#148 - Kyle Thompson // WE WERE BORN FOR BATTLE: Judges 6:12

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Blade – Episode #148 with Kyle Thompson: "WE WERE BORN FOR BATTLE: Judges 6:12"

Introduction to Episode and Hosts

In episode #148 of The Daily Blade, released on July 25, 2025, hosts Pastor Joby Martin of the Church of Eleven22 and Kyle Thompson of Undaunted.Life delve into the powerful theme, "We Were Born for Battle," drawing inspiration from Judges 6:12. This episode aims to equip Christian men to recognize and embrace their spiritual strength in everyday life.

Recap of Previous Topics

Kyle begins by reflecting on the past week’s discussions, highlighting their exploration of various Pauline letters and the Psalms of David. These scriptural studies have been centered around reminding Christian men of their inherent readiness and purpose for spiritual combat. “All week we've looked at different passages of scripture that reveal to us and remind us Christian men that we were born for battle” ([00:20]).

Gideon: From Coward to Conqueror (Judges 6:12)

Transitioning to the main focus, Kyle introduces the story of Gideon from Judges 6. He sets the historical context: the Israelites, having strayed from God, faced oppression by the Midianites, resulting in severe impoverishment. In desperation, the Israelites turn back to God, who responds by raising Gideon as an unlikely leader.

Kyle narrates Gideon’s initial encounter with divine intervention:

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior” ([00:45]).

This declaration is particularly striking given Gideon’s present actions—threshing wheat in a wine press to hide from the Midianites, a clear indication of his fear and reluctance.

The Significance of New Identity

Kyle emphasizes the transformative power of God’s words. By calling Gideon a "mighty warrior," God doesn’t just label him; He empowers Gideon with a new identity and purpose. Kyle remarks, “there is power in new descriptors. There is power in a name” ([02:10]). This renaming is a pivotal moment that shifts Gideon from hiding to leading, illustrating how God can redefine our self-perception to unlock our true potential.

Illustrative Example: The Woman with the Issue of Blood

To further elucidate the impact of a transformative label, Kyle shares a story from the Gospels—the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22). He recounts how Jesus addresses her as "daughter," despite her social ostracization:

“Jesus turned and seeing her, said, take heart, daughter. Your faith has made you well” ([03:05]).

Kyle underscores the depth of this term, especially for a woman who was considered ritually unclean and marginalized. By calling her "daughter," Jesus restores her dignity and reintegrates her into society, demonstrating the profound effect of being given a new, empowering identity.

Connecting to Modern Audience: Men as Mighty Warriors

Drawing parallels between Gideon’s experience and the lives of contemporary men, Kyle encourages listeners to shed negative self-labels—such as "wuss," "worthless," or "weakling"—and embrace their true identity as "mighty warriors." He asserts:

“You are a mighty warrior. Did you hear me? You are a mighty warrior” ([05:00]).

Kyle challenges men to recognize that their strength and resilience come not from their own efforts alone, but from the divine empowerment bestowed upon them by God. Just as Gideon was transformed from a fearful man to a leader of 300 warriors, men today are called to fulfill their God-given roles with confidence and courage.

Conclusion: Embracing Our Purpose for Battle

In wrapping up the episode, Kyle reiterates the central message: “men, we were born for battle” ([05:50]). He encourages listeners to internalize their identity as mighty warriors, ready to engage in the spiritual battles that shape their lives and communities. This affirmation serves as a powerful reminder of the divine support and strength available to every believer.

Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Pastor Joby Martin joins in the conclusion, urging listeners to share the podcast, leave five-star reviews, and support the mission to equip more men for spiritual combat. He emphasizes the importance of community and collective strength in living out their faith.

Key Takeaways

• Divine Transformation: God can redefine our identities, empowering us to overcome personal fears and inadequacies.
• Power of Language: The names and descriptors used for us carry significant weight in shaping our self-perception and actions.
• Empowered Warfare: Believers are called to engage in spiritual battles with the assurance of divine support.
• Real-Life Applications: Embracing our identity as mighty warriors helps in navigating daily challenges with faith and resilience.

Notable Quotes

• “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” ([00:45])
• “There is power in a new descriptor. There is power in a name.” ([02:10])
• “You are a mighty warrior. Did you hear me? You are a mighty warrior.” ([05:00])
• “Men, we were born for battle.” ([05:50])

Join the Movement

Listeners are invited to connect with the hosts at [e-mail], support the podcast through donations, and participate in upcoming events such as the 2025 Men’s Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.

