Put on the Armor of God
St. Paul warned us of times like these.
Ephesians 6:10-20 warns us that we lack the strength, wisdom, courage, and intellect to fight the forces of darkness alone. That’s not to say we shouldn’t fight or that we should leave it to others. It means the only weapons that work are spiritual.
Mere humans cannot forever defend monuments against other humans bent on their destruction. The defilers and destroyers need to get it right only once, while the defenders' vigilance must be perfect at all times. And nothing made by man is perfect.
But there is an armor that will protect your heart and soul: the armor of God. Read this every day:
The Full Armor of God #
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make 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 world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of 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. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.
Train With Padre Pio’s Secret Weapon #
One of the most potent weapons in God’s arsenal is the Rosary. The Rosary is the Gospels on a string, the Way, the Truth, and the Life in your pocket.
St. Padre Pio knew this well. Tormented by demons his entire life, Padre Pio reached for the Rosary whenever the big guns of heaven were needed. As described in Aleteia:
Padre Pio prayed the Rosary fervently on a daily basis and even kept a few rosaries under his pillow. One night he wasn’t able to find his rosaries, so he called Fr. Onorato of San Giovanni Rotondo and said to him, “Young man, get me my weapon; give me my weapon.”
Get a Rosary. Have it blessed by a priest. Pray it every day.
Put on the full armor of God.