1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
Study Note
Study Note
The 'breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation' adapts Isaiah 59:17 — where God himself dons armour for the day of eschatological battle — and applies the divine warrior's armour to believers who live in the overlap of the ages. The triad of faith, love, and hope, already introduced in 1:3 as the Thessalonians' defining characteristics, here becomes the spiritual equipment for sober vigilance in the present evil age. The partial parallel in Ephesians 6:10-17 elaborates the armour metaphor at length, but the Thessalonians text is chronologically earlier and likely represents Paul's first deployment of the divine-warrior tradition. The verse shapes the militaristic language of Christian spiritual formation that runs from Ignatius through the medieval miles Christianus to Bunyan's Holy War.
Other Translations
But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
and we, being of the day--let us be sober, putting on a breastplate of faith and love, and an helmet--a hope of salvation,
But let us, who are of the day, be serious, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and on our heads, the hope of salvation.
Cross References
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within …
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on …
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and …
For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting …
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth …
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is …
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us …