ὁπλίζω (hoplizō)
hoplizō
to arm
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb hoplizō means to arm or equip someone for battle, drawing directly from the noun hoplon, which refers to weapons or armor. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in 1 Peter 4:1, where Peter urges believers to "arm yourselves" with the same attitude that Christ had.
While the word typically describes physical preparation for war, here it is used metaphorically. The source material highlights a comparison to classical Greek usage, where one might speak of arming one’s mind or understanding. This suggests that the call to action is internal and mental as much as it is spiritual, requiring a deliberate shift in perspective.
Christians have understood this passage to mean that believers should adopt the mindset of Christ, particularly His willingness to suffer for righteousness. By viewing suffering through the lens of Christ’s example, the experience becomes less about personal defeat and more about faithful endurance. This mental preparation serves as spiritual armor, enabling believers to stand firm against temptation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word hoplizō calls us to deliberate preparation. In 1 Peter 4:1, believers are urged to arm themselves with the same mindset as Christ. This is not about physical weapons but a spiritual stance. It invites us to view suffering through the lens of His example, turning pain into faithful endurance.
This mental shift acts as armor against temptation. When we adopt Christ’s willingness to suffer for righteousness, our perspective changes. We stop seeing hardship as defeat and start seeing it as an opportunity for growth. This preparation strengthens our resolve to stand firm in faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- do arm yourselves with,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὁπλίσασθε,1×
Key Verses
-
I Peter 4:1
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
This is the only New Testament occurrence of hoplizō, where Peter uses it metaphorically to urge believers to adopt Christ's mindset toward suffering.