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 cloke.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head ... Messiah is represented as a warrior armed at all points, going forth to vindicate His people. Owing to the unity of Christ and His people, their armour is like His, except that they have no "garments of vengeance," which is God's prerogative (Romans 12:19), or 'cloak of zeal,' in the sense of judicial fury punishing the wicked: this zeal belongs properly to God (2 Kings 10:16; Romans 10:2; Philippians 3:6). "Zeal," in the sense of anxiety for the Lord's honour, they have (Numbers 25:11; Numbers 25:13; Psalms 69:9; 2 Corinthians 7:11; 2 Corinthians 9:2); and for "salvation," which is of God alone (Psalms 3:8), they have as their helmet "the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8). The "helmet of salvation" is attributed to them (Ephesians 6:14; Ephesians 6:17) in a secondary sense-namely, derived from Him, and as yet only in hope, not fruition (Romans 8:24). The second coming here, as often, is included in this representation of Messiah. His "zeal" (John 2:15-17) at His first coming was but a type of His zeal and vengeance against the foes of God at His second coming (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10; Revelation 19:11-21).