Ephesians 6:14b

The breastplate of righteousness is the second piece of armor that Paul tells us to put on as we face the spiritual battles of life against our great enemy, Satan. A soldier, to keep his vital organs and bowels protected, would wear a breastplate of armor. Without this piece of armor, one simple blow could end his life if the impact damaged enough of these vital organs. In order for a Christian to spiritually put on the breastplate of righteousness, we need to walk in the righteousness that we have been given by Christ Jesus.

Much of the enemy’s battle strategy is to get inside our minds, to stir up false emotions, and tempt us to act on these lies or false premises. In Jewish tradition, the heart represented the mind and the will, while the bowels were the source of feelings. Hence, the breastplate is to protect those very vital areas.

For us to spiritually protect our mind and our emotions against the enemy, we must stand and walk in the righteousness that Christ has imparted to us. We must make the decision to obey the Lord and His Word because He has given us the power to do so. The minute we try and fight in our own righteousness or believe that Christ’s righteousness isn’t enough for us, we leave our mind and feelings vulnerable for attack and we lose. But when, by faith, we put on that righteousness that has been freely given to us at a great cost to our Lord, we can go into the battle with great confidence!

Pastor Jason Witt