The breastplate of righteousness

Last week I began writing about the Armor of God found in Ephesians, Chapter 6. The belt of truth was the first thing Christians are instructed to put on as they prepare for spiritual warfare. For decades, I have heard people say that truth is relative. They claim what may be true for some may not be true for others. How can anyone who believes that truth is relative call anyone out for a falsehood? Without a foundation built on truth, the next piece of equipment, the breastplate of righteousness would have no meaning.

The breastplate was a piece of armor a soldier would wear to protect his vital organs. In a spiritual sense, we might say that it is important to guard your heart, which is our seat of emotions. Besides the heart, another organ was considered to have a connection to our feelings. In Greek the word, "splanchna" translates bowels. We may think of gut-wrenching emotions. A soldier without the breastplate connected to the belt might get disemboweled by a blow from a sword. In other words, righteousness will guard our hearts like a breastplate protects vital organs.

It is important to note that the Bible is not referring to self-righteousness. Many people, not just religious churchgoers, become self-righteous when they think more highly of themselves than others. Think about examples of when you might say, "If you are not doing what I am doing, then I am better than you." What often gets lost in many of our causes is what does God think of the issue? The problem is that we cannot make ourselves righteous before God, we need help. Isaiah 64:6 says that our righteousness is like "filthy rags" in God's eyes. Proverbs 14:12 says that when we do what seems right in our own eyes, we end up on the path to destruction.

The breastplate of righteousness is the armor of God. The righteousness that guards our hearts is the "imputed righteousness of Christ." In other words, God sees the perfect sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross and evaluates us based on Jesus' righteousness instead of our own. We often say that Jesus took our place on the cross as our substitute to pay the penalty of our sin. If you have ever told God that you could not do it on your own, the good news is that you do not have to. When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Jesus told us that when he departed the earth, he would send the helper who would be our teacher and our guide (John 14:15-17).

The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Unfortunately, Christians are not always obedient, and they can say and do things that make themselves vulnerable to the devil's attacks. We cannot assume that we are righteous if we are not practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and worship.

A while back, the deacons purchased a bullet proof vest for me. Law enforcement officers wear these vests while on duty. I have heard that sometimes an officer will choose to not wear a vest because of discomfort, especially when the temperature is high. In volatile situations officers need to add more protection such as helmets and shields. Like the breastplate of righteousness, a bulletproof vest does not protect if it is not put on.

We are in a spiritual battle. Christian values are under attack and even the most faithful people are finding it difficult to speak openly about their deeply held religious convictions. The purpose of Paul's admonition is to encourage us to stand firm against opposition. We must not give in to discouragement or defeat. We need the breastplate of righteousness to guard our hearts so that we can show the love of Jesus to a broken world.

God's word assures followers of Christ that we are on the side of truth and justice. Our God rules and reigns and we are his victorious people. Are you a Christian? Romans 10:13 says, "Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved." Trust in the Lord and he will provide his armor.