Note: This is part of a video series made in collaboration with Book of Mormon Central.
The Origin of the Armor of God
You may be familiar with the metaphor of the armor of God. You garner spiritual protection by wearing the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shoes of the gospel of peace, and so on. This symbolism can galvanize and motivate us to greater spiritual fortitude. But not as many of us know where this idea comes from. Paul spoke of the armor of God in his epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:13–17) and this idea is repeated again in Doctrine and Covenants 27:15–18. But you may not have realized that this imagery draws from God as a divine warrior in Isaiah 59.
In Isaiah 59, the Lord was distraught that the people of Israel, instead of being a covenant people full of compassion, were acting as oppressors and full of wickedness. When the Lord saw that there was no justice for the oppressed and no advocate for those suffering, the Lord himself stepped in to intervene as a Divine Warrior:
And he saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no intercessor:
therefore his arm brought salvation unto him;
and his righteousness, it sustained him.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and an helmet of salvation upon his head;
and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
and was clad with zeal as a cloak. (Isaiah 59:16–17)
Differences Between the Armor in Ephesians and Isaiah
The passage describes similar elements to the armor of God we’re familiar with in Ephesians. Both passages associate righteousness with a breastplate and salvation with a helmet. But there are a few differences between the two passages that I think can help us understand our role as God’s warriors. Ephesians 6 says,
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:13–17)
The passage in Ephesians talks about girding your loins with truth, while Isaiah describes the Lord putting on garments of vengeance or zeal. Ephesians includes shoes of the gospel of peace. Even though shoes aren’t mentioned in Isaiah 59, this is also imagery that comes from Isaiah. In Isaiah 52:7 it exclaims, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.”
One of the biggest differences I notice in this passage is that Isaiah doesn’t include any weapons. In Ephesians, Paul talks about believers need to wield the sword of the Spirit or the word of God. The Lord apparently doesn’t need any man-made weapons because He has His arm. Several times in Isaiah 59 it talks about the Lord’s hand being stretched out or extended to wield divine power.
God’s Arm of Justice and Mercy
Sometimes we talk about the arm of the Lord as extending mercy. But often in the Old Testament, that same arm—often the right arm—is stretched forth as an instrument of divine justice.[1] Clearly in Isaiah 59, the Lord is using His extended arm as an instrument of His power to invoke his righteous anger on wayward Israel. Interestingly, the Book of Mormon often connects God’s divine justice and destruction with God’s sword. For example, 3 Nephi 29:4 says, “ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand.” So there seems to be some connection between God’s extended right arm and the sword.[2]
Isaiah 59 shows us that when we don the armor of God, we’re not just emulating generic positive qualities, we are more literally emulating God himself, who acts as a Divine Warrior to save his people and bring about justice. By putting on the armor of God, we commit ourselves to be like God in standing up for the oppressed and advocating for justice.
In addition, when we wield the sword of God’s spirit, we represent God and extend His right hand of power. This power can be used to both to defend justice and to extend mercy. In the Book of Mormon, Ammon converted King Lamoni and many of the Lamanites to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of this miraculous conversion the Book of Mormon explains, “the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name” (Alma 19:36).
When we progress on the covenant path, we are endowed with power from on high. This sacred power comes with obligations to care for one another in the covenant community and to draw others unto Jesus Christ. The armor of God is a tangible way that we can visualize both the blessings and obligations of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we emulate God in His armor and extend His mighty hand, we join the fight for justice and do all we can to extend mercy.
Further Reading
Book of Mormon Central, “What Does the Book of Mormon Say about the Armor of God? (2 Nephi 1:23),” KnoWhy 378 (November 2, 2017).
Book of Mormon Central, “Why is the Lord’s Hand “Stretched Out Still”? (2 Nephi 19:12; Isaiah 9:12),” KnoWhy 49 (March 8, 2016).
Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does Jacob Describe God as a Divine Warrior? (2 Nephi 6:17),” KnoWhy 277 (February 20, 2017).
Seely, David Rolph. “The Image of the Hand of God in the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament.” In Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, edited by John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne, 140-150. Provo, UT: FARMS, 1991.
[1] See Exodus 15:6; Psalm 89:25–26; Psalm 98:1; Psalm 108:6; Psalm 118:15–16; Psalm 138:7.
[2] See Alma 26:19; Alma 54:6; Alma 60:29; Helaman 13:5; 3 Nephi 20:20; 3 Nephi 29:4; Ether 8:23.
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