It didn’t take me very long into the night to realize that I needed something to help protect me from the bad guys. I looked through all of the stuff I had collected and found enough iron for some boots and enough leather to make a hat and some pants. This wasn’t the best armor, but it was a great start. Eventually, I will have enough diamond to make the best armor available.
This gave me enough protection to survive the cave I was exploring and the bad guys had no chance against me now! Without the armor I was sure to struggle and would have had a very difficult time surviving the cave. I was thankful to have the armor and protection that it gave me.
Real Life Armor
Did you know that we have armor we should be wearing every day? It is not like what you see in the movies, or even like what our soldiers wear in battle, but it is designed by God and will help protect us from the evil things in the world. In Ephesians 6:13, Paul tells them to “take up the whole armor of God.” This isn’t just any old armor, this is God’s armor. In the game, diamond armor is the best, but if I can have God’s armor, I’ll take it!
Armor in Minecraft is made up of a hat, chestplate, pants, and shoes and pretty much covers all of the player. God’s armor is a little different. It is a belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, our feet are covered with the Gospel, a helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.
If you think about it, God’s armor isn’t a physical armor like we may put on in the game, it is a spiritual armor. To put on God’s armor means we are studying His word and preparing ourselves to battle the temptations that come our way. It is spiritual armor for a spiritual battle.
Equipping Our Armor
No one wants to go into battle without first putting on their armor. Everyone wants to make sure they are prepared for whatever they are about to face. This is true also with the spiritual battles we face every day. Temptation comes our way often and we need to be prepared by putting on God’s armor.
You may be wondering how we put on God’s armor. We do so by studying His word. Looking at the pieces of God’s armor helps us to understand this a little more. First, we put on the belt of truth. The only way we will know what truth is, is by studying what God has said is true. Next, we put on the breastplate of righteousness. This is the piece that will cover our chest and heart. Righteousness means that we are living our lives the way we are supposed to be living them, doing our best to not fall into the temptations we face.
Our feet are covered with the gospel of peace. Since our feet are what take us places, it means that our feet are always ready to share the good news of Jesus with someone else. The shield of faith helps us to block the attacks that come our way, and the helmet of salvation means that salvation is always on our mind. If we put on the whole armor of God, then from head to toe, we are prepared to share God’s love with those around us.
The Final Block
There are a lot of bad things in our world. Temptation is everywhere and if we aren’t prepared, we may not be able to protect ourselves from them. It is up to us to make sure we are putting on God’s armor every day so we will be prepared for whatever the world sends our way.
Questions:
- Why do you think it is important to wear armor when fighting something?
- What makes God’s armor so powerful?
- Read Ephesians 6:13-20 and notice all of the pieces of God’s armor. What do each of them protect us from?
Zach says
Truly I tell you how joyful this makes me. This exemplifies how God uses everyone in the body for specific purposes. I just want to encourage you and say to keep doing what you do. This is awesome. Blessings.
Steven Holt says
Thank you. I greatly appreciate the feedback and I’m glad you enjoy them!