Did you know you can dress up for the battlefield of life with your armor and your crown? You are a royal warrior and if you don’t believe it now, you will after tuning into my podcast, Dressed for Battle!

If you don’t know me – hey! I am Tarah-Lynn Saint-Elien, author of Claim Your Crown, Love Letters from the King, and founder of Adorned in Armor ministries. I’m also the host of Dressed for Battle Podcast. This is a Christian podcast featuring warrior women that equip you with the weapons to fight your battles. In this updated pilot episode, you will get to know a little about me and how we are going to conquer life together. 

Some of you have discovered me via my book, Claim Your Crown, my biblical affirmations for queens videos or you’ve been supporting via my blog or Instagram! Whether you are joining me for the first time or have been with me forever, I would like to let you know that your presence is so valued here. You are priceless to the Kingdom of God and you have a friend in me. Thank you for allowing me to pour into you!

Before we get all sappy and into the deep stuff, really quick, can we do something on Instagram together? Maybe snag selfie and tag me and the podcast page to let me know you’re listening in. Or just take a screenshot on your phone and post on your stories. Whatever it is and whenever it is, I just want to see you – my sisters! And I want to hear what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling.

Did you take the picture yet? Cool, now let’s jump right in with some fun facts to start!

Some facts about me:

Fun fact #1 I love God – but you knew that, family, fashion, creating, travelling, laughing and late nights, high heels, dressing up aaaand chicken and waffles 🙂

I love encouraging women to claim their crowns in Christ (never settle, know their worth), put on the full armor of God and to dream big, and to conquer obstacles/struggles/battles – whatever you want to call it – in a way that honors God.

Another fun fact: My blog, Adorned in Armor, began as a school project in college and this podcast began as a school project in my master’s program! Crazy huh?

These fun facts actually play a big role in how I got started. Well, everything except the chicken and waffles part! That’s…that’s just me being…hungry.

So here’s the story:

After landing top fashion and media internships and graduating college at the top of my class, I was the girl that thought I would be working at a fashion publication just a quick train ride away in NYC. However after a season of joblessness, God had me work for myself!

Here at home, I ventured into things I’ve always wanted to do like pageantry (say heyyy to your Miss Black NJ 2018), as well as, grad school (any Syracuse Newhouse family here?!) I also realized God kept me home because I am not a morning person lol and so that I would have the freedom to take care of my best friend/mama who has been ill for the majority of my life.

In a way, I was forced into entrepreneurship and it was hard. Girl, who am I kidding? It’s still hard but I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’ve gone from a Teen Vogue It Girl to a Teen Vogue fashion writer… from a blogger to a 3 book deal! (My first book, Claim Your Crown, is available at major book retailers nationwide! Ebook and audiobook are also available. The free devotional can be found on the YouVersion Bible app with over 100,000 completions around the world!) I’ve collaborated with some of my favorite brands, interviewed leading figures in fashion and now, I’m being interviewed myself by media such as CBN, Teen Vogue, The Haitian Times & more. I’ve traveled the world and throughout this journey, I’ve learned there’s no place I rather be than in God’s will.

My prayer is that whenever you visit my space, you are encouraged to confidently embrace God’s call (your purpose) for your life! 

This all sounds bright and hopeful right? Good… but I want you to know this all began from a bleak place.

Remember how i mentioned my blog, Adorned in Armor, started out as a college assignment? This project was assigned to me in one of the darkest times of my life. It was the time that I learned to really feel. I remember sitting in my college dorm experiencing deep sadness. My mother has been ill for the majority of my life; she’s had 7 unsuccessful surgeries, lives in severe pain  and cannot walk. But that  year, 2013, she suffered from an unrelatable and avoidable stroke. I never cried about the illness or having to go back and forth to my aunt’s house as my mom was in the hospital. But that day, when my mother couldn’t remember the names of me or my siblings, I bursted into tears. I was like, “really God?”

And then He led me to a message by Charles Stanley about spiritual warfare. He put “Adorned in Armor” on my heart to remind me that though we must get dressed for battle, He has already won the war. 

