I have always read Ephesians 6, the bit about the armour of God, in a very defensive context:
The enemy is attacking and if you want to survive this battle, you need to don the full armour of God as quickly as possible. We have a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, sandals of the Gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and a sword of the spirit. All this provided so that we might resist (Greek: “stand against”) the enemy and stand our ground.
But then I came across Isaiah 59.
Now, it’s not like I haven’t read it before, I have, many times. But this time the Holy Spirit revealed something new, and as usual, it was like a grenade going off in my theological library, it completely upended what I saw when I read Ephesians 6.
Let’s take a look.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
Isaiah 59:15-17 (emphasis mine)
God Himself puts on armour. We see here the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness. Just like we do in Ephesians 6. However, there is a distinct difference: God doesn’t need armour. He is obviously not putting on the armour to provide protection. God is putting on the armour as a statement of intent and a display of purpose. “I am putting on the helmet of salvation so that those who see me will see I am working judgement as part of effecting salvation and that it is motivated by righteousness.” Wearing the helmet of salvation is a way of showing He is undertaking the role of saviour. (Interesting side note, “salvation” in this verse is the Hebrew word יְשׁוּעָה yᵉšûʽâ, hmm…)
The important thing to note here is that this verse describes the Lord taking the initiative, going on the offensive. God saw that no one was intervening in the mess, so He decided to do something about it. He donned His armour and went to war.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (emphasis mine)
Now, we all know the apostle Paul was a religious scholar, we know he was very, very familiar with Scripture, so it cannot be that he wrote Ephesians 6 without Isaiah 59 in the back of his mind. So we are forced to revise the apparently defensive nature of the struggle described in Ephesians 6. I know, Paul writes, “Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
But could it be that the kind of stand Paul was referring to was the opposite of the defensive cowering behind our shield lest we be afflicted by the flaming arrows of the enemy? Could it be that standing your ground is a victorious representation of a city set on a hill, a beacon of hope and light for all, not hidden under a basket (or behind a shield)?
Could it be that, as the rampaging God of the universe had salvation foremost on His mind (wearing it as a helmet), we could also put on the mindset of a saviour? Not that we are those who save, but that we are concerned with saving the lost through the bringing of the Gospel?
Could the act of putting on the helmet of salvation be referring to assuming a purpose, instead of protecting our mind from the enemy?
Is Paul reflecting this mindset in verse 19, when he writes: “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.“
Here is the crux of the matter: Are we trying to simply survive the attacks of the enemy, or are we consumed with the purpose of the Saviour?
Am I thinking, “I am saved, I am saved, I am saved,” every time I feel the enemy attacking me, or does the enemy see a warrior of God with salvation on his mind?