When we think of “putting on the whole armor of God,” we usually associate it with Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, but Paul is actually quoting an Isaiah prophecy:
“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 59:17)
But in a sense, this is quite different from Paul’s epistle. Paul is clearly addressing his “brethren” (and sisters too) and admonishing them to “put on” sacred clothing. In Isaiah, this is God’s clothing. Yet it’s the same sacred clothing. In both references, there is the “breastplate of righteousness” and “the helmet of salvation.”
The breastplate, containing twelve precious stones with the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon the stones, was originally worn by the high priest upon his heart when he went into the holy place of the tabernacle (Exodus 28:29). The high priest was always a symbol of Jesus Christ as a mediator and an advocate with the Father. Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4) into Gethsemane and upon the cross.
God’s clothing represents His vengeance as justice and His zeal as mercy. The words jealous and zealous have the same Hebrew root qânâ, meaning “to possess sensitive and deep feelings.” It implies the desire for an intimate relationship. It’s the deep longing for our heavenly home that we can feel in the temple. In the temple we wear God’s clothing as a symbol of His yearning for us and our yearning for Him.
In God’s justice, He saw that “there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor” (Isaiah 59:16). Thus, He came to our rescue wearing His “helmet of salvation.” He provided a Savior to redeem us.
As we “put on” the whole armor of God, we “put on” Christ. Paul also said, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). In Galatians and Ephesians, the Greek word for “put on” is endýō, meaning “to sink into a garment or to be invested in sacred clothing.” Endýō is the origin of our English word endowment. As we come to the temple and change into sacred clothing, we are “putting off” the natural man and “putting on” Christ.
There is something sacred and special about the authorization to be dressed in the similitude of God. The endowment is literally a gift of clothing with its sacred powers and protection “against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). It’s an invitation to come unto Christ and become like Him.
