Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Prepared - Part 3


 Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  Ephesians 6:14


This week we are investigating Paul’s comparison of a Christian in spiritual warfare to a Roman soldier prepared for physical combat.  Today’s piece of God’s well-dressed warrior is the breastplate of God’s righteousness, the Body Armor.

In His sermon on the Mount of Olives Jesus said we would be blessed if we hunger and thirst after righteousness.  He said we should seek the righteousness of the Kingdom of God first, and worry about material things later.[1] 

What is this righteous condition?  The word “righteousness” or “justice” comes from a basic verb which means to show.  In a religious sense or application it means to stand before God with your heart open and on display.  There is nothing hidden, God can inspect you.  Is that a comfortable idea?  David prayed: 

 

Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me.  Psalms 139.23-24a

Each of us has (at least) a few things in our life that, if they became public, would cause us shame.  Even if not public, we struggle with the self-shaming guilt that knows we offend God.  How do I know that?  I don’t have a crystal ball; I’m not reading your mail, or hiring a private investigator to spy on you.  I simply have a human heart…and I read God’s Word that tells me all about me…and you.  God knows the flesh lives inside us all.  Most of us know from experience (and the rest of us could guess from sheer human intuition) that it is not a wonderful prospect to stand before a righteous and holy God without some super-asbestos holy shield to protect us from judgment. 

The breastplate, or body armor, covers the vital core organs, heart, lungs, and kidneys.  Having a breastplate of righteousness means your heart has been cleansed, you’ve been forgiven of sin and made to stand righteous, openly on show for God.  When it's like that, beloved, Satan’s darts are way out of range. 

A fellow Christian once accused me of being uncaring and cold towards him and his family.  He then widened it to include the whole church (and probably the whole of Western civilization!).  I told him he misunderstood me, but that I would pray for God to help me understand.  I did go to prayer, and while God affirmed to my heart that I really did care for and love this brother and his family, there were some other things in that area that needed my attention.  When I shared this with the brother, I could stand with the breastplate of righteousness.  I had stood honestly before God.  Satan could not use this rift of understanding to break that church apart.  He tries to do that, you know.  A wise believer will put on the breastplate and have a clean heart before God.

For You Today

Just as David opened his heart to God’s inspection with a confession that he needed holy, omniscient eyes to inspect every crease, crevice, and hiding spot of darkness in him, we must also be that transparent in our walk with God.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and Other Images:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©   

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