In Ephesians we read of the armor of God. It speaks of the various parts of the armor of a Roman soldier of the time of Paul, relating each piece to a necessary part of our defense against Satan and his influence. The only offensive weapon is the sword of truth. This is the weapon we use against the lies and deceits of Satan.

Another important piece of a Roman soldier's uniform is not mentioned in Ephesians—the cloak. The cloak was a garment that had many uses for a soldier. It was his barrier against weather, keeping him warm, and his blanket for covering at night. Put together with another, they could form a tent (much the same as the "shelter half" many soldiers in modern times have as part of their equipment), again, providing warmth.

To fight requires a soldier to be fired up—to have hot blood. He must have a zeal for the fight. The dictionary defines zeal as fervor for a person, cause or object; eager desire or endeavor. We also must have zeal, be hot for the truth, in our fight against Satan. The message to the church at Laodicea says Christ wants us to be hot, not lukewarm (Revelation 3:15). If not hot, He would prefer us to be cold.

Isaiah 42:13 says, "The L ord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies" (emphasis added throughout). Here is the picture of a warrior heated up for battle.

Isaiah tells of God's armor, much the same as that described in Ephesians. "For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak" (Isaiah 59:17).

Yes, God wears His zeal as a cloak, and we should have that zeal also. The Roman soldier had his cloak to keep him warm. Our warmth, our cloak, should come from the zeal we have for the Word of God. That zeal needs to include our efforts in the work of the Church, which is, after all, the work of God in this end time. So let's all put on the cloak of zeal.