The Armor of God

Hundreds of fireballs streaked through the sky over the battlefield. The dark army had launched an intense barrage of flaming arrows. On the other side of the field, the king’s army, line in neat rows, braced itself against the deadly attack. Among the expanse of king’s soldiers, Victor shook with fear. In one sweaty hand he gripped his new sword, and in the other his shining shield.


Seconds later, the blazing arrows streaked in like deadly serpents. Each one seeking a soldier to snuff out. Victor huddled under his shield for protection. The horrible clash of arrow against shield rang out through the king’s army. A moment later it was silent again.

Victor checked himself, and was delighted to find he had not been pierced.

“Are you okay?” he turned to his right to check his friend Kane.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Kane answered.

To Victor’s left, the soldier held a shield that had been scorched, black by a fiery arrow.

“That was close!” shouted Victor’s other friend, Duncan.

Before the friends could speak another word, the dark army launched another wave of arrows.

Victor and his two friends again braced for the impact. Although it was the first time in battle for the three young warriors, it was not the first time the king’s army clashed with the dark army. The war had raged for countless generations. Over the years, the king’s army celebrated many glorious victories, but it also suffered some agonizing defeats.

Victor and his friends were proud to serve the Good King. Together they suffered through the exhausting training under the king’s officers. Now, the ordinary farm boys, were battle-ready warriors, eager to fight the dark prince and his evil army.

Beside his sword and shield, Victor was equipped with a breastplate. The skillfully crafted metal was decorated with the king’s symbol in the middle of the chest.

Around Victor’s waist was a thick leather belt, and lashed to his feet were a pair of sturdy sandals. They would protect his feet from sharp arrows, swords, and spears that would soon litter the battlefield.

Of course, no warrior was sent to fight without the protection of a helmet.

His friends Kane and Duncan seemed to adjust to the helmet and the armor with ease, but it took Victor some time to get used to moving around with the added weight. Now, on the battlefield, he was glad to have the life-saving articles.

A trumpet blast rang out. It was a signal from the generals to march forward. As soon as the line of soldiers in front of him moved, Victor’s line started forward, as did the lines behind him. He and his friends were in the fourth line from the front. The battle-hardened warriors led the attack, followed by Victor, Kane, Duncan, and the other inexperienced soldiers.

While he could barely see forward, Victor caught glimpses of the enemy’s front line. A wall of black shields bristling with razor-sharp swords awaited the king’s army.

Victor gripped his sword with white knuckles as the roar of the battle cry when up. The deafening shout flooded Victor with a sense of excitement, which helped to ease his fear. The army’s forward pace quickened, and seconds later, the front lines clashed. That’s when the battlefield erupted in chaos. The well-formed line of both armies soon broke apart. Through the broken lines, a dark soldier rushed at Kane with his sword raised. Victor jump into the fight, and together, they beat off the attacker. However, as soon as one enemy soldier was defeated, another one appeared, ready to fight.

As the battle raged, the king’s army continued to push forward until the dark army was on its heels, but not for long. The dark prince unleashed his reserves. The fresh wave of warriors rushed in, and tide of the battle turned against the king’s army.

That’s when Victor came face to face with a dark soldier. This time he found himself separated from his friends. Victor realized that only one of them would be left standing. He decided to go on the offensive. He lunged at the enemy soldier with his sword. The dark soldier fought back fiercely. At the end of the desperate struggle, Victor was the one left to fight on.

Victor tried to locate Kane and Duncan, but his search was cut short. This time by two enemy soldiers, who charged at him like wild beasts. Victor stepped back and braced his shield. A powerful blow from the enemy sword clashed against the shield with such force that the young soldier realized he was in trouble.

Victor did his best to defend himself, but one of the enemy warriors circled around, and soon he was being attacked from both sides. Before he knew what happened, a sharp pain rang in his head as the enemy sword grazed his helmet. Next, the tip of a sword was thrust into his breastplate. The blow creased the metal, but did not pierce it. Dazed, Victor reeled backward, and one thought went through his mind, “the end is near.”

When he retreated another step, two friendly soldiers race past him and engaged the dark warriors. The weary young soldier rejoiced when he realized it was Kane and Duncan who had come to his rescue.

After striking down his opponent, Kane turned to Victor.

“It didn’t take you long to get yourself into trouble,” he said with a grin.

Duncan stood over the other fallen foe, and chimed in, “It’s a good thing we were here to save your skin.”

Victor’s face lit up with a smile, “I owe you one.”

The three young warriors glance in all directions for enemy soldiers, but only found the king’s soldiers pressing the dark army backward.

“Keep moving!” ordered an officer, as he trotted by on his horse.

“Let’s go,” said Victor.

Together, the three friends joined their fellow soldiers, and chased the retreating enemy.



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For Discussion:

In the story, who were each of these meant to be:
The king?
The king’s army?
The dark prince?
The dark army?

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

What do each of these stand for:

  1. Belt
  2. Breastplate
  3. Footwear
  4. Shield
  5. Helmet
  6. Sword

When we put on God’s armor, who are we called to battle against?

As followers of Christ, we are not to fight people. What are we supposed to do instead?

In the story, when was Victor in the most danger? What does that tell us about our Christian walk?

How can the armor of God help you today?