So, Adorned in Armor was inspired by the message of Ephesians 6:10-19 which tells us to put on the full armor of God. Day to day, we unknowingly tread the battlefield defenseless! We can’t expect victory when we are not equipped with the proper armor and weapons to fight. It is my life motto to dress up spiritually, mentally, physically and of course, fabulously! Ya know, because I’m into fashion and stuff.

This is an army for the slaying fashionista, cutting-edge creative and the bold believer (or the one that’s on their way. This is for the girl who struggles – ahem, that’s all of us. This is the place serving you KILLER INSPIRATION & ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARDS overcoming obstacles and going after YOUR AUDACIOUS DREAMS.

Maybe you don’t want to fight or maybe you’ve been fighting on the wrong side. Heck , maybe you don’t know how to fight. Or you’re tired of fighting. We are in a war, girl. Whatever it is, I’m here so you don’t want to waste time. I’m here so you can learn how to effectively use your weapons. This is the place that will show you how to have confident faith and how armoring up for victory trickles into all aspects of your life.

There will be times where we feel like we’re getting hit on all sides but we don’t have to fling our arrows aimlessly. The enemy is attacking us in strategic ways. But we have the full armor of God and we can put that on. So we need a strategy, we need to put on the full armor of God.

I encourage you to read Ephesians 6:10-20. God did not create us to live defeated. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus! You are a royal warrior. 

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

 

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

 

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

SO HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS. WELL, DOUBLE GOOD NEWS.

The good news is that not only has God already got the victory, but also, we are fighting on the same team!

Speaking of being on the same team, please do me a favor and subscribe to this podcast and leave a review! It would help this podcast tons if you get the word out about it that way. It is my goal to equip as many sisters as possible!

I created this Christian podcast so that we can openly discuss the struggles we experience NOW — not just after we’ve overcome them. Oftentimes, we suffer in the dark but this podcast exists to show that you are not alone wherever you are in this faith journey.

I don’t want to focus on success stories and the breakthrough at the end of the pain. I want to share the stories of those who have the testimony in the making. I want to share the weapons and armor we could use to fight back in the middle of the battle.

We know of the rag to riches stories, we’re always talking about success but let’s sit in the struggle a bit. Let’s understand it for what it is. Allow whatever you’re going through to take its course while also fighting back. For your life, for your family, friends, job, ministry, your man, fight for it all.  

I share my own transparent stories and feature your fav Christian influencers (or what I call “warrior women of faith”) so that we can ALL be equipped with the weapons to fight our battles. Our real and relatable warrior women have been AMAZING these past few years and I cannot wait til you see this year’s lineup! It has been such a blessing to interview some leading Christian influencers and I encourage you to go back and listen to refresh your memory or learn something new! I am honored and pumped to hear of the many testimonies to come. 

What is Dressed for Battle Podcast About?

The podcast avenue is perf because I always wanted to share the stories of women of God I admire. I’m excited about this because I get to show you that millennial women of God EXIST. Every episode, I will interview someone who inspires me – a warrior woman – and she will expose what she’s struggling with at the moment. No topic will be left untouched. We’ll laugh, of course. Maybe even cry. in sharing our stories, we’ll not only help our sisters but give God the glory.

So, let’s not talk about the struggle at the end when breakthrough comes. Let’s talk about it now, as you’re going through. This is a community that will go through with you. You’ll go from “all my life I had to fight” to feeling like a conqueror. 

Because, you are. And I can’t wait to expose the strength you had within you all along.  

This podcast will serve as a reminder of the victory you have over anything that flies your way. It will remind you are protected and loved even when you are feeling your lowest. It will remind you that there is more to this flesh – this material life isn’t the only life. 

As you dress every morning, keep in mind it’s not just your body that needs adornment…your spirit needs it, too. 

Again, I want this platform to offer up community so please keep Adorned in Armor and Dressed for Battle podcast in your prayers. Don’t forget to rate 5 stars so that we can amplify the kingdom of God!  If you have any questions, need advice you’d like for me to address on the show, email dressedforbattlepodcast @ gmail.com

You are so loved. You are more than a conqueror. And you are made for a purpose. God is not only our Father, our Friend and our King. He is also our Commander in Chief. So armor up, girl. Get dressed for battle.