# The U.S. Military puts on "The Full Armor of God"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 3, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567 "2026-10-03T20:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/21 "2026-10-04T20:09:48Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I wonder what God think of him and trump, the Warner Bros. of snuff films, using our military to produce them. Unless God comes down, points his Flying Fickle Finger of Fate at these Corrupticons, and says “Free lightning bolts-First Come, First Served!”, the loyalists will conveniently assume that all is well and good in the Land of Nodding Off. Looking in that direction for any support is a great way…to begin your neck calisthetics. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/22 "2026-10-04T20:16:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Despite obeying a different god and a different earthy despot. The same god. Hence Christians, Muslims and Jews are “Children of Abraham.” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/23 "2026-10-04T21:23:50Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Hegseth seems like a drunken clown and an idiot. > > But Trump was also a clown and an idiot (and arguably still is) yet got elected twice and has done more damage to this nation than possibly any other president in its history. > > We should be wary of these people despite their obvious shortcomings. Yes, this. Hegseth invokes “the full armor of God” partly against his manifest, obvious-to-all illegitimacy as SecDef. _'I AM legitimate, GOD SAYS SO_’ is the whine one can easily imagine him spewing out. But as has been noted in the thread, all of this is in aid of ensuring a military that will obey _ **all** _ orders, even illegal ones (such as killing peaceful protesters). As such it’s no joke, even though Hegseth himself may be very much a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/24 "2026-10-05T00:06:28Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But as has been noted in the thread, all of this is in aid of ensuring a military that will obey _ **all** _ orders, even illegal ones (such as killing peaceful protesters). And the summary execution of Caribbean boaters. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/25 "2026-10-05T01:39:19Z")
For your perusal/comparison: [Reich Ministry for Church Affairs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reich_Ministry_for_Church_Affairs) An alignment of goals, through the alignment of souls? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/26 "2026-10-05T02:05:10Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Considering all of these things together… we should be very scared. Hegseth wants a military that only answers to his god. Fuck the “clowns” and their rules. Let’s not drag God into this mess. What Hegseth wants is a military full of people who are willing to obey Hegseth’s orders as if he was speaking for God. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/27 "2026-10-05T02:10:06Z")
Just like a lot of religious leaders. It’s not like he invented the idea of using religion to push personal beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/28 "2026-10-05T04:28:23Z")
Would that he visit the front lines – and stop a bullet. Then he can explain his views on Christianity to Jesus himself. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/29 "2026-10-05T04:31:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Let’s not drag God into this mess. Tell that to Hegseth. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/30 "2026-10-05T06:46:41Z")
Disclaimer: I’ve never served in the military, but it seems that this whole Hegseth bullshit illustrates the biggest problem, which is the lack of checks and balances. In a system that, by its very design, punishes for “insubordination” and heavily influences people to just go along with orders that aren’t of My Lai massacre severity, the military is just rife for someone to corrupt it from top to bottom because people just can’t say no. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/31 "2026-10-05T10:04:34Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > Let’s not drag God into this mess. > > Tell that to Hegseth. Brace yourself for this; Hegseth is lying. Hegseth is not doing God’s work just because Hegseth says he’s doing God’s work. The reason this is a major point we need to get out in the public mind is there are a lot of devout Christians in this country. We need to remind them that some of the people who call themselves Christians are lying and they don’t deserve the loyalty of real Christians. Turning against people like Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump is not the same as turning against God. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/32 "2026-10-05T10:25:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > We need to remind them that some of the people who call themselves Christians are lying and they don’t deserve the loyalty of real Christians. From your lips to the True Scotsm… I mean True Christian’s ears. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/33 "2026-10-05T12:12:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The question is “What can be done about this shit?”. I can’t get into specifics, but it includes making him cry like a little girl. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/34 "2026-10-05T12:27:47Z")
