But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
8 Having put on the breastplate. He adds this, that he may the more effectually shake us out of our stupidity, for he calls us as it were to arms, that he may shew that it is not a time to sleep.
Faith, hope, and love, are the three pre-eminent graces (Th1 1:3; Co1 13:13). We must not only be awake and sober, but also armed; not only watchful, but also guarded. The armor here is only defensive; in Eph 6:13-17, also offensive. Here, therefore, the reference is to the Christian means of being guarded against being surprised by the day of the Lord as a thief in the night.
Verse 8. But let us who are of the day, be sober. Temperate, as men usually are in the day-time. Putting on the breast-plate of faith and love. This is a favourite comparison of the apostle Paul. See it explained at length . And for an helmet, the hope of salvation. . (c) "breast-plate of faith"