Putting On Your Armor
When you look at different religious groups, cultures, or even historical eras, there are always expressions and instructions about being prepared for the unexpected. Sometimes the messages are subtle, and other times they are shouts and orders.
No matter which category you look into, there’s a common theme — multiple elements that you nee to put on, either physically or spiritually speaking, in order to go out and face the day – the enemy – the battle – whatever may lie in front of you.
In Christian religions, many people often refer to the “Full Armor of God”. This is a specific reference to the book of Ephesians in the Bible, specifically chapter 6, verses 10-18:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
This passage describes the items physically that you would put on in your suit of armor, but also the spiritual connection and symbolism of each piece that you take the time to deliberately prepare before going out to face the world.
On the other hand, a Japanese warrior’s armor is not only full of symbolism and intricate detail, it is also extremely light and allows the samurai to be dextrous and fast when facing an enemy.
Japanese armor is often made of tiny iron or leather pieces arranged like scales that were laced together with silk. This not only made it flexible, but also offsets the impact of a weapon.
One of the most recognizable elements of a samurai’s armor is the helmet – worn to strike fear into a warrior’s enemies and conceal the samurai’s own emotions.
But there’s one more purpose to putting on this armor – Bushido – the code of loyalty, honor and courage. A warrior would never dare walk onto a battlefield without his helmet, without his sword, or without his leg armor. To do so would be disrespectful to the enemy, to the warrior himself, and to their ancestors.
Other examples of putting on your armor...
- Your mom telling you to make sure you wear clean underwear in case you get into an accident.
- The Hindu expression "Narayana Kavach" - invoking the spiritual armor of Lord Vishnu's protection that safeguards you from fear, negativity, and unseen forces.
- In Italian, you don't say to "knock on wood" for luck before a meeting or a battle, you say, "toccare ferro" --- touch iron, instead.
Ok ding dong, what the heck does that have to do with digital marketing?
Just like a soldier going out to battle, you wouldn't step foot outside your house without the proper equipment on.
We can call that armor, or we can call that
- your brand
- your reputation online
- your presence on the search engines and AI engines
- your ability to be FOUND, and then once found...
- your ability to give the user a great experience that makes them convert.
Nowadays, you wouldn't dare leave the house without your cell phone, would you? So why would you leave half of your marketing, your brand, and your presence behind online?
Whether you're up against a Roman invasion, the dark side of the Force, or conference room full of saavy people, you need to be prepared for whatever battle might lie ahead.