LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces – Second Quarter 2026 newsletter

The armor of God, as written about by Paul in the book of Ephesians, remains a popular (and ever timely) topic of study among Christian circles.

This quarter’s issue of So Help Me God, the newsletter of LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces, moves forward from last quarter’s consideration of the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness to a study of the shield of faith and the sandals of readiness and peace.

Chaplain Steven Hokana introduces both essential pieces of the Christian’s God-given gear through the lens of contemporary military understanding and historic Roman practice.

His study of the sandals in Ephesians 6:15 not only outfits us with practical application as Christians today but also illustrates to us how Scripture supports Scripture by deriving common themes between the words of the prophet Isaiah and the apostle Paul.

His study of the shield shines a light on both the source of our faith (with a peek at the Small Catechism) and the defensive capabilities of our faith, which bolster us against the enemy in everyday life.

The world is a dark and terrible place sometimes. But the light of the Gospel is ever clear, ever bright and ever dominant over the wiles of the devil. When we remember to whom we belong and how He has equipped us for service to Him and to our neighbor, we help shatter that terrible darkness for others to know the Gospel promises of God.

Webpages and resources that can help individuals grow in Christ can also be found in this newsletter.

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LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces

lcms.org/armedforces

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