We Are At War: The Shield of Faith

Tags

A Measure of Faith, Ephesians 5:25-27, Ephesians 6:16, Fiery darts, Rick Renner, Roman Military Shield, Roman scutum, Roman Shield, Romans 10:17, Romans 12:3, Scutum, Spiritual Warfare, taking up the shield of faith, the Shield of Faith, what is faith

Here are some things we have learned so far about Ephesians 6.

*We are war.

*The combat is up close and personal and very real.

-The battle is unseen

-The battle is spiritual

-The battle is mostly in the mind

*God has equipped us.

-A showy, impenetrable helmet

-An ornate, indispensable belt

-A small but deadly sword

Ephesians 6:16

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

The Make of the Roman Shield

The ancient Roman shield of Jesus’ day was called a scutum (plural scuti). A scutum was a semi-cylindrical, rectangular shape, was four feet tall, two and half feet wide, and weighed around twenty pounds. The Roman shield was made of several components including wood, several woven together layers of leather that became so strong it was nearly like steal (Rick Renner, “Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/), canvas, iron edging, and a central feature or “boss” was made of iron, bronze or brass, (“Roman Gladius and Scutum: Carving Out An Empire” http://www.historynet.com/roman-gladius-and-scutum-carving-out-an-empire.htm). Interestingly enough, the scutum covered most of the soldier’s body. Furthermore, “The word “shield” is the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to depict an oblong door that was wide in width and long in length. The reason Roman soldiers used this word to describe their battle shields was that their shields were actually door-shaped! They were wide in width and long in length, just like the door of a house,” (Rick Renner, “Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/).

The Use of the Roman Shield

The scutum was not wielded like any other shield, for it was too large to be maneuvered quickly. Most importantly, it was not merely defensive, but was first and foremost, used offensively. The Roman soldier did not wait for the enemy on the field to advance to him. After getting close to the enemy, volleys of pila were thrust at them. Pila were javelins that would stick in an opponent’s shield rendering it difficult to wield (“The Shield: An Abridged History of It’s Use and Development” http://myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html). It was then that the Roman soldier would charge forward with shield stretched out directly in front of him, his left arm straight and set. With the shield he would ram his enemy, knocking him off guard and possibly off of his feet. After doing this, the Roman soldier would could use the metal edges of his shield to hack at his opponent. If hacking was not an option for whatever reason, the Roman soldier would thrust his shield into the ground and fight from behind it, either in a crouching or kneeling position.

The Preparation of the Shield

Because the shield to the Roman soldier was of utmost importance offensively and defensively, he daily set aside time to oil its leather. After all, if leather gets dry, it cracks, and one does not want a faulty shield, especially when your life is at stake.

On top of this, before a battle, they would saturate their shield with water. This of course would make it heavier. So, why would they do this?

The opponents often had arrows they would shoot in the direction of the Roman advancement. Sometimes they were just ordinary arrows, and therefore, harmless so long as one held up their shield. Other times the ends of the arrows were set on fire so that when they hit their mark a fire would kindle. And then there were the insidious arrows which only appeared to be ordinary arrows but were filled with explosive material that would explode into fire as soon as the target was met (https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/). However, when any type of arrow (ordinary, fiery, or deceptively explosive) met the Roman’s saturated shield, the arrow fizzled and could not do the damage it was intended to do.

For this reason, it was imperative that the Roman soldier prepare his shield daily with oil, and with water before battle.

The Verse: Why “Above All”?

Now, to the Christian, the shield that we wield is that of faith. And according to the Apostle Paul Christians are to “Above all,” take it up. “Above all” however, does not mean that it is more important than the rest of the armor nor that it should be held onto more than the others nor to be chosen above the others. “The phrase “above all” is taken from the Greek phrase epi pasin. The word epi means over. The word pasin means all or everything. So rather than stating that the shield of faith is more important than the other pieces of armor, the phrase epi pasin describes the position faith should have over the other pieces of armor. It could be better translated, “Out in front of all….” or “Covering all….”” (Rick Renner, “Take Up Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/). In other words, the shield is not to be at our side or on the ground or in a closet or in another state. The shield is to be directly in front of us, covering all of us as well as covering most of the other armor that we are wearing. It is to cover all.

The Verse: What Does “Taking” Mean?

