“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. “ — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I wrote this devotion based on our last B3 meeting that looked at spiritual connections with today’s superheroes. We know that the world is fascinated with superheroes. From Superman’s strength to Captain America’s unwavering moral compass, people admire characters who fight for justice, protect the weak, and make sacrifices for the greater good. But what if the qualities we admire in these heroes are actually pointing us to something greater—God’s calling for our own lives?

While we may not have capes, super speed, or indestructible shields, God has equipped us with everything we need to be real-life heroes—men of faith who stand for righteousness, defend truth, and fight against the spiritual forces of darkness.

If we look closely, we will see that almost all of the commendable traits of the superheroes  are Biblical in nature.  In some cases coincidentally and in other cases intentionally. Let’s take a look at a few.

Strength and power are Godly attributes and though the world sees strength in physical power, true strength can come in many different forms. There is a power source that sometimes the world ignores.  Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Samson was one of the strongest men in the Bible (probably in history). But his real strength wasn’t in his muscles but in his obedience to God. When he disobeyed God his strength left him. He was still Samson, but not the Samson he was meant to be. Like us, we are strongest when we surrender to the power of God which comes from reliance on the Holy Spirit.  Relying on God is not a show of weakness, but of strength.

Courage and boldness are also traits found in most superheroes.  When Captain America steps into battle no matter the odds he illustrates the same kinds actions that Christians are called to exhibit.  I often say that my father had fewer decisions to make than anyone I have ever known. That was because to make decisions, you have to have choices.  When it came to doing right, my father did not have to fret over his decision because he had so few choices.  Choosing what was wrong was not an option, no matter where it led.  Doing right was just right. . That takes courage.  An example of spiritual courage is standing for Christ even when it’s unpopular.  One of the most popular and well-known Bible passages can be found in Joshua 1:9 . It is addressed to one of the great heroes of the Old Testament Joshua.  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  This can be a rallying cry for all us who are “in Christ.

David, a young shepherd, took down a giant because he knew God was his strength.  David did not wear the armor of the world, but only the armor of God. The giant had all the greatest armor the world could provide, but as all things of the world this armor is no match for the armor that we have access to in God’s great armory- His Word.

Other important traits of today’s superheroes are integrity and righteousness.  Superman is a symbol of unwavering moral integrity, always doing what’s right.  Superman is fictional and is just written that way by a team of writers.  They create the person of Superman.  But a team of writers, whose pens were carried along by the Holy Spirit, wrote not of a fictional person but of a  larger than life figure, Christ. They did not create His story, they just relayed it.

We see in proverbs 11:13 how important integrity is. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” Daniel was one of those true life heroes who refused to compromise, even when it meant being on the local lion menu. He refused to protect himself with a compromise in integrity.  We might not be impressed because we know the end of the story…. but remember, he didn’t.  A real hero stands for righteousness, no matter the cost.

We also see that many superheroes make  great sacrifices to save others by putting their own lives at risk even unto death.  But their heroism is not real because they are not real.  No superhero really dies or gets hurt because they can be all better in the next edition.  But in real life we do die… we do hurt.  And there is a superhero who made  the greatest sacrifice of all for all.  That was Jesus-  and He was and is …real.  Jesus put the needs of the whole world above His own  and lived out the words found in John 15:13.  “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” But not only that, He even died for his enemies. Even fictional heroes don’t do that.  But Jesus, the true Savior, gave His life for everyone, so that anyone who accepts His sacrifice can  have eternal victory over death.

So to be superheroes in a world desperate for them, we need the armor of God.  If we are to be protected from the onslaught of the enemies in battlefield called earth we need to put on the full armor of God found in  Ephesians 6:10-18.  There we are told to armor up   because we don’t want to go into battle naked. When we used to play basketball , we sometimes split up into shirts and skins. In the battle that is raging around us, we don’t want to be skins.

The enemy on this battle doesn’t attack with laser beams or supervillains- he attacks through temptation, doubt, and fear.  So we must armor up for that.

To be a hero for Christ, we  must wear:

✅ The Belt of Truth – Stand on God’s Word, not the world’s lies.

✅ The Breastplate of Righteousness – Live with integrity.

✅ The Shoes of Peace – Bring the gospel wherever you go.

✅ The Shield of Faith – Defend against attacks of doubt.

✅ The Helmet of Salvation – Remember, your identity is in Christ.

✅ The Sword of the Spirit – Use God’s Word as your weapon.

Our challenge is to be a hero for God.  We don’t need superpowers to be a hero. We need faith, obedience, righteousnss, and courage. The world is desperate for men who will stand firm, fight for truth, and live boldly for Jesus.  Through God’s strength we can be that kind of person. Captain America once said, when he was about to battle an enemy that was said to be god, “There is  only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.”   God does not dress like anything in this world, and he provides us the armor necessary to fight our battles.  Let’s be people who don’t just admire heroes—let’s become one by following the greatest Hero of all: Jesus Christ.   Then we never have to be skins again on the battlefield of this world.