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.