When Paul says, ““…Taking the shield of faith….” the word “taking” is from the word analambano, which is a compound of the Greek words ana and lambano. The word ana means up, back, or again; the word lambano means to take up or to take in hand. When compounded together, it means to take something up in hand or to pick something back up again. This plainly means your shield of faith can be either picked up or laid down. It places the responsibility on you as to whether you will use your shield of faith or allow yourself to go through life unprotected,” (Rick Renner, “Take Up Your Shield of Faith” ).

The Rest of the Verse

“…wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

When it says Christians “shall be able” this is not just an ordinary word. It sounds rather stale or limp actually, “shall be able”. But, incredibly it comes from the word dunamis. You all know what dynamite is. Dynamite is an explosive, and explosive dynamite gets its name from this word dunamis. Perhaps a better way to translate what Paul said is ““Above all, taking the shield of faith, by which you will be dynamically empowered.…” (“Here’s How to Extinguish the Fiery Darts” https://renner.org/heres-how-to-extinguish-the-fiery-darts-of-the-wicke/).

Think about that! Christians are explosively, dynamically empowered by this shield of faith.

Practical Application

So…what does this mean for us as Christians? What does God want us to learn from this information? And how do we apply it?

To begin with, the Lord has given us a unique, body sized, door shaped shield. It is large enough to completely cover us if it is held directly in front. It is not just a defensive weapon, but is really our first line of offense. But, in order for it to work for us, we must take care of it. First of all we must oil our faith daily. How do we do that? In the Bible oil is most often associated with the Holy Spirit, and it says in Ephesians 5:18 that we are to be freshly filled with the Holy Spirit over and over and over again. It says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…” In the Greek this being filled is a continuous, ongoing thing. So we need our faith to be oiled by the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, we must saturate our faith. But what are we to saturate it with? Questions? Fears? Doubts? In Ephesians 5:25-27 the Apostle Paul has already given us the answer to this question by saying, “…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Thus, we see that the way we get a saturated faith is through the “washing of water by the word.” Indeed, we can’t even really have faith without the word. As Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So we need our faith to be saturated with the word of God.

Remember, if our shield of faith is not oiled, it will crack and ultimately bring about certain death. We are in a very real battle with an enemy who is out to “steal, kill, and destroy” us. This is not a game. Furthermore, our shield of faith must be saturated with the word of God or else the deceptive fiery darts of the enemy will hit us and set us on fire. Without the water of God’s word we cannot “quench” those deadly darts.

And finally, we as Christians must daily choose to take up the shield of faith and charge into battle. Remember, the Roman soldier did not saunter; he did not casually walk into battle. He charged. He meant business. The well-oiled, water saturated shield is our first offensive weapon. It knocks our enemy off guard; it gives us a foothold on the battlefield. And it covers us completely. Not one of us is lacking in faith. Not one of us has too little faith or needs to increase in faith, for according to Romans 12:3 God has given each of us a measure of faith. And that measure is perfectly proportioned to each of us, and covers us exactly where each of us needs it. All we need do is take it up and use it.

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Here is a list of other links from the series, “We Are At War”:

We Are At War: The Renewing of the Mind

We Are At War: Shoes of Peace

We Are At War: The Breastplate of Righteousness

We Are At War: The Belt of Truth

We Are At War: Helmet of Salvation

We Are At War: The Sword of the Spirit

Sources:

“Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith”

https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/

“Take Up Your Shield of Faith”

https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/

“Here’s How to Extinguish the Fiery Darts”

https://renner.org/heres-how-to-extinguish-the-fiery-darts-of-the-wicke/

“Three Kinds of Ancient Roman Shields”

http://madefrom.com/history/antiquity/kinds-of-ancient-roman-shields/

“Armor”

https://romanmilitary.net/tools/armor/

“The Shield: An Abridged History of It’s Use and Development”

http://myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html

“Shields: Terminology and History”

http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/Kent/shieweap/shgenex3.html

“Roman Gladius and Scutum: Carving Out An Empire”

http://www.historynet.com/roman-gladius-and-scutum-carving-out-an-empire.htm

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We Are At War: Shoes of Peace

Tags

Ephesians 6, Ephesians 6:15, Hobnailed caligae, Jehovah Shalom, Killer shoes, Rick Renner, Roman Military Shoes, Shoes of Peace, Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Spiritual Warfare, Stefani Hoss, what is peace

We have been learning that we are at war with an unseen enemy. We are in hand to hand combat with an enemy that wants to destroy us, but we have been empowered by God so that we can withstand all orderly methods/strategies of the enemy no matter what level that enemy is whether “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (verse 12). The empowering that we have received from the Lord is in the form of armor, and is composed of pieces, of which we are to take up the “whole” armor of God, not just one piece or two. These pieces include: the helmet, the breastplate, the belt, the shield, the sword, and the shoes.

