Smiling as their toddler spins the wheel to win a prize at the checkout counter inside a small Orlando storefront, a young couple is clearly content with the T-shirt they just purchased – an item designed with the sole purpose of spreading the love of God.
Located in a densely populated area with a prominent LGBTQ+ presence, business owners Aiyelis Otero, 24, and Josiah Ramos, 22, opened Armor of God in October 2024 with the goal of spreading the gospel through fashion, making the Christian-apparel storefront the first of its kind in Florida.
“We’re coming into the store knowing that we are stepping into something that God has definitely ordained for these two,” said first-time customer Cindy Skylie.
From t-shirts to baby clothes and their best seller “GOD IS BIGGER THAN ANXIETY” sweatshirts the store sells colorful apparel with popular bible verses and other faith-based phrases, ranging in price from $20 – $35.
What began as an unexpected idea jotted down during a church prayer service quickly became the catalyst for their faith-inspired business. Despite facing drawbacks throughout their journey, the Christian couple remains strong in their faith and hopeful for the future.
“We knew this was the Lord’s plan, regardless of the decisions we made through it,” said Ramos.
Upon meeting in 2022, the Christian pair’s love for Jesus grew as their love for each other did, with Ramos leading Otero in their faith, even through hardships like the death of Otero’s father two months into the relationship.
“It was weird because I’m growing in my relationship with God and then I lose my dad and it’s like a huge bump and I’m angry all the time, but all he did was push me to God,” said Otero.
Five months into their relationship, the couple were in deep prayer, individually writing in their journals whatever they believed God was telling them. To their surprise, what they had written down was practically the same, starting a Christian-apparel brand.
As part of their church’s annual “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting,” the couple abstained from food and social media for a few days, praying over their shared idea. As a potential brand name, they pondered the phrase “Armor of God,” a biblical reference aimed to remind Christians on how to stay protected when fighting spiritual battles.
On the last day of prayer and fasting, they opened the Bible App in their phones.
“The verse of the day on the Bible App was Ephesians 6:11: [Put on the full] armor of God — and we were like, ‘Okay, God, you want us to do this,’” said Otero, smiling.

Shortly after, Ramos quit his job as a houseman at a community clubhouse and Otero put her successful Latin artist-inspired T-shirt business on hold to prioritize their new endeavor.
The young couple began learning the intricacies of apparel making, researching and sourcing materials, creating various designs, and producing samples in a small storage unit. On Easter Sunday in April 2023, they launched the “Armor of God” website.
Within the first year of launching the business, online sales had grown exponentially and the pair decided to buy a mobile bus and renovate it into a successful pop-up shop. Over the course of six months, Otero and Ramos were able to evangelize through fashion in a variety of locations, their most popular mobile pop-up being in front of two bars in downtown Orlando, where the couple recounts a variety of people walking in and not expecting it to be a “Jesus bus,” but still being curious to learn more.
Throughout recent years, religion has made a large impact on mainstream fashion trends with religious figures and symbols being implemented in high fashion like at the 2018 Met Gala to the emergence of faith-based apparel brands.
While Christian-themed t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies have been around since at least the 70s, says Lynn S. Neal, professor of religious studies at Wake Forest University and author of “Religion in Vogue: Christianity and Fashion in America,” she is still “struck by how many Christian t-shirts I see – I see them going to the airport, around town.”
As the market for faith-based apparel continues to grow in popularity, Neal emphasizes the possibility for longevity, “I think in some way, shape, or form, they can continue to exist especially right now where people want to make their [religious] identity known.”
With the help of online sales and profit made from the mobile bus, the newly wed couple jumped at the rare opportunity to lease an apartment along with a business space — becoming the new home for Armor of God.
They renovated the store on their own, adding the neon blue brand logo on the wall, large stickers of what the Bible describes as the full armor of God, and placed a chalkboard “Prayer Wall” where customers can write requests for prayers.

The storefront, located in the heart of the Mills 50 district of Orlando, drew customers from near and far, largely from social media, where Armor of God has over 75,000 and 87,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, respectively. As a result, the store’s “Grand Opening” drew a total of 310 people, a number that baffled the pair.
“It was like a blur, but it was the best day of our lives. It was amazing, the love and support we got and just continuously keep getting,” said Ramos. “What He’s done in just two years is more than we could have imagined.”
Receiving at least 10 customers in-store each day since opening the storefront and at least one order a day online, Armor of God’s success has impacted the married couple’s lives in all aspects.
“It’s been such a beautiful journey to witness,” said Alondra Pacheco, 26, a longtime friend of the couple. “Every single time I’m walking around, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, they’re wearing my friends’ items!”
“It put food on our plates, a roof over our heads, and paid all of our bills,” said Ramos, “There’s nothing we can complain about.”

Recently, though, the couple had to make a difficult decision. After Hurricane Milton flooded the neighboring apartment, mold exposure made them ill. The pair decided it was time to move out of their apartment, resulting in the loss of their business space.
Nevertheless, they are faithful in God’s plan for their future and are currently awaiting approval for another business space.
During the store’s “Grand Closing,” all customers, including the couple, gathered together as Skylie began praying over the store and its owners, “God, we just thank You for their commitment. They are being led by what You have called them to do and they are not letting anything or anybody stand in their way. We just glorify Your name in Jesus’ name.”
“Amen,” they said in unison.
Through Armor of God, the married couple have been able to share their faith with others, inspiring powerful testimonials and sparking conversations with people that may not share the same beliefs, actively attempting to break a stigma surrounding Christianity.
“We try to be loving to everybody because Jesus calls us to love,” said Otero, “Sometimes you’re the only church somebody might experience and you never know, they can see you and be like, ‘Wow, I want that.’”
Despite facing adversity, Otero and Ramos describe the journey of starting the business as a blessing, always putting God at the forefront and seeing the fruits of their labor as a result.
“We’ve honestly been so blessed and so honored to be in this position to continue to spread the gospel and Jesus’ love through what we wear and through what we do,” Ramos said, “regardless of the profit.”