Podcast Summary: "Stand Firm & Act Like Men" – Stand Firm, Week 3

The Church of Eleven22 | Pastor Joby Martin | Nov 2, 2025

Episode Overview

Pastor Joby Martin delivers an impassioned message as part of Eleven22’s “Stand Firm & Act Like Men” series, focusing on the biblical command to "stand firm in the faith." Addressed especially to men, but relevant to all, this sermon unpacks spiritual warfare, the identity of Jesus as a conquering warrior, and practical ways for believers to defend and protect their families and church community against the “enemy.” Centered on Ephesians 6 and the armor of God, Pastor Joby calls the church into a spiritual fight, urging men to step up in their God-given roles as protectors and providers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundation of the Series: The Call to Manhood

• The core passage (1 Corinthians 16:13-14) commands:
  • “Be watchful. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
• Acting like men means stepping into God’s design with strength, responsibility, and love, not apologizing for masculinity.
  • “If you are a man, that was God’s idea. You don’t have to apologize for that. You need to step into manhood.” (02:48)

2. Why We Fight: The Spiritual Battlefield

• Men are called to be defenders, providers, and protectors. If the enemy can take down the “defender,” people are left vulnerable (03:30).
• Spiritual warfare is real; Christians are “born behind enemy lines.”
  • “We are at war. But in the beginning...our enemy, our adversary, Lucifer...wanted to be looked to. God cast him out of heaven. And when sin entered the world, it held the door open for all the pain, all the strife, all the guilt...” (08:45)
• The enemy (the devil) comes “to steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).

3. Reframing Jesus: Warrior, Not Weakling

• Pastor Joby confronts misconceptions about Jesus as weak or passive:
  • “If that’s who you think Jesus was 2000 years ago, you have a terrible view…He was a carpenter’s son. One day, He made a whip, flipped over tables…” (05:12)
  • Cites Exodus 15:3: “The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name.”
  • Describes Christ’s return as a victorious conqueror (06:45): “Who wears white to a fight? Somebody that knows they’re gonna win and it ain’t gonna take long, that’s who.”

4. The Nature of Our Enemy and the War of Lies

• Satan operates through deception, schemes, and a “dirty war campaign of misinformation.”
  • “Everything God creates, the enemy tries to corrupt...He gets you with the same tricks over and over.” (30:48)
  • Three main lures: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life (1 John reference).

5. The Christian’s Mandate: “Stand Firm in the Faith”

• Spiritual headship is more than ‘spiritual leader’—it’s total responsibility for the household (25:25).
• Men of all life stages are called to “stand on the wall” to protect families, especially in a world discipling children via screens and culture (33:17).
• “If we don’t stand and fight, who will?” (19:35)

The Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10–18): Tactical Application

Each piece of armor provides a vivid metaphor for the spiritual resources God gives to believers. Pastor Joby ties each one to practical family leadership and spiritual battle.

1. Belt of Truth (49:28)

• The “core” of Christian defense; all else attaches here.
  • “It’s hard to fight with no pants on. This is the centerpiece of the fight. So let me ask you this, Dads—does your family know the truth?” (51:03)
• Our kids need to know who God says they are, not worldly or self-appointed labels.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21) (57:32)

• Imputed (not earned) righteous identity protects our hearts.
  • “When God looks at you...he sees a perfectly righteous breastplate.” (59:11)
• Celebrate who your family is in Christ, not just what they achieve.

3. Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (01:04:13)

• We carry the “good news.” Are we people of peace or chaos in our homes?
  • “When you walk into your house, does peace walk in with you?” (01:05:11)
• Leaders should be chief repenters and confessors.

4. Shield of Faith (01:08:15)

• The shield defends against the enemy’s “flaming darts.”
  • “We are supposed to have the kind of shields of faith...when somebody else is lacking in faith, they could borrow some of our cover for a little while.” (01:11:05)
• Shields were designed to interlock; we protect each other in community.

5. Helmet of Salvation (01:14:06)

• You can’t “lose your head”—salvation is secure and essential.
  • Urged parents to focus more on their children’s eternal destiny than worldly pursuits.