Review

Let’s review the pieces of armor that we have covered so far, namely the helmet, the belt, the shield and the sword.

The Helmet:

The helmet was flashy, showpiece that was also durable, weighty and an impenetrable protection against the battle axes of the enemy. This is a picture of our salvation: Impenetrable and ornate. The helmet of our salvation is there to protect our thinking, for we have been given the mind of Christ. The helmet is one of wholeness, security, right thinking, renewal, a shield from destructive mindsets and emotions. It is a helmet that enables us to change our form and be transfigured from the earthly to the spiritual, from darkness to light.

The Shield:

The well-oiled, water-saturated shield is our first offensive weapon. Thus, is our faith. Our faith is offensive not defensive. It knocks our enemy off guard; it gives us a foothold on the battlefield. Remember, the shield of the Roman soldier covered them completely. Even so, each of us is covered completely by our faith, and not one of us is lacking in faith. But we need to keep our faith anointed with the Holy Spirit and washed with the water of the Word of God. After all faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Remaining in the Word and the refilling of the Holy Spirit will oil and saturate our faith so that the enemy’s deceptions will do us no harm.

The Belt:

Furthermore, we are equipped with the sparkling belt of truth. And this we found out is no ordinary belt, but rather, is the defining feature of a soldier. Whether on the battlefield or off, the Roman soldier was recognized because of this distinct belt. This belt even made the soldier walk differently, stand differently, and act differently. No one else walked or stood like a soldier, and no one else wore such a belt. This for the Christian is the belt of Truth, for the Truth makes us walk differently, talk differently, act differently. The truth is what sets us free. The truth is what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions of the world. Not only this, but the belt of truth is that upon which much of the armor is connected in some form or fashion, including the breastplate of righteousness and the sword.

The Sword:

The Roman soldier always wore his sword, for his sword and belt were intertwined so as to not be separated. Though most of Roman society could not wear a weapon in public, the soldier could. Even so, God’s belt of truth and His sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God are intimately linked and inseparable. There is no truth outside of God’s Word. When it comes to the Christian, this sword is of the Spirit and is the Word of God. But, the Word of God referred to here is not the entire Word (logos), but rather, a specific passage from Scripture (Rhema) for a specific situation, and is to be even more specifically used in warfare prayer. Yes, the whole Word is inspired, indeed, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thouroghly furnished unto all good works,” I Timothy 3:16-17. But, in instances of praying, specific inspired passages of the inspired Word will be brought to mind by the Holy Spirit that are to be used as a sword against the enemy.

Putting on Our Shoes

Today, we are going to look at what we as Christians are to have upon our spiritual feet.

“Stand therefore having…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

Ephesians 6:15

Before we ever go anywhere, we get dressed, and a very important part of getting dressed is putting on our shoes. There are actually restaurants and other establishments that still put up signs that say, “No shirt, no shoes, no service.” Shoes are very important. And more important than that, is what kind of shoes you wear!

A Roman Soldier’s Battle Shoes

When a Roman soldier was not on the battlefield, he could still be recognized as a soldier. In our modern day everyone looks alike when not in uniform. If one nowadays is in the military or the medical field or is a farmer or waitress or a manager of a store or even a pastor of a church, everyone in their off time seems to dress the same. However, back in Paul’s day, that was not the case. So, how did people know that a soldier was a soldier even when on leave? His belt and his shoes.

According to researcher Stefani Hoss, “Only the hobnailed caligae and the belt can be defined as typical for soldiers, identifying them as milites [military] even when they were not wearing amour. While caligae were also worn by civilians, they are typical for soldiers. Literary sources and inscriptions describe soldiers’ expressis verbis as caligati or as serving in caligae. And the hobnailed boots and their wearers are also equated both in the Roman and Jewish literature at the time.” (“A Theoretical Approach to Roman Military Belts,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/4849015/A_Theoretical_Approach_to_Roman_Military_Belts, page 320-321). “The military belt was decorated with elaborate buckles, metal plates, strap-ends and other attachments, which made it heavy, eye-catching and jingly. Together with the crunch of hob-nailed sandals, the jingling of the metal belt pieces must have given soldiers a distinctive ‘sound’, announcing their presence.” (The Roman Military Belt,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/212354/The_Roman_Military_Belt, page 30).

