The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. Isaiah 59:15-16
Do you see what Isaiah is saying? God is going to fight for our salvation. He comes to us and He stands with us as our Champion, when we could not break through to Him because of our sin. He comes to deal with the dark powers that lie behind sin and evil.
God is getting ready to fight: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak” (59:17). He dresses for battle. He takes up the armor.
In the New Testament, Paul tells us to “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11). He talks about the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. He got that from Isaiah, and Isaiah tells us that Christ wore this armor when He went into battle for us.
Reflect on what it meant for Christ to bring justice for you: He wore the breastplate of righteousness to give you a righteousness you do not possess. He wore the helmet of salvation to rescue you when you could not save yourself. He wore garments of vengeance to defeat the dark powers that oppressed you, and to give them what they deserve. He dressed in zeal to enter this fight that you could not win, and triumph so that you could not lose.
Philip Ryken speaks about wearing the “hand-me-downs” from Christ’s victory over Satan. Whenever you find yourself in a spiritual battle, you are putting on the armor that Jesus has already worn. Christians wear secondhand armor.
How does knowing that your spiritual armor was already worn by Christ strengthen your confidence for the battles that lie ahead?