6. Sword of the Spirit – The Word of God (01:16:20)

• Our only offensive weapon in the armor; not for attacking people, but evil and lies.
  • “The Word of God is not a sledgehammer to beat up Kathy in the cubicle...it is a mirror.” (01:17:55)
• Encouraged praying Scripture over children; “drop the anchor” of God’s truth deep in their lives:
  • “I want to drop the anchor of the truth of the Word of God so deep in my children’s life that even though they may swerve...they’ll be anchored.” (01:21:02)

7. Prayer (Ephesians 6:18) (01:24:00)

• Prayer is an offensive weapon.
  • Quoting Gretchen Martin: “When we pray, the enemy cowers. When we pray, the enemy loses his grip. When we pray, chains begin to break and lives are restored.” (01:26:27)
• Call to men: pray aloud over their families and communities.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Cultural Lies:
  • “If you don’t believe there’s a demon, that there is the demonic, that we have an enemy that’s trying to take people out, I’m telling you, you’re just too dumb to talk to.” (18:13)
• On Over-spiritualizing:
  • “You blame every single thing on the devil...it’s called humidity. Sometimes stuff just happens, all right?” (41:07)
• Confronting Passivity:
  • “We got a lot of men who are paralyzed by fear or abdication. Meanwhile, the enemy is having his way with a generation.” (39:05)
• On Family Responsibility:
  • “Gentlemen, your number one job on this planet is to provide and to protect those people God has put under your provision and protection for the glory of God.” (01:32:05)
• Saying our names are known by hell:
  • “When I die, I want hell to rejoice that I’m out of the fight.” (C.S. Lewis quote, 01:36:35)

Call to Response: Corporate Declaration & Commitment

• Pastor Joby invites men to stand and declare David’s words before Goliath (1 Samuel 17), signifying a readiness to recognize and engage in spiritual battles with Christ’s strength—not their own. (01:41:45)
  • “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty...” (Quote repeated by congregation)
• Encourages church-wide support:
  • “The encouragement on the lips of a woman in our life is like gold in the heart of a man. You know what encourage means? It means to put courage in.” (01:44:21)
• Final Charge:
  • “To stand up and act like men, we must dress ourselves for battle and go to war to defend and protect our loved ones. And we stand firm because our victory is in Jesus.” (01:47:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Pastor Joby opens—series context, welcomes new campus | | 02:48 | Core verse introduction: 1 Cor 16:13-14 | | 05:12 | Refuting weak portrayals of Jesus | | 19:35 | Why men must fight: spiritual enemies, protecting the vulnerable | | 25:25 | Spiritual leadership explained—men as heads of households | | 30:48 | Enemy’s tactics—schemes, lures, methods | | 49:28 | Start of Armor of God breakdown—Belt of Truth | | 57:32 | Breastplate of Righteousness & identity in Christ | | 01:04:13 | Shoes of Gospel of Peace | | 01:08:15 | Shield of Faith—community protection | | 01:14:06 | Helmet of Salvation—assurance & priority | | 01:16:20 | Sword of Spirit—Word of God as weapon | | 01:21:02 | Praying Scripture over children | | 01:24:00 | Prayer as spiritual warfare—quote from Gretchen Martin | | 01:32:05 | The call to provide and protect—practical family leadership | | 01:36:35 | CS Lewis quote—being known by hell | | 01:41:45 | Public declaration—reciting David’s battle cry | | 01:47:00 | Closing charge: stand, fight, worship as warfare |

Final Tone and Invitation

With urgency, humor, and honesty, Pastor Joby Martin rallies the Eleven22 congregation—especially men—to embrace the reality of spiritual warfare by donning God’s armor, leading with sacrificial love, and waging war through truth, faith, and prayer. The episode ends with a call to public commitment, prayer, and worship, framing every act as a declaration against darkness and for God’s glory.

“The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name.” (Exodus 15:3)

“We stand firm because our victory is in Jesus.”