Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare with Author, J Harrington
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Weapons of Spiritual Warfare with Author, J Harrington
SUMMARY:
* Guest: J. Harrington, author of “Swords Up: Mastering the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare for Today’s Christian Woman,” an eight-week Bible study.
* Tragic loss: During pregnancy with a son, sensed the Holy Spirit warn she wouldn’t keep him; hurricane delayed care; confirmed no heartbeat; experienced palpable peace from God in the hospital.
* Aftermath: Peace lifted upon discharge; entered a season of anger and grief; continued attending church though unable to worship; community’s faith “washed over” her until she could worship again.
* Spiritual vision: Sensed a dark presence opposite God’s presence in the hospital, awakening her to real spiritual opposition and the need to fight spiritually.
* Defining spiritual warfare: Attacks and distractions that keep believers from their God-given purpose; highly personal to each person’s struggles.
* Armor of God insights:
* Emphasis on knowing Scripture to detect Satan’s schemes.
* Discovery in Ephesians: “Powers” (exousia) includes “power of choice,” highlighting our daily choices as a battlefield.
* All armor pieces work together; two threads tie them: surrender and prayer.
* Prayer activates and sustains every piece of the armor; Scripture remains the primary weapon.
* Identity: Strengthened by Scripture, prayer, confession, and biblical community; refute lies with God’s truth (fearfully made, new creation, royal priesthood).
* Personal battlefields: Motherhood, marriage balance, overwhelm, social media comparison; surrendering speech, attitudes, and reactions to God; guarding heart from toxic inputs.
* Practical application to pain:
* Hope in God’s promises (e.g., future restoration and no more tears).
* Use Scripture and honest prayer to process grief and anger; God can handle “angry prayers.”
* Confession as a powerful, often-overlooked practice to break strongholds.
* Tools and resources: “Emergency Toolkit” (free download at jpherrington.com): verses + short prayers for anxiety, anger, loneliness, worthlessness, etc.
* Key takeaway: Read your Bible daily. Pair Scripture with persistent prayer and honest confession. This combination reshapes identity, fortifies against spiritual attacks, and transforms how you walk through pain.
BLOG INTRO:
Author, J Harrington didn’t come to spiritual warfare through theory—she was drafted by loss. A military spouse and young mom, Jay describes herself (when in her 20s) as being prickly and performance-driven, a Sunday-only faith wrapped around busyness. She married her high school sweetheart, her husband became a marine and they began their family. They were first blessed with a precious daughter and with J’s second pregnancy she prayed for a little boy so that the Harrington name would carry on through the generations to come.
But J’s life was about to be flipped upside down in a cruel and unpredictable way. God prepared her for the unthinkable when He spoke into her spirit before Hurricane Florence: “Get used to the idea that you don’t get to keep your son.” As the hurricane came near, knocking out power even before it came on land…(and then if you remember anything about Florence, the east coast experienced power loss for 2 weeks, some longer)…J became concerned realizing she hadn’t felt her baby in a few days. When the hospitals were finally up and running accepting appointments, her fears became a reality when they found no heartbeat.
Forced to deliver her son as though everything were normal, she says, the delivery room was thick with peace. Nurses felt it, the custodian felt it—“like a warm hug.” As J prepared to leave the hospital God gave her a heads up on the battle that would be waiting for her.
When she walked out of the hospital, the warmth lifted. What followed were “angry prayers,” the kind you don’t think you’re allowed to pray. J reminded us that God’s a big boy, and that He can handle our emotions. I agree because He’s been doing that for well over 2000+ years.
Even though J could not praise the Lord or pray, she still went to church and it became the place where the faith of others washed over her until her own praise could rise again.
Through grief came transformation. J admits that The me before my tragedy, couldn’t be used the same way. Loss softened what feistiness had hardened. It also opened her eyes to the battle she believes many Christians ignore: not just demonic opposition, but the daily front-lines of choice.
