“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” – Is. 54:17a
Like most verses on the “Commonly Misused Bible Verses” posts, today’s verse is a popular and familiar one. There’s even a gospel song with this verse in the title. So, surely Christians have a clear grasp of its meaning, right? Well, not exactly. Before we review the meaning of the text, let’s look at the verse with the surrounding verses included (emphasis on v.17a).
(14) In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. (15) Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. (17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
-Is. 54:14-17 KJV
Common (Mis)usage:
Generally, v.17a is applied to Christians as an encouragement to remain strong and steadfast despite opposition because opposition will be unsuccessful. It’s meant to provide comfort to believers so that they can rest assured that even when the “weapon” (a.k.a. opposition) is formed, it can’t harm them because God said it couldn’t in His word. As great as that sounds, this passage, unfortunately, does not support such a concept.
To see how faulty the aforementioned usage is, one need look no further than John the Baptist and most of the NT apostles. We know from Scripture that John the Baptist was beheaded, and whether they used a sword, ax, or other weaponry, the weapon was successful in completing this gruesome act. Most of the NT apostles were believed to be martyred, and, while we don’t know the method of death for each apostle with certainty, we do have biblical grounds for surmising that they, like many people of the faith, were killed by evil forces with weapons as Heb. 11:36-37 indicates.
Basic Context & Meaning:
The most glaring and obvious point to address is this: to whom is the prophet Isaiah speaking and to whom does this message apply?
Isaiah 54 is sandwiched between two chapters that deal with the Suffering Servant (Christ). Chapter 54, however, speaks of Israel’s rejoicing at the prospect of restoration from their desolate state (vv.1-3), encouragement to pursue the Lord because of his faithfulness in spite of their wayward history (vv.4-8), and assurance of God’s merciful peace towards them (vv.9-17). It is in this context that the “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” occurs. Furthermore, the context and some elements of the passage seem to point to a future time after both the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom and the Babylonian captivity of the Southern Kingdom. Regardless, the assurance of v.17a is a result of God’s divine intervention and providence.
In the end, this message of weapons not having a conquering effect is related to God’s chosen people, Israel. The notion regarding weapons not prospering is contrasted with Israel’s many times of being conquered. In this way, Isaiah’s prophetic message is all the more clear: God Almighty will sovereignly make Israel’s future quite different from their past.
Suggested Usage/Application:
Christians should see this verse (v.17a) as a remarkable act of God, one where He graciously ensures Israel’s protection. God’s faithfulness and the actions of the Suffering Servant secure this future time for Israel. It is a reminder to Christians that God is in control of all things, not merely the good and pleasant but also the unpleasant and the wielders of weapons (i.e., He controls the “smiths,” which are blacksmiths and those who create weapons).
As such, Christians can look to God, knowing He is capable of protecting them today, if He so chooses. The are plenty of Scriptures that support God providing for the believers’ ultimate good (cf. Rom. 5:8; Rom. 8:28; Matt. 5:44-45; Jms. 1:17), but Isaiah 54:17a isn’t a promise for absolute protection from earthly harm. The promises of God are plenteous and sure, but we do more harm than good when we wrongly attribute and apply Scripture. Christians are best served when humility is at the forefront and passages like this are rightly applied in faith, for better or worse, regardless of how the text makes us feel.