“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
Ephesians 6:10-17 ESV
We all know the armor of God, or at least have heard of it, but do we really intentionally put it on and wear it daily? I personally have a tattoo of it, but even with that physical visual reminder, it is easy for me to go through my days without suiting up spiritually for my daily battles. It’s no wonder I get lost in the sauce of the battle sometimes!
Today, I just want to focus on the breastplate of righteousness. I have always focused on the WEAPONS of warfare which are my sword (the Word) and my shield (faith), but I have never given much thought about the breastplate and the significance of it. It is called the breastplate of righteousness. Well what is the purpose of a breastplate?
The breastplate plate guards the heart. Much like a bulletproof vest, it protects the most vital organs in the body, particularly the heart. If you were to get shot or stabbed in the heart, chances of survival is slim. It is the same with us spiritually. If we are tainted or wounded in the heart, then a healthy spiritual life is impossible!
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Have you ever tried to clean dirty water? Would you dare to drink dirty water? Cleaning dirty water goes through a long involved process before it even remotely safe to drink from. It is the same spiritually. If our heart is tainted, then all we have to draw from in times of need is dirty, tainted water. This is why it is imperative that we guard our hearts to make sure it is and STAYS clean. We need to be able to draw clean water at any given time to remain nourished spiritually. How do we do this? Through righteousness!
See why it is called the breastplate of righteousness? If we do any and everything, through the filter of righteousness, nothing dirty or toxic can creep into our hearts and taint our wells. Now will we make mistakes? Yes because we are humans. That is where the Lord’s grace comes in to be that extra filter for our hearts. However, if we go around intentionally acting in unrighteousness and unplugged from the Vine, then our wellspring of life is vulnerable to whatever elements it is exposed to.
So, let us ALL be intentional in this season in guarding our hearts and wearing our breastplates of righteousness daily. Because if yesterday’s events are any indication, we cannot afford to be caught in warfare unarmed! Love you all!!! Be victorious in this season!!!