While studying Ephesians 6:12: (“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.”) t was the word “powers” that stuck out to her. So she dug into the Greek word and the deeper meaning of “powers” and she found it to mean, authority, yes, but also “the power of choice.” In other words: our decisions can be a battlefield and that really resonated with me. Not only from the view point of experiencing that personally but seeing choices as a daily battle that I face and this of course made me see how important it is to understand spiritual warfare.
J’s discovery became a book…. Swords Up: Mastering the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare for Today’s Christian Woman—an eight-week Bible study she says the Holy Spirit downloaded in minutes after she dared Him to use her pen. The study reframes the armor of God as both defense and weapon, threaded by two essentials: surrender and prayer. “Prayer engages every piece of armor,” We’re essentially fighting with one hand tied behind our back if we neglect the Word.
I know prayer and surrender seem very weak but isn’t that just like God to confound the wise with simple things that reveal themselves as having transformational power?
J’s challenge for us is simple and fierce: dust off your Bible!
Let’s listen in to see how we can be equipped to battle all that this life can throw at us with the intention of destroying us even if it’s only on the inside. Swords UP ladies, the battle is real.
Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com
Hugs,
Sherrie Pilk
RESOURCES - Other podcasts on this topic:
The Possibility of Joy After Child Loss, with Lisa Espinoza: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/07/16/the-possibility-of-joy-after-child-loss-with-lisa-espinoza/
A Deep Dive of the Soul After Child Loss, with Bridgett Dunbar: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/03/a-deep-dive-of-the-soul-after-child-loss-stillbirth-with-bridgett-dunbar/
CONNECT WITH JANANYA:
Website: https://jpharrington.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jpharringtonauthor
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jananyaharrington/
BIO:
J. Harrington is a dynamic author and ministry leader who brings a unique blend of military spouse experience, academic insight, and spiritual passion to her writing. With a background in anthropology and project management, Harrington serves as the Digital Content Manager for Holy Culture Radio while serving in church ministries. Her work reflects a deep commitment to faith and a knack for applying biblical truths to modern challenges. When not writing or serving her community in Jacksonville, NC, you can find her embracing life's adventures with her family of four.
View all episodes
By Sherrie Pilkington
5
3030 ratings
SUMMARY:
* Guest: J. Harrington, author of “Swords Up: Mastering the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare for Today’s Christian Woman,” an eight-week Bible study.
* Tragic loss: During pregnancy with a son, sensed the Holy Spirit warn she wouldn’t keep him; hurricane delayed care; confirmed no heartbeat; experienced palpable peace from God in the hospital.
* Aftermath: Peace lifted upon discharge; entered a season of anger and grief; continued attending church though unable to worship; community’s faith “washed over” her until she could worship again.
* Spiritual vision: Sensed a dark presence opposite God’s presence in the hospital, awakening her to real spiritual opposition and the need to fight spiritually.
* Defining spiritual warfare: Attacks and distractions that keep believers from their God-given purpose; highly personal to each person’s struggles.
* Armor of God insights:
* Emphasis on knowing Scripture to detect Satan’s schemes.
* Discovery in Ephesians: “Powers” (exousia) includes “power of choice,” highlighting our daily choices as a battlefield.
* All armor pieces work together; two threads tie them: surrender and prayer.
* Prayer activates and sustains every piece of the armor; Scripture remains the primary weapon.
* Identity: Strengthened by Scripture, prayer, confession, and biblical community; refute lies with God’s truth (fearfully made, new creation, royal priesthood).
* Personal battlefields: Motherhood, marriage balance, overwhelm, social media comparison; surrendering speech, attitudes, and reactions to God; guarding heart from toxic inputs.
* Practical application to pain:
* Hope in God’s promises (e.g., future restoration and no more tears).
* Use Scripture and honest prayer to process grief and anger; God can handle “angry prayers.”
* Confession as a powerful, often-overlooked practice to break strongholds.
* Tools and resources: “Emergency Toolkit” (free download at jpherrington.com): verses + short prayers for anxiety, anger, loneliness, worthlessness, etc.
* Key takeaway: Read your Bible daily. Pair Scripture with persistent prayer and honest confession. This combination reshapes identity, fortifies against spiritual attacks, and transforms how you walk through pain.
