even full-on oppression to paralyze you with fear and anxiety. But Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) reminds us that we can “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,” and “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” How do we do this? By putting on the full armor of God!

PONDER

Read Ephesians 6:14–17. What is the armor of God? Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. How have you grown in embracing these truths over the past two weeks?

PRAY

Father, thank You for Your full armor that equips me to stand firm and walk in Your will. Thank You for protecting and fighting for me. Help me, by Your Spirit, to remember this truth as I face challenges today, through the remainder of this fast, and always. Amen.

For Your Family

PAUSE

Read Ephesians 6:13–17 out loud with your kids. Whether you go on a walk, talk in the car, discuss at dinner, or gather before bed, choose a time in your day to discuss and pray together.

PONDER

Share the main idea with them.

• God gives us His armor to fight the enemy.

Ask them:

• Review the pieces of God’s armor from Ephesians 6. Which one is your favorite?

PRAY

Guide your children to pray using these prayer points.

• Thank God for the armor He gives us when we trust in Him.
• Ask God to help you put on the armor every day to fight the lies of the world.
• Pray that every Christian will wear God's special armor to help them be strong and brave.

Pray this over your children:

Father, thank You for giving us Your armor to fight battles with. I pray for my kids (name them) to always face lies or hard things in life with Your love, Your Word, and faith. Help them to go to You in prayer all the time! Amen.