In other words, before you even saw a soldier approaching, you heard him, from the jingling of his belt, the clanking of the inseparable sword, and the clacking of his hobnailed shoes.

The shoes a soldier wore were cleated, sort of like golfer’s shoes or baseball players. They also had a spike at the heal and the toe. In other words, these shoes meant business and were made for both stability on the battlefield and to be a weapon against the enemy. “One good kick with those shoes, and an enemy would be dead. Just a few seconds of stomping on a fallen adversary would have eradicated that foe forever!” (“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/).

Practical Application

As Christians who are at war, we are to make sure that we get the correct footwear on our feet, and Ephesians 6:15 tells us exactly what those shoes are.

“Stand therefore having…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

Ephesians 6:15

Just as the Roman soldiers tightly tied on their “killer shoes”, we too are to snugly tie on these cleated shoes for ourselves. No one else can put the shoes on for us. We do it, and we are to always be ready with our feet tightly fitted with these shoes. The Greek tense expresses this clearly. The shoes we are to put on are called “preparation.” However, another way to translate this word is “foundation or firm footing.” So, we are to put on the shoes of the firm foundation of the Gospel which also means “good news”. The Apostle Paul used this description of the Gospel elsewhere in Scripture including 1 Corinthians 3 where he explicitly states that there is to be no other foundation but that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is this Gospel that brings “peace”.

Peace in both the Greek and Hebrew carries with it the powerful meaning of wholeness in every way including our bodies, our minds, our spirits and our finances. It is the absence of confusion and war. It is “Truly the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, by Spiros Zodhiates, page 520).

But this peace is not for our enemy. With our cleats we not only are held firmly in place doctrinally, be we can also use them to stomp on the evil that would steal, kill and destroy us. Greek scholar Rick Renner states, “…As the soldier used those spikes to kick and to kill his opponent, there is no need for you to ever stop moving ahead just because the devil tries to block your path. If he is foolish enough to try to get in front of you, just keep walking! Stomp all along the way! By the time you’re finished using your shoes of peace, you won’t have much of a devil problem to deal with anymore!” (“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/).

This is what we as Christians are to put on our feet. The firm foundation of the Gospel of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit, peace and not confusion is that in which we are to walk. For it is this Gospel of Christ that stabilizes us in every terrain no matter how treacherous, and steadies us on a very slippery, messy, litter ridden battlefield. When we are firmly founded on the Gospel and know that which we believe, we cannot lose our footing and thus, the enemy cannot knock us down. And even when not in a spiritual battle in our mind or in prayer or otherwise, when our feet are shod with the firm foundation of the Gospel of peace, people will know that we are different. Even as the Roman soldier when on leave strolling through town was still known to be a soldier because of the clacking of his cleats, we too ought to sound and walk differently than everybody else all the time and in every situation. Indeed, wherever we are, everyone should know that we are Christians.

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Here is list of links from the rest of this series, “We Are At War”:

We Are At War: The Sword of the Spirit

We Are At War: The Shield of Faith

We Are At War: The Belt of Truth

We Are At War: Helmet of Salvation

We Are At War: The Renewing of the Mind

We Are At War: The Breastplate of Righteousness

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For more on the topic of peace, please refer to this article of the “Jehovah Shalom” series:

Jehovah Shalom: Peace In Spite of Our Circumstances

Specific Word Studies:

Shod:

hupodesamenoi, appears to be a 1^st Aorist Middle Participle (aorist participle because of the sa, and middle because of the menoi

From hupodeo #5265, meaning literally, “to bind under” like sandals, slippers or shoes.

In this sense it means that sometime in the undefined past one bound her sandals to her own feet for her own self. In other words, “having shod one’s feet for one’s self.”

Preparation:

hetoimasia #2091, “Preparation, a basis, foundation, firm footing”

From hetoimos #2092, meaning “ready, prepared.” (Like just before a race, “ready, get set, go!”)

Gospel:

euanggelion #2098, meaning, “bringing good news, to proclaim or tell good news”

Peace:

Eirene #1515 meaning, “peace” as the opposite of war, health, all kinds of good physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Hebrew equivalent is shalom #7965 which means, “wholeness, soundness, health, well-being, prosperity, absence of confusion and anything opposite of war.”

