Growing up Christian, we learn that Satan is our enemy and God has the victory, so we’re on the winning team. I grew up with that overcomer mindset. But there was something I didn’t have language for. Something I wasn’t well-versed in: attacks.
At five years old, my mother was struck down with a strange illness that wasn’t hereditary. She went from walking, driving, and working to using a walker. I witnessed her coming out of surgery seven times, the last one being a near-death experience. I was a kid, so I didn’t think much of it. And as I grew older, being a very logical person, I chalked it up to, that’s just life.
Then, on spring break of my freshman year of college, while visiting my mom in the hospital, I witnessed the aftereffects of an unrelated stroke. My mother opened her eyes to see her children before her, but she couldn’t remember our names.
That’s when I got fed up.
I was already struggling with seeing God as the loving Father the Bible claimed Him to be, and that moment in the hospital broke me. For the first time, I cried under the weight of everything I was experiencing. I began to harden my heart toward God, thinking: You took it too far. That’s messed up. Stuck in a wave of sadness, I didn’t know where He was in all the suffering, all these back-to-back hits.
But old habits die hard. I didn’t stay away from God, even in that place. I felt an emptiness that I was convinced only He could fill and fix. When I returned to my dorm, I put on a devotional with the late Charles Stanley of InTouch Ministries. He was preaching on getting dressed for battle.
The Lord opened my eyes to truly see:
- Life is a battlefield.
- He’s right there with me (Nothing will separate us from the love of God).
- I need to armor up.
The Real Fight & Putting on the Full Armor of God
You see, we’re not just fighting to make it through school, get a good job and car, marry well, or simply survive the day. Behind what we think we’re fighting for is something deeper. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:10–13 that our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. We don’t wake up each day walking into a neutral world. Every time we hop out of bed, we step into a battleground. Scratch that, even in our bed, we face battles!
That’s why God doesn’t leave us uncovered; He gives us armor.
We are facing unseen powers, not people! To “suit up” means recognizing that life will bring opposition: evil forces manifested through the spirit of fear, doubt, temptation, discouragement, and more. But we don’t face it unprotected. Each piece of armor equips us to walk in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit’s power.
Finding your inner resilience in trials:
When Paul says, “stand firm,” it’s a call to resilience. It doesn’t mean we won’t feel pressure or face attacks. It means we’re anchored. We don’t retreat or surrender. We stand because our strength is not in ourselves, but in the Lord who clothes us…which is why it’s so important to put on the full armor of God!
For so long, the joy of the Lord was my mother’s strength, and she lived that. Up until that day in the hospital, that was enough for me… until it wasn’t. It was my first battle, my longest fight and I needed to fight to find this joy for myself.
When I returned to my dorm room, the Lord didn’t just open my eyes, He gave me a new name.
Funnily enough, I had a school assignment to start a blog. I merged elements of faith and fashion for the content, but I didn’t have a name for it. While listening to that devotional, “Adorned in Armor” dropped in my spirit. Today, that name represents a movement: to encourage and equip women to conquer life through the adornment of the armor of God, and yes, through dressing like fierce, royal warriors physically too (fashion is my thing)!
I have my own battles now. And I’m grown enough to dress myself. I armor up for my loved ones, my future, and the generations after me. I’m here to live a life that displays how to do the same.
The Armor of God is more than a metaphor; it’s a daily posture. To put it on is to remember who we are, Whose we are, and what we’re called to do.
This series is an invitation to learn how to suit up and stand firm. Each week, we’ll walk through the armor piece by piece, with voices and stories that remind us of God’s faithfulness in battle. And what better time to launch then fashion month?!
Warrior woman, we’re on the winning side, true. But now, let’s suit up for victory. ⚔️
Author’s Note:
I want to be clear: when I reflect on these early experiences, I am not saying God expected me to fight spiritual battles as a child. He carried me, even when I didn’t realize it. And while I recognize the enemy is real and attacks are real, I also don’t place all blame on Satan. He does not rule my life. God does. My attention is on the One who reigns over all and my story is one of learning to see His strength, His covering, and His victory even in the midst of struggle! Let that be our focus, warrior woman!
SHOP