For more information and to support the work of The Church of Eleven22, visit coe22.com/donate or text DONATE to 441122.

Stay empowered and continue to embrace your role as a mighty warrior in your spiritual journey.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

[B]

All right, guys, all week we've looked at different passages of scripture that reveal to us and remind us Christian men that we were born for battle. So we looked at some Pauline letter. We looked at one Pauline letter. We looked at. Actually, it was a couple of Pauline letters. There you go. I'm trying to remember my own week, guys. We also looked at the Psalm of David, and today we're in the Book of Judges, chapter six. So this is where we were introduced or are introduced to a coward turned conqueror, and that's Gideon. So the story of Gideon starts in West Manasseh, near the Sea of Galilee. And during this period, the Israelites had turned away from God. And for that, God delivered them into the hands of their enemy, the Midianites. So the Midianites ravaged the land. You know, they massively impoverished the Israelites. And finally, the Israelites turned away from the pagan gods that they had been worshiping and turned to the real God to help. So God's answer to them was, well, it's going to come from an unlikely source, but here's Gideon. Okay, so we first meet Gideon while he is threshing wheat in a wine press. Now, if you just heard me say that, that part could be easily skipped over. Okay? But here's why it's important. Threshing wheat was a process that normally took place above ground because the wind was actually used to help with the method of separation. However, Gideon was so afraid of the Midianites and what they might do to him that he is actually performing this action in a wine press, which is underground. Okay, so in other words, he. He's hiding like a little coward. And this is when, you know, all the things change for Gideon. We go to Judges 6:12. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior. Now, obviously, this is kind of ironic because Gideon is actually hiding, right? He's scared. But God was calling him a mighty warrior. I mean, this is just so unbelievably important. I mean, another way you could say it is that God is giving him power by giving him a new descriptor for himself, a new name, if you will. And, guys, we know this, but there is power in new descriptors. There is power in A name. Now, there's actually a story from the Gospels that has just recently revolutionized how I read the Bible. The. You know, the TV series the Chosen actually helped me with this by slowing it down, because I used to just read everything too fast or just skim the parts that I thought I already knew, but I no longer do that because of what I realized about the story of the woman with the issue of blood. So the story is found in all three of the synoptic gospels, but I'm going to read the account from Matthew 9, 2022. Short account here. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for 12 years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. For she said to herself, if I only touch his garment, I will be made well. Jesus turned and seeing her, said, take heart, daughter. Your faith has made you well. And instantly, the woman was made well. So initially, you might read a story like that and be like, okay, wow, cool. Just another person that Jesus healed. That's neat. But this story has so much more to it than that. And I can't get into all the details here since we're on a time crunch, but I just want to make sure that you guys key in on this one word, daughter. You see, this woman was on her period for 12 straight years. I mean, the majority of our list of our listeners here are men, so we can't even fathom most of that, but we at least all know enough to know that it would be terrible. Right? But it's, you know, it's way worse for this woman than what you're even thinking, because aside from the fact that she did not have access to some of the, you know, modern products and conveniences that make that process a little bit more manageable for women, this woman would have been a complete outcast in her day. Because in the Old Testament ceremonial law, women on their menstrual cycles were ritually unclean, and anyone that touched her would have been ritually unclean. Right? So for this woman, she lost her ability to operate in society, and she would have been excommunicated from her family. But here, Jesus calls her daughter. A woman who would have been shunned by her earthly father, was called daughter by the Son of God. I mean, there's so much power in that. Now, back to Gideon. Eventually, through Gideon, God does exactly what he promised. He helped the Israelites crush the Midianites. However, in order to show that it was not just the Israelites that accomplish this feat by themselves and with their own strength, God made Gideon whittle down his fighting force of over 22,000 men to only 300 warriors. And these 300 men routed thousands of enemy Midianites chasing them from their lands. And Gideon certainly didn't start out resilient, right? But he cultivated it along the way. However, he didn't cultivate it based on his own strength and you know, kind of white knuckled stick to it. Iveness. He cultivated it because God called him up into a new name, Mighty Warrior. A name that he, God, would continue to work to help Gideon live up to. And men, some of you have made some agreements with the names you were called as a boy. Wuss. Worthless. Runt. Weakling. Good for nothing coward. But I'm here to tell you this. You are a mighty warrior. Did you hear me? You are a mighty warrior. So for the last time this week, men, we were born for battle. Thank you for your attention this week. Stay sharp.

[A]

Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.