Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour 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 armour 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 round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. 

The first piece of the full armor of God described by Paul was the belt of truth, which we studied previously. Today, our focus will be on the breastplate of righteousness, which protected the vital organs of the Roman soldier's body. The heart and lungs are no less significant for us as Christians than for Roman soldiers of Biblical times. Since we know we are not talking about an actual breastplate, what are we referring to in this scripture? The protection that righteousness provides to us on a daily basis. To be righteous is to be in divine will. That is, to live according to the laws of God. We do our best to live in such a way and when we fail to do so, we know we must repent our sins to God. This was the reason Jesus died for us -- to forgive us for our sins. 

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (NIV) Here we see that the wellspring is the source and beginning of all life. In Philippians 4:7 we read, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV) In other words, although we are in battle and we may not know the reason, we go with the peace of God. We know our hearts and minds are guarded in Christ Jesus. He is our protection, our breastplate of righteousness, in essence. As such, He guards our hearts and minds, which we know to be closely connected.

The breastplate of righteousness also protects the lungs. According to Genesis 2:7,  Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Likewise, we read in Job 33:4: The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The Bible affirms the importance of our lungs. Without breath, we have no life.

Therefore, we must protect our vital organs by donning the full armor of God every day. Why every day? Because we know the dark forces of this world are not on holiday. They assert themselves into our lives whenever, however and where ever they can. We have the authority through the power of God to withstand those attacks. It is our responsibility, since God's word tells us the importance of doing so, to put on the whole armor of God to keep ourselves protected. If we give evil an inch, it will surely take miles of liberty with our lives. That is why we stand our ground and stand firm. We do not turn and run in fear. There is no need to be afraid, because we stand firm in the might of the Lord. We know this is a spiritual battle and our enemy uses us to get to our Creator.

Father God, Let us always remember the price you paid with the life of your precious Son, Jesus. On our behalf, He suffered and bore the burden of our sins, because we are human and totally incapable of doing that for ourselves. Thank you for your love, your mercy and grace and for listening to us as we repent for our sins. Embolden us in your power, Lord, through the gifts of your written word, your living Word, your Holy Spirit and our ability to prepare ahead of time for each day by putting on the full armor. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all of these gifts and for hearing our prayers and showing us through the example of your Son how we can live and best overcome the issues we deal with in everyday life. In the precious name of Jesus of Nazareth, I pray, and by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.