I’ve read few of the replies. What concerns me most about this kind of Hegseth/Military shit is something I’ve frequently come back to: the potential dire consequences of ‘building a fighting force of … extraordinary magnitude’ based on the language of religion and the crux of faith (belief in things for which there is no evidence). When we, here, muse aloud about whether/who/how much of the military would follow blatantly illegal orders … mining, grooming, nurturing, and cultivating the faithful while simultaneously culling the thinkers – particularly from the upper echelons of all branches of the military increases – IMHO, greatly – the odds of meaningful compliance with illegal orders. Because whatever you can say about the faithful … the farther along that road you look, the less ‘critical thinking,’ incredulity, skepticism, and rational thought you tend to see. The military has always depended on chain of command and following orders. The apocalyptic, Biblical rhetoric is that on steroids – pun intended. Breaking everything down into existential battles of good vs. evil dovetails quite nicely into this Stygian scenario, and is somewhere near the heart of organized religion’s appeal. And Chapter One of _The Demagogue’s Playbook._ Yeah. It’s bad. It’s really, really bad. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/35 "2026-10-05T14:59:25Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > The apocalyptic, Biblical rhetoric is that on steroids – pun intended. Speaking of that, > Is Iran the Key to the End Times? > > Are we witnessing the fulfillment of ancient Bible prophecy in the Middle East today? In this urgent update, Pastor Greg Laurie is joined by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to discuss the chilling “apocalyptic prophecy” surrounding Iran and its growing alliance with Russia. > > As tensions rise between Israel and Iran, many are asking: Could this be the lead-up to the Ezekiel 38 (Gog and Magog) scenario? From the mysterious imagery of the “Islamic Messiah” (Imam Mahdi) to the strategic military partnerships forming in the North, we explore what the Bible says about these “signs of the times” and why Christians should “look up” instead of “freaking out.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Jmu0yhAuw-A/maxresdefault.jpg "Iran's CHILLING Apocalyptic Prophecy | Greg Laurie & Mike Johnson") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmu0yhAuw-A) Lest we dismiss this entirely, > In 2013, Laurie served as the Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. President Donald Trump selected Pastor Laurie as one of several evangelical church leaders to participate in the National Prayer Service hosted at the Washington National Cathedral following the presidential inauguration of 2017. > [Greg Laurie - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Laurie#Other_ministry_responsibilities) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/36 "2026-10-05T15:30:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Hegseth has announced the creation of “The Office Of Religious Affairs” that reports directly to him, and not very subtly promote his version of Right Wing Christianity. Like I said, the radical religious right is Christianity’s version of the Talaban. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/37 "2026-10-05T16:14:19Z")
And the calls are coming from inside the house! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/38 "2026-10-05T18:29:52Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > “Putting on the full armor of God” sounds like something Osama Bin Laden would have said. There’s a Bible passage about putting on armor, Ephesians 6:11, around which people have developed an elaborate devotional prayer. Armor/arms/spiritual warfare are a rich vein of metaphor. Some evangelicals, as a daily devotional, actually stand in front of a mirror and pantomime putting on armor while they say the prayer. It’s popular, most Christians are going to recognize what Hegseth is talking about and resonate with it. Here’s a blog about it. There are a zillion YouTube videos about “how to pray the armor of god” > **[The Full Armor of God: How to Pray - Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove](https://thecove.org/blog/the-full-armor-of-god-how-to-pray-2/)** > > Over the last seven weeks we’ve looked at the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. Jesus shared with His disciples, and with us, that in this world we will face trials (John 16:33). But He went onto say, “Take heart, I have overcome the world.” Look at... ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/39 "2026-10-05T19:11:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > In a system that, by its very design, punishes for “insubordination” and heavily influences people to just go along with orders that aren’t of My Lai massacre severity, the military is just rife for someone to corrupt it from top to bottom because people just can’t say no. Another problem is that they are doing their best to find the people who **would** say no to illegal orders and are weeding them out, at least in top positions. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567/40 "2026-10-05T19:41:52Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > And the summary execution of Caribbean boaters. Yes, that (sadly, continuing) situation was a major accomplishment on the Road to Autocracy. The military complied. And the US population was made very much aware that our current military WILL comply with orders to kill, orders of dubious legality. Control over a cowed population, check! ✔ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-military-puts-on-the-full-armor-of-god/1033567.md?page=1)