When can I first use my God for fighting?

[JonBrave]

(Vanilla SP.) So I decided for once to try fighting with my God from the outset (I tend not to do that).

I take EA Arcoscephale with an awake Titan. Lots of hit points 150-ish, but just 1 protection, 15 defence, approx, I think. She marches off with my starters into independent lands. I think she & they may have won one province, but the next (nothing special, I think, just a number of infantry-types), she gets overwhelmed by the number of attackers, mutiple attack penalty, and all those hit points steadily disappear till death. (I pray for her revival, by the time she's back I can kit her, now she's a lot better at fighting!)

I cannot forge or cast at the outset for any protection etc. --- that would take quite a few turns.

So.... Am I onto a loser here? Is 1-ish protection too low for me to fight indeps with at the outset? Could I have arranged better so that she survived (but I need her to fight, my starting troops alone are not good enough)? Should I give up and stick to sleeping Pretenders so that they have some kit/spell by the time they arrive?