What does it mean to be fully armed?
When you close your eyes and picture yourself in the midst of battle what comes to mind? For many it involves either an intense firefight or hand-to-hand combat. In other words, it’s all about hard skills. There’s no question that possessing hard skills is part of being fully armed. Hard skills and tactics involve having the power, knowledge, and resources to engage in direct conflict when necessary and to overcome an enemy. Knowing how to handle weapons and effectively engage an enemy are important elements of warfare.
Soft skills and tactics involve the ability to thrive in even the most challenging circumstances while avoiding confrontation to the degree possible. This may be in non-permissive environments, in challenging international locations, or during times of instability and chaos. Soft skills and tactics are particularly crucial when serving in a low-visibility role in such settings. Combining soft skills with hard skills is adding wisdom to power. In the arts of war or during challenging times hard skills are important, yet soft skills are essential.
For an individual to excel in both hard skills and soft skills, or power and wisdom, is rare. Such a combination makes for a formidable combatant. Rarer still, however, is the warrior who adds to these attributes an applied knowledge of the truth. Having an eternal perspective based on biblical faith and living that faith in the strength God provides is nothing short of awesome. In the ultimate art of war hard skills are important, soft skills are essential, and an applied knowledge of the truth is vital.
The purpose of Panoplia.org is to strengthen and encourage a thriving community of warriors who are fully armed with power, wisdom, and knowledge, and who dare to stand firm in the face of intense and increasing opposition. For those who have no interest in biblical faith, know that you are welcome to fully participate in Panoplia.org. We hope you’ll benefit from the discussions of hard skills and soft skills and we invite you to share your insights.
To be fully armed, then, is to strive toward excelling in hard skills, soft skills, and in an understanding of verses such as Ephesians 6:10-18. It’s also to embrace the realization that one might be the fiercest warrior the world has ever known, and the most skilled soft-skills operator alive, and yet without truth one will lose in the end. This is illustrated by the words of Jesus when he said, “For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor [ Greek, panoplia ] of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor [ Greek, panoplia ] 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
