I've always pictured the warrior as the one who "gets the job done". The armour is functional but not necessarily symbolic (as it is for paladins, dread knights and inquisitors). It may be old and worn, but it will be well cared for because to a career warrior his equipment comes first - in the field you'll sharpen your sword before seeing to your own wounds, you never know when it could save your life. Symoblism may come in if he is fighting for an army and is wearing their colours or emblem.
In the end, I guess my view of warriors is of bluntness embodied in the phrase "if it moves, hit it 'til it stops"
We're not fighting for some higher cause as decreed by the gods - we're fighting for ourselves, our country, our friends, our loved ones or our principals...
A warrior is not a religious mouthpiece or enforcer, a warrior simply
is.