Still Water Moments The Armor of God: Breastplate of Righteousness
Ephesians 6: 10-14 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…
The purpose of the breastplate of a soldier’s armor was to protect the abdomen and vital organs from the weapon strikes of arrows, swords, etc. by an enemy during battle. In the spiritual, the breastplate protects the heart as the purpose of the heart is to guide one’s daily life. It is the source of our decisions and actions as stressed in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it". This scripture implies that we must be intentional about safeguarding our hearts from negative influences as they will inform our actions. The term breastplate of righteousness tells us what our hearts, and subsequently our actions, should emit.
To live in a state of righteousness means to reflect the ways of the Father. This includes: showing the love of God, especially to your enemies; walking in humility and integrity; forgiving others; asking God for forgiveness when we sin; asking others for forgiveness; being kind to others; refraining from conducting ourselves in a worldly manner, etc. We have to know of these characteristics before we can exhibit them, and we learn them by studying His word. Psalm 1:1-2 states, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Verse one is an indicator of what can impede upon righteousness, verse two tells us what our intention should be in order to grow in righteousness. To delight in studying His word indicates the want to in learning Him and His ways. I liken this to the excitement one has when they first meet someone they are romantically interested in. One tends to delight in spending time with them, talking on the phone, and perhaps studying their social media posts in order to learn all they can about them. Do we apply such excitement and effort in learning the ways of God?
In studying the word and having it take root in our hearts, we look more and more like Christ and become His ambassadors as what is in our hearts influences our outward actions. In this way we become walking, talking, testimonies of God’s goodness and saving grace. The enemy does not want us to be ambassadors for Christ! Thus, he has declared war on us, and he wants to infiltrate our hearts in order to control the outward actions. We are in control of how we interpret and respond to circumstances and the devil wants to be our biggest influence in those interpretations. The enemy tries to instill negative emotions within us such as unforgiveness, bitterness, distrust in the Lord, etc. via a variety of life circumstances. One danger of these negative emotions is one tends to open the door to others leaving us with several issues to contend with. Jeremiah 17: 9 tells us the heart is deceitful; therefore we are not always aware of what is trying to take root there and the enemy is relentless in trying to plant his ways into our hearts. Our individual life experiences have shaped our hearts and any issues within them- some we may not even recognize are there. Verse 10 of Jeremiah 17 goes on to tell us, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind…”. Therefore, it is imperative to constantly reflect and bring issues of the heart to the Lord to prevent the previously mentioned negative emotions from festering, growing and multiplying. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, and part of that role is enlightening us to potential threats to our hearts. He shows us how our response to or interpretation of a situation may be an indicator of a heart issue that needs healing. However, we only learn these things by taking time to pray, reflect, and listen and take heed to what the Holy Spirit tells us.
Lastly, I think it is important to note that while a full suit of armor provided more coverage, it could be confining. Breastplates were preferred because of the duality of providing protection and mobility. With mobility comes freedom. I liken this to the ability to still have God’s joy and peace in our hearts and minds during war. This level of living only comes with having complete trust in the Lord. A trust that is present when you don’t know when or how a particular trial, or “war” may end but you know God is in control and He will sustain you while working it out for your good and His glory. The joy, peace, and trust in the Lord are direct results of utilizing our breastplates of righteousness. We know these attributes and the spiritual healthiness of our hearts are worth protecting!
Reflection: What negative issues in your present war(s) have the potential to fester in your heart? In what ways are you being intentional about bringing them before the Lord, thus guarding your heart from evil influences? In turn, are you taking the time to listen to what He wants to show you?
