We read about the “armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-18 with the breastplate of righteousness mentioned in verse 13: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
This piece of armor protects our heart....The vital organ that keeps us living.
As Proverbs 4:23 tells us: "Above all else guard your heart; for out of it are the issues of life
"The Word of God calls us to guard our hearts more than anything else and when it says heart
the actual reference is to the inner part of our minds. Indeed, what is in the inner part of our
minds, what is in our hearts, determines "the issues of life". No wonder, therefore, that it is
exactly this part at which Satan aims his darts. If his darts manage to pierce the heart i.e. the
inner part of our being, then this is exactly what he wants. Jesus’s perfect righteousness is
what covers our hearts, and that is what God sees when he looks at us. This means we must
choose to live God’s way...We will not be protected if we deliberately walk outside the ways
and will of God. We must make the decision every day to live a righteous life- not in our own
strength, but by the When we use the breastplate of righteousness, we must first come to
accept that righteousness doesn’t come from good works (Isaiah 64:6). It doesn’t matter how
often we attend church, how much community service we do, or how often we read the Bible.
If we don’t walk the path God has set before us to walk, our “good works” have no value. That being
said, once saved, God does give us the Holy Spirit to steer us in the way of righteousness, away
from sin.
Like all other pieces of the armor of God, they can only come from our Savior. We cannot somehow create the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, or the helmet of salvation, from our own volition. The breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus in us. It protects our heart from any mortal wounds and assures us that the enemy can never destroy us because of sin. Righteousness, which is the perfect holiness of Christ, comes from God alone. Righteousness is to be right in God’s eyes. In essence, perfect living. To flee from the snares of temptation and sin Satan has set up and to follow God’s plan for our lives. Whenever we enter the battlefield, Satan will attempt to pierce our most vulnerable areas. Therefore, God arms us with the breastplate of righteousness to prevent Satan from delivering a fatal blow. For example, Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” This verse says if we harbor anger it is sin. The Breastplate focuses on the process of sanctification. Righteousness entails making a choice to regularly engage with scripture and spend time with God. Therefore, when we encounter temptations and doubts on the battlefield, we come fully equipped to combat them, with the armor of God. When we continually put on the breastplate of righteousness, we secure it with the belt of truth, to keep the breastplate in place. The belt of truth comes from God. We learn about Truth himself and ignore the half-truths of this world that come from Satan. Once we have the breastplate of righteousness in place, we can combat the snares Satan has set up for us that attempt to veers us away from the path of right living in God’s eyes. We can get right with God any time when we confess and repent of our sins. Do NOT let the enemy have any ground upon which he can accuse you. Choose to say, Lord, show me anything in me that is NOT right in your eyes so I can confess it because I want to live your way!
So we put on the breastplate of righteousness by doing three things daily:
1. Humbling ourselves
2. Discarding our fleshy achievements as dung
3. Looking at ourselves as nothing but extensions of God
With a proper perspective of our sinful state, while remaining connected to the Spirit of Christ, we can walk in his righteousness, and be protected from the jabs of the enemy. People can falsely accuse us, bring up our murky past, reject us, but it will never penetrate our souls because they’re hitting Christ—he’s taking the hits for us. Let’s put on the breastplate of righteousness. Once we have put on the breastplate of righteousness, we must be sure not to remove it. Ezekiel 33:13 shows that wearing righteousness is not a one-time event; rather, it requires a lifetime of action. So, we must walk in the armor so we can stand firm against the enemy, and become “ride or die” saints.
My Prayer for us is, Lord help me to put on the breastplate of righteousness that protects me from the enemy’s attacks. I know it is YOUR righteousness in me that protects me, but I also know I must not neglect to put on YOUR righteousness like a bulletproof vest by doing what is right in YOUR eyes. Reveal to me thought, attitudes and habit of my heart that are not pleasing to you. Show me what I have done, or am about to do, that does not glorify you. I want to see anything in me that violates your high standards for my life so I can confess it, turn away from it and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. In Jesus's name, I pray, Amen.
