Welcome back to another episode of The Gospel According To, where we interpret the meaning of impactful book, movie, and song quotes using Scripture. This week, I wanted to reflect on one specific description of Katniss’ Mockingjay armor that has always been one of my favorites, specifically because of the way it relates to the famous Armor of God passage in Ephesians 6. Enjoy!!
Fandom: The Mockingjay Armor
Verses: Ephesians 6:13-18, Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 139:5, Romans 1:11-12, Psalm 119:11, Ephesians 6:12
Nugget: the armor that God equips us with when we put our faith in Christ is more than adequate and is specifically tailored to our own hearts and experiences.
The Horizontal View: An amazing gift from Cinna
One of the strengths of the Hunger Games book series is Suzanne Collins’ description of clothing and food, and the Mockingjay armor that Cinna designed for Katniss is no exception. Here’s the specific quote I’m thinking of:
“I turn the pages slowly, seeing each detail of the uniform. The carefully tailored layers of body armor, the hidden weapons in the boots and belt, the special reinforcements over my heart. On the final page, under a sketch of my mockingjay pin, Cinna’s written, I’m still betting on you.”
– Katniss, Mockingjay
I can’t help but picture the attention to detail that went into the design of this armor, which Cinna clearly intended to take Katniss to victory against Snow and the Capitol. Not only that, but he also believes that she is capable and ready to do so, and it is this belief that leads Katniss to accept her role as the symbol of the rebellion. As he has done several times before, Cinna has given Katniss more than an outfit to wear; he’s given her confidence and ability to carry out her mission.
But what happens when we consider the parts of the Mockingjay armor alongside the Armor of God described in Ephesians 6?
The Vertical View: The Armor of God
Let’s start this discussion by reading through the entire passage that describes the so-called Armor of God in detail:
“Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one; and take up the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”
Ephesians 6:13-18 ESV
That’s a lot of pieces! The number of sermons, books, and articles written about the Armor of God are innumerable. With the help of some notes from one such sermon, let’s try to break it down a little:
Belt of truth – the foundation
The first piece of armor is known as the belt of Truth. This is the foundation of all the other pieces; it holds the rest of the armor together.
Randy Odom (the CEO of the camp I work at in the summertime) defined truth as “Facts that correspond with God’s reality.” We become aware of these facts through the written-down Word of God, which is literally words that God spoke an humans wrote down.
So cool how our great, immense, incomprehensibly huge God made Himself comprehensible to our tiny human brains in a way that would lead us to Him. But that’s a story for another day. What I really want to say here is that, because the truth of God’s Word is the foundation of the rest of the armor, there is no way to be victorious against the Enemy without it.
Breastplate of righteousness – behind and before
The next piece of the Armor of God is the Breastplate of Righteousness. Randy Odom noted that the Roman soldier’s breastplate, which Paul, the author of this passage, used as a reference, was individually tailored to fit their heart and back. Sound familiar? Carefully tailored layers of body armor… 🤩🔥🏹
I also love how this historical fact ties in with an earlier Bible verse:
“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”
Psalm 139:5 ESV
This verse describes climbing a steep incline and being reassured that you’re protected from falling on one side and have the path cleared ahead of you as well. In terms of armor, this means that God’s righteousness provides coverage for both the past and the future. My favorite quote from the sermon I heard supports this:
“When you place your faith in Jesus, God doesn’t just see you as though you’ve never sinned; He sees you as though you’ve always obeyed.”
Randy Odom, Kids Across America
He also notes that our horizontal action towards others should by motivated by vertical, God-given righteousness. We should be careful not to let anything other than God be the source of our righteousness. No sewing together of “good” things for me; all God, all the time.
Shoes of the gospel of peace – well fitted, not hand-me-downs
On another occasion, Katniss both complains about the hand-me-down, ill-fitting shoes she inherited upon moving to District 13, and marvels at the impeccable fit of the shoes Cinna designed for her. I think that this serves as a metaphor for the kind of Gospel each of us is carrying to our people.
