By Design: Marriage in Armor is a seven-day devotional journey by Dustin and Lisa Bullard, crafted to help couples strengthen their covenant by clothing themselves in the Armor of God. Marriage is holy, but it is also a battlefield. Unity, trust, intimacy, and peace are constantly opposed by spiritual forces that whisper division, provoke conflict, and tempt hearts away from covenant love. This devotional does not present quick fixes or shallow encouragement. Instead, it equips couples with the armor God has already provided-truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer-so that they can stand firm together against the real enemy, not each other.

Rooted in Ephesians 6:10-18 and anchored by cross-references throughout Scripture, each day highlights one piece of armor as it applies to marriage. The Belt of Truth secures vulnerability against pretense. The Breastplate of Righteousness guards the heart with grace, not self-righteousness. The Shoes of Peace steady steps in unity instead of provocation. The Shield of Faith extinguishes lies of fear and suspicion. The Helmet of Salvation protects the mind from accusation and despair. The Sword of the Spirit empowers couples to speak life, not destruction. And All Prayer becomes the breath that holds every other piece in place.

Every entry follows a deliberate rhythm: a Scripture focus, supporting verses, a devotional reflection, The Virtuous Effect (contrasting Spirit-led virtues with their counterfeits), a shared practice, a spoken blessing, a joint prayer, and a section called How to Put This Armor in Action that translates truth into real-life habits. The structure is simple but profound: read aloud, pause where it stirs, do the practice together, bless one another, and pray. Couples are not asked to perform; they are invited to be present. The repetition itself becomes a liturgy of love-armor worn daily, not studied once and forgotten.

The Bullard's write not from a place of perfection but from trenches of real marriage: seasons of distance, silence, longing, failure, and restoration. Their words carry both honesty and hope. They remind couples that armor is not worn alone-it interlocks. Faith, prayer, and peace become stronger when shared. A marriage in armor does not mean avoiding hardship; it means facing hardship together, covered and fortified by God's design.

By Design: Marriage in Armor is for couples who feel weary and wonder if closeness can return, as well as for those who feel strong but want to stay protected. It is for those who have forgotten how to pray together and need a gentle pattern to begin again. It is for husbands and wives who want to remember that their spouse is not the enemy, but the ally God gave them for covenant mission.

The message is simple yet bold: this isn't just armor. It's design. And when worn together, it transforms marriage from vulnerability to victory.