Discussion question your group will work through:
1.Shirer opens the study by arguing that everything happening in the visible, physical world is directly connected to a wrestling match in the invisible, spiritual world. Does that claim feel natural to you, or does it feel like a stretch? What experiences in your life make you more — or less — inclined to believe it?
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About This Study Guide
The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer is a six-week Bible study built around Ephesians 6:10–18 — the apostle Paul's famous call to "put on the full armor of God." Shirer's central thesis is that the invisible spiritual war raging around every believer is real, active, and personal. The enemy's battle plan depends on keeping you unaware and unarmed, so the antidote is not vague spiritual optimism but a deliberate, specific, strategic response: putting on each piece of armor through intentional prayer. More than a survey of biblical imagery, this study is an action plan — one that transforms Paul's ancient military metaphor into a personalized prayer strategy for your everyday life.
This guide is designed to accompany the seven group sessions and six weeks of personal study in Shirer's book. Each week, read the assigned session material and personal study days before your group meets, journal your responses to the questions below, and come ready to discuss. If you are using the video sessions, watch the teaching video together as a group before or after discussion. The questions in each week's section follow the arc of the session — beginning with what the text says, moving through what it means, and landing on what you will actually do. There are no wrong answers to the application questions; the goal is honesty, not performance.
By the end of this study, you will have a clearer picture of who your enemy is (and is not), a working knowledge of each piece of spiritual armor, and — most importantly — a personal prayer strategy you can use every single day. You will also discover that prayer is not merely a warm-up to the real battle; it is the battle. The Armor of God will challenge you to stop living defensively and start living as the equipped, empowered, dressed-for-the-occasion woman God has called you to be.
9-Week Schedule
- Week 1Session 1 — Sizing Up the Enemy9 questions
- Week 2Session 2 — The Belt of Truth8 questions
- Week 3Session 3 — The Breastplate of Righteousness7 questions
- Week 4Session 4 — The Shoes of Peace7 questions
- Week 5Session 5 — The Shield of Faith8 questions
- Week 6Session 6 — The Helmet of Salvation7 questions
- Week 7Session 7 — The Sword of the Spirit7 questions
- Week 8The Full Armor — Putting It All Together7 questions
- Week 9Review & Reflection8 questions
Week 1: Session 1 — Sizing Up the Enemy
Free sampleRead Session 1 of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–13; Daniel 10:1–14; 2 Corinthians 10:3–5.
1.Shirer opens the study by arguing that everything happening in the visible, physical world is directly connected to a wrestling match in the invisible, spiritual world. Does that claim feel natural to you, or does it feel like a stretch? What experiences in your life make you more — or less — inclined to believe it?
2.Paul uses the word 'wrestle' (or 'struggle') in Ephesians 6:12. Shirer points out that wrestling is intimate, close-range combat — not a distant artillery exchange. What does that image change about how you understand spiritual warfare? How does it make the battle feel more personal?
3.Shirer warns against two opposite errors: ignoring the enemy entirely (naivety) and being obsessed with him (giving him too much credit). Which of these two ditches are you more likely to fall into, and why?
4.The Daniel 10 passage reveals that Daniel's prayer was heard immediately in heaven, even though the answer was delayed for 21 days because of spiritual opposition. What does this story tell you about prayer and spiritual resistance?
a.Have you ever prayed persistently and experienced what felt like a delay or obstacle? How did you respond?
b.How does knowing that unseen forces can hinder answers to prayer change the way you think about unanswered prayer?
5.Shirer emphasizes that the enemy's primary strategy is to catch you 'unaware and unarmed.' Think about an area of your life where you have been consistently blindsided — relationships, your thought life, your emotions, your schedule. Is it possible you have been unarmed in that specific area?
6.The study's central premise is that prayer is not just preparation for battle — it is the battle itself. It is the 'divinely authorized method that activates our spiritual armor.' Does your current prayer life reflect that level of urgency? What would need to change?
7.Shirer distinguishes between our real enemy (the devil and spiritual forces) and the people and circumstances we often treat as our enemy. Who or what have you been fighting that may actually be a distraction from the real battle?
8.Paul commands believers to 'be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might' — not in their own strength. How does this session reframe what spiritual strength actually looks like? How is it different from willpower, discipline, or positive thinking?
9.How does understanding the reality of spiritual warfare deepen your appreciation for what Christ accomplished on the cross and at the resurrection? How does the gospel speak directly to the battle described in Ephesians 6?
Week 2: Session 2 — The Belt of Truth
Read Session 2 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:14a; John 8:31–32, 44; John 14:6; John 17:17.
1.In the Roman army, the belt (or girdle) was foundational — it held all other pieces of armor in place and allowed the soldier to move freely. Shirer uses this image to argue that truth is the 'core support' of the believer's life. What happens spiritually when truth is not at your core? What does life look like when it isn't?
Week 3: Session 3 — The Breastplate of Righteousness
Read Session 3 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:14b; Proverbs 4:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:17.
1.Roman soldiers wore the breastplate to protect their vital organs — especially the heart. Shirer notes that the enemy targets your heart just as deliberately. In what ways have you experienced direct attacks on your heart — your emotions, desires, motivations, or sense of worth?
Week 4: Session 4 — The Shoes of Peace
Read Session 4 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:15; Isaiah 52:7; Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:6–7.
1.Roman soldiers wore iron-cleated sandals that gripped the ground and allowed them to stand firm without slipping. Shirer uses this image to describe what gospel-rooted peace does in the believer's life. Where in your life do you feel most unsteady — most likely to lose your footing when opposition comes?
Week 5: Session 5 — The Shield of Faith
Read Session 5 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:1, 6; Romans 10:17; Numbers 13–14.
1.Shirer describes the Roman shield (the scutum) as a large, door-sized shield that could be interlocked with other soldiers' shields to form a wall of protection. What is the significance of the shield being designed for collective defense, not just individual use? What does that imply about doing spiritual battle alone?
Week 6: Session 6 — The Helmet of Salvation
Read Session 6 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:17a; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:8.
1.Shirer argues that salvation is often reduced to a past event — something that happened when you prayed a prayer — rather than understood as a present, daily reality. How have you tended to think about salvation? Mostly past? Mostly future? How often do you think of it as a present-tense protection?
Week 7: Session 7 — The Sword of the Spirit
Read Session 7 and the corresponding personal study days of The Armor of God. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 6:17b; Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 4:1–11; Psalm 119:11.
1.Shirer points out that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the full armor of God — everything else is protective. What does it mean that God's Word is both something that defends you and something you can use to push back against the enemy? How does that change the way you approach Scripture?
Week 8: The Full Armor — Putting It All Together
Read Ephesians 6:10–18 in full. Review the perforated prayer cards included in The Armor of God and any personal study notes from all six weeks.
1.Ephesians 6:13 uses the phrase 'full armor' twice and emphasizes standing firm in 'the evil day.' Shirer argues that the full armor is not optional or selective — you need every piece. Which of the six pieces did you find most challenging to understand or apply? Which came most naturally to you?
Week 9: Review & Reflection
No new reading. Review your notes, journal entries, and prayer cards from all seven sessions of The Armor of God.
1.Which of the seven sessions had the greatest impact on you, and why? Was it a specific image, a Scripture, a personal application moment, or a conviction that landed deeply?
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