In some cases, and especially in the United States, many of us are wearing the hand-me-down shoes of the Christianity we’ve inherited from our parents or grandparents. This influence is good for us, but doesn’t quite fit completely, and I think it’s a large part of the reason so many people eventually drift away from the faith. In some cases, this hand-me-down faith can even cause problems, as individuals accept beliefs that don’t line up with Scripture as their own without questioning, considering, and deciding what’s true for themselves. That part goes back to the idea that the Word of Truth is absolutely essential to the Armor.
On the other hand, having a living faith built on truth and personal experience or testimony is like wearing shoes that have been specifically designed both for your feet and for the terrain you’ll encounter. As the Word of Truth takes root in your heart, the Gospel you give to the people in your life becomes better fitting for your own heart and for the situations you might encounter. And the more faith-building events you encounter, the more closely aligned you are with the Word, the more “tailored” your shoes become. This doesn’t mean that the truth changes, but rather that your heart and mind are transformed to a better level of understanding and articulation of the truth you knew from the beginning.
Want more Hunger Games-related content? You’ll love these posts!
- The Hunger Games OST – “Dark Days”: Love will see us through.
- The Gospel According to The Hunger Games: All the Times Suzanne Collins Taught Us About Jesus
- The Hunger Games: Radiant as the sun.
- The Gospel According to The Hunger Games: Only Hope is Stronger Than Fear
Shield of faith – coverage for all parts
In reference to the Shield of Faith, Randy Odom noted that “our cynicism holds us back more often than our sin; we don’t believe that God is big enough to hold us.” I have been especially susceptible to this in the past couple of months, as a major disappointment has led me to question God’s will and ability to guide and direct my life, as well as my own ability to listen and hear from Him. Faith, however, means completely and total reliance or dependence on God. In order to truly put my faith in God, I have to give up any faith I once had in myself. Easier said than done, for sure, and something I struggle with constantly.
Randy also described the formation Roman soldiers performed in which a group turned their shields outward on all sides to protect from the arrows of the enemy. in the same way, building community is another essential part of wearing and using the armor of God.
“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you– that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Romans 1:11-12 ESV
Helmet of salvation – security and stability
Topping off (hehe) the Armor of God is the Helmet of Salvation. We often think of salvation as the one-time event in which we place our faith in Jesus and cross from death to life, but it can actually refer both to the initial, progressive, and eternal phases of reconciliation with God. In other words, we are saved once, permanently, then spend the rest of our lives on earth seeking to become more like Christ, and finally reach our goal in eternity. It makes sense then, that doubting your salvation leads to an easy defeat, and the most common source of doubt is our minds. Hence the helmet of salvation 😎
Sword of the Spirit – hidden weapons
This one has another super-cool, almost-identical parallel with the Hunger Games Mockingjay Armor. Katniss describes the hidden weapons in the boots and belt, perfect for moments of tight hand-to-hand conflict with the enemy. In past battles, she often had to switch between her bow and arrows and a different weapon, often stashed in her quiver, in order to fight at both close and long range. Her weapons, hidden away until needed, came to her aid when she was in a tight place.
In the same way, the Word of God is the only offensive weapon listed as part of the Armor in Ephesians 6. Randy described it as two different things: a logos, which is the spoken, undeniable, absolutely true Word found in the Bible, and rema, which is a specific word of prophecy provided to believers for a specific moment and circumstance. It is impossible to have a true rema, he said, without knowing the logos. Once again, we return to the importance of knowing the Word in order to be victorious over the Enemy. the part where Katniss’ Mockingjay armor comes in is found in the Psalms:
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Psalm 119:11 NIV
Boom! Hidden weapons used in the warfare described earlier in this chapter of Ephesians, in which “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 ESV
Praying at all times – special heart reinforcements
This piece of the Armor isn’t always discussed, but it is one of the most important. For Katniss, the reinforcements placed over her heart were an especially notable part of the Mockingjay armor. For us, prayer is a vital part of life as a Christian. The goal of prayer is to know the heart of God and to give Him every part of ourselves, bringing about deeper relationship and surrender to Him. As a result, our heart, which is perhaps the most vulnerable spiritually as well as physically, is better protected when we pray constantly.
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Proverbs 4:23 ESV
I hope you’ve enjoyed this comparison of the Mockingjay Armor with the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6. If you did, please let me know what you think. How has the armor of God helped you live life as a Christian? Are there any other famous suits of armor that we could compare to understand it even better??
Happy fangirling!
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