Even to non-Christians, the term “armor of God” may be a familiar term. It comes from Ephesians 6:14-17, which states, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” (italics added). Shea Bradley-Farrell, PhD, president of Counterpoint Institute for Policy, Research, and Education located in Washington, DC recently told Fox News she sees that section in the book of Ephesians through the light of her own military background, having grown up with a father and grandfather that both served in the military.
“My family knows the importance of protecting what is valuable – what must be honored, loved, appreciated and held dear. In the same way, all Americans must protect the foundations of the survival of our nation, all of which are being threatened – freedom, rule of law, truth and justice, life and family – in our laws, policies, culture and daily lives,” she warned. She said that the best way that Christians can prepare themselves is through studying the Scriptures. She also shared that during an election year, Christians should remember that they are not alone as God works behind the scenes.
According to its website, Counterpoint serves to “advance conservative policies based on God-given, constitutionally guaranteed rights and the values and merits of national sovereignty, free market economies, and the cultural foundations of family, religious liberty, and the right to life.” Its website highlights several issues going on in the world right now, including religious liberty, US border security, and family and gender issues. They are issues that dominate the headlines, with the recent Louisiana law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, daily stories of individuals losing their lives to illegal immigrants such as 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, and behind the scenes looks at “family friendly” drag shows. But Bradley-Farrell pointed to Ephesians 6, which reminds Christians “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” “An army infantry soldier never heads into war without full battle gear – helmet and body armor – or without carrying offensive weapons,” she said. “No, that would be unwise, nonsensical, and just plain stupid.”