BLOG INTRO:
Author, J Harrington didn’t come to spiritual warfare through theory—she was drafted by loss. A military spouse and young mom, Jay describes herself (when in her 20s) as being prickly and performance-driven, a Sunday-only faith wrapped around busyness. She married her high school sweetheart, her husband became a marine and they began their family. They were first blessed with a precious daughter and with J’s second pregnancy she prayed for a little boy so that the Harrington name would carry on through the generations to come.
But J’s life was about to be flipped upside down in a cruel and unpredictable way. God prepared her for the unthinkable when He spoke into her spirit before Hurricane Florence: “Get used to the idea that you don’t get to keep your son.” As the hurricane came near, knocking out power even before it came on land…(and then if you remember anything about Florence, the east coast experienced power loss for 2 weeks, some longer)…J became concerned realizing she hadn’t felt her baby in a few days. When the hospitals were finally up and running accepting appointments, her fears became a reality when they found no heartbeat.
Forced to deliver her son as though everything were normal, she says, the delivery room was thick with peace. Nurses felt it, the custodian felt it—“like a warm hug.” As J prepared to leave the hospital God gave her a heads up on the battle that would be waiting for her.
When she walked out of the hospital, the warmth lifted. What followed were “angry prayers,” the kind you don’t think you’re allowed to pray. J reminded us that God’s a big boy, and that He can handle our emotions. I agree because He’s been doing that for well over 2000+ years.
Even though J could not praise the Lord or pray, she still went to church and it became the place where the faith of others washed over her until her own praise could rise again.
Through grief came transformation. J admits that The me before my tragedy, couldn’t be used the same way. Loss softened what feistiness had hardened. It also opened her eyes to the battle she believes many Christians ignore: not just demonic opposition, but the daily front-lines of choice.
While studying Ephesians 6:12: (“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.”) t was the word “powers” that stuck out to her. So she dug into the Greek word and the deeper meaning of “powers” and she found it to mean, authority, yes, but also “the power of choice.” In other words: our decisions can be a battlefield and that really resonated with me. Not only from the view point of experiencing that personally but seeing choices as a daily battle that I face and this of course made me see how important it is to understand spiritual warfare.
J’s discovery became a book…. Swords Up: Mastering the Weapons of Spiritual Warfare for Today’s Christian Woman—an eight-week Bible study she says the Holy Spirit downloaded in minutes after she dared Him to use her pen. The study reframes the armor of God as both defense and weapon, threaded by two essentials: surrender and prayer. “Prayer engages every piece of armor,” We’re essentially fighting with one hand tied behind our back if we neglect the Word.
I know prayer and surrender seem very weak but isn’t that just like God to confound the wise with simple things that reveal themselves as having transformational power?
J’s challenge for us is simple and fierce: dust off your Bible!
Let’s listen in to see how we can be equipped to battle all that this life can throw at us with the intention of destroying us even if it’s only on the inside. Swords UP ladies, the battle is real.
Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com
Hugs,
Sherrie Pilk
RESOURCES - Other podcasts on this topic:
The Possibility of Joy After Child Loss, with Lisa Espinoza: https://alifeofthrive.com/2025/07/16/the-possibility-of-joy-after-child-loss-with-lisa-espinoza/
A Deep Dive of the Soul After Child Loss, with Bridgett Dunbar: https://alifeofthrive.com/2024/07/03/a-deep-dive-of-the-soul-after-child-loss-stillbirth-with-bridgett-dunbar/
CONNECT WITH JANANYA:
Website: https://jpharrington.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/jpharringtonauthor
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jananyaharrington/
BIO:
J. Harrington is a dynamic author and ministry leader who brings a unique blend of military spouse experience, academic insight, and spiritual passion to her writing. With a background in anthropology and project management, Harrington serves as the Digital Content Manager for Holy Culture Radio while serving in church ministries. Her work reflects a deep commitment to faith and a knack for applying biblical truths to modern challenges. When not writing or serving her community in Jacksonville, NC, you can find her embracing life's adventures with her family of four.