The Breastplate Of Righteousness - Armor of God

“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.” (Ephesians 6:13-14, ESV)

I remember the first time someone said, “He walks just like you!” My son was three and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Then my wife showed me a video of us walking side by side and I thought, “they’re right!” His head was cocked, the sway of his arms had his hands slightly turned, and his open-toed gait looked just like me. Geneticists and psychologists can debate the whole nature/nurture thing, but either way his walk was my walk.

The apostle Paul talks a lot about the way we walk in Ephesians. He kicks off chapter four by exhorting us to “walk in a manner worthy of our calling” (4:1) as God’s children. We’re to walk differently than those who don’t call God, Father (4:17). Our walk is to be characterized by love (5:2), and light (5:8), and wisdom (5:15). And when we walk this way the world sees our Father.

A beautiful truth about this walk is that it is both a nature and a nurture thing (psychologists may disagree, but theologians don’t). In Christ we are “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:24). We have a new walk because we have a new nature. We are righteous because of Christ’s righteousness. But we also need to nurture that walk. We need to act righteously. We are to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life” (4:22) and “put on the breastplate of righteousness” (6:14). This entails an ever-increasing sense of God’s gift of righteousness in Christ (nature) and an ever-growing moral integrity (nurture).

This “breastplate of righteousness” metaphor Paul uses is an allusion to the prophet Isaiah, who portrayed God as the Divine Warrior. He “put on righteousness as a breastplate” (Isaiah 59:17) to overcome unrighteousness and rescue his people. We have been rescued by his righteousness and now we are to join the fight against unrighteousness by doing what is “good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9). In so doing, we not only point people to our Heavenly Father, we also “stand against the schemes of the devil” (6:11).

When God’s children walk like Him, they fill neighborhoods and nations with love and light and wisdom.

May this be our prayer today:
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14)

Lord, I pray that you help me to have an ever-growing understanding, appreciation, and gratitude for the gracious gift of righteousness you’ve given me in, and through, Christ. I pray the righteousness I’ve received will motivate me and strengthen me to live a life of moral integrity, worthy of my calling as your child. In Jesus’ name, amen.