**Truly the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, by Spiros Zodhiates, page 520)

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Sources:

Josephus BellJud, 6:85, Juvenal, Satires 3.248, 16:25; Palestinian Talmud (Yerushalmi), Shabbath 8a and 20a

“A Theoretical Approach to Roman Military Belts,” http://www.academia.edu/4849015/A_Theoretical_Approach_to_Roman_Military_Belts

“The Roman Military Belt,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/212354/The_Roman_Military_Belt

“Are You Dressed in the Whole Armor of God?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-dressed-in-the-whole-armor-of-god/

“Armor of God: Gospel of Peace,” by Dave Johnson, https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/christian-conversion/armor-of-god/gospel-of-peace/

“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/

We Are At War: The Breastplate of Righteousness

Tags

1 Thessalonians 5:8, Breastplate of Righteousness, Chuck Missler, Ephesians 6, Job 29, Righteousness, Spiritual Warfare, The Full Armor of God, What is Righteousness

The Full Armor of the Living God is an armor of light given to us by our Lord who is light within light. The wearing of this armor is imperative and is a matter of life and death in every way, for we are born on a battlefield. We are born both physically and spiritually and emotionally on a battlefield, and not merely on a battlefield, but that battlefield is in enemy territory. God has reclaimed that battlefield, but the enemy still thinks it is his. And we are in the cross-hairs. Thus, we MUST be armed for all out war.

This is not a war whose end is unclear nor up for grabs nor is a toss up. Rather, this is a war that is already won. Through the apparent weakness of the cross the greatest victory in the world was determined. Through the weakness of love, all evil in every way was completely and utterly defeated at the foot of the foolishness of the old rugged cross.

But the battle is very, very real, and is really, really dirty. The enemy has learned how to play us, and he plays us well. And we literally fall for it all of time.

But, God in His incredible victory has not left us powerless. No! Indeed, He has to powerfully equipped us with armor by His Spirit that if we could ever begin to fathom it, grasp it, or begin to tap into this power, we would be in awe as the enemy is blown away!

So, what is this armor that we are to don with confidence and the authority of the Most High? Number one, we are to snugly fit upon our heads the Helmet of Salvation which is all about having right, faith-filled, Christ-like thinking, Bible mindsets, with thoughts set upon things above and not on earthly things and on the incredible hope of eternal salvation in the presence of the Living God! Next we are to put on our dazzling Belt of Truth which holds it all together, the belt which we are to wear wherever we go and whenever we go there. We also lace up tightly the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, an unshakable peace that the world cannot give nor understands; shoes that stabilize us in the slipperiest and bloodiest of battlefields and keep us firmly planted in the Word rather than circumstances. We are take up the body-sized Shield of Faith that covers us completely, successfully protecting us defensively and offensively, and if watered by the Word and oiled by the daily anointing of the Spirit will quench every fiery dart of the enemy. Then taking up the Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God we are called to jab the very evil that would steal, kill and destroy us. With the truth of the Word of God supernaturally inspired by the Spirit through us in prayer deals a death blow to the enemy.

Indeed we have been dressed by God to kill a very real, demonic enemy.

But, there is one piece of armor…one more vital bit of equipment that cannot be overlooked, for to go into battle without it was beyond heedless and meant certain death. This life saving, undeniably important protection is the Breastplate of Righteousness.

The Roman Breastplate in Jesus’ Day

“The breastplate was a central part of the Roman soldier’s armor—it provided protection for the torso, which contains vital organs like the heart, lungs and so on. Without a breastplate, a soldier would be asking for death, as any attack could instantly become fatal. With a sturdy breastplate, the very same attacks become ineffective and useless, as blows glance off the armor,” (Bible Study Guides).

“The Romans had the ideas for armor design which provided light weight combined with ease of movement and protection from blows. This breastplate was attached to the belt by leather thongs passed through rings on the bottom to keep it solidly attached. It was anchored to the belt, and it was above the belt. Note: the belt had to be put on first, then the breastplate,” (The Christian Arsenal).

“The Roman breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather. It was designed to protect the vital area. A blow through this was usually fatal,” (Chuck Missler).

The Biblical Breastplate

“The breastplate or heart-guard that Paul was recommending was not made of hard metal, but of something much stronger. It is made of righteousness. The Greek word used for righteousness is dikaiosune, Strong’s #1343, defined as “equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification.” Vine’s defines the word as “the character or quality of being right or just”; it was formerly spelled ‘rightwiseness,’ which clearly expresses the meaning.” (Dan Wesol).

Truly, righteousness is “the conformity to the claims of higher authority and stands in opposition to… lawlessness,” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, pg 458). Thus, righteousness is the crucifying of our way of living and the complete surrender to living life God’s way. This is our breastplate.

Man’s Righteousness Vs. God’s

Throughout the history of the world, individuals and people groups, false religions and cults of all kinds have sought to do good in order to please a transcendent being far beyond themselves in order to accrue enough credit in the heavenlies for the sake of their uncertain eternal security. Much has been done to appease countless gods and goddesses, and innumerable moments have passed as people do good for others simply because it makes them feel good to do so. The social gospel is highly active even today, and anyone and everyone can and does get caught up in the wave of it. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away,” (Isaiah 64:6). “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one,” (Romans 3:10-13).

Even Christians can get caught up in the “doing good” bug, and become driven by good works and achieving goals and seeking to look good in the eyes of others. But, “Putting on His breastplate of righteousness is not “putting on” your own good works, integrity, or honesty. It is not “putting on” Bible reading and prayer. It is not “putting on” church attendance. When we put on the cloak of His righteousness, it contrasts with our righteousness,” (Chuck Missler). For indeed, righteousness is all about God and not about us at all. The Lord is the source of all righteousness, even the very foundation of His throne is righteousness and justice and the heavens declare His righteousness and all people have seen His glory (Psalm 97).

Application: Being Not Just Doing

The greatest glory of God’s righteousness has been exemplified for all to see through Jesus Christ His beloved Son. As Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The incredible magnitude of God’s righteousness superseding our goodness is apparent in this passage. On top of this is that undeserving as we are we have been made God’s righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21) and because of this, we have been empowered to do righteous deeds the right way and for the right reason. This is righteousness.

“People have different ideas about righteousness. We must understand that righteousness is something we are, not something we do. Righteousness within us affects what we do, but what we do does not make us righteous,” (Chuck Missler).

Now that we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, “let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love…” (I Thessalonians 5:8). Thus, the breastplate of righteousness is also a breastplate of faith and love: faith because without faith it is impossible to please God, and love because Jesus said that if we believe in Him we will walk in love. Righteousness, therefore, has everything to do with having faith in Jesus and walking in love.

In Job we see a picture of what righteousness looks like. Job 29:12-17 says, “Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.” First John 3:16-17 also says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

God in all of His glory, seated high upon His majestic throne, perceived our dire need as we wallowed destitute and condemned in sin’s muck and mire. But… God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not parish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). And that same selfless attitude of Christ is to be in us (Philippians 2), for that is righteousness in action.

Conclusion

A vital part of our arsenal is the Breastplate of Righteousness. With righteousness our hearts, which are the well-spring of life, are guarded above all else. This righteousness is from God alone for only God is righteous, and He because of what Jesus did on the cross and in His resurrection has made us righteous and righteousness. Christ our great High Priest has made us a holy priesthood (I Peter 2:5) and as such we are to be “clothed in righteousness” (Psalm 132:9). Not only are we to be clothed in righteousness, but we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Thus, we no longer are to walk in fear, but in faith. We are no longer to walk in selfish impatience but in love. This righteousness that God has made us through Christ and that is exemplified through faith and love in action is what guards our hearts from the enemy’s continual attacks. Let us then put on the breastplate of righteousness. And having suited up in the full armor of God’s light, let us stand unwaveringly and unashamedly in this ever darkening, depraved, deceived world that is quickly passing away. Jesus is coming soon! Let us “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (I Peter 1:13), as we look for our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

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For more on righteousness feel free to select this link:

Psalm 23: Paths of Righteousness

For more on the full armor of God, please refer to these links:

We Are At War: Helmet of Salvation

We Are At War: The Renewing of the Mind

We Are At War: The Belt of Truth

We Are At War: Shoes of Peace

We Are At War: The Shield of Faith

We Are At War: The Sword of the Spirit

Sources:

Bible Study Guides, “Series 3 – The Great Teachings of the Bible and What They Mean for You: The Armor of God,” http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/armor-of-god-breasplate-of-righteousness.htm.

Margaret Minnicks, “The Whole Armor of God,” https://owlcation.com/humanities/Put-On-The-Whole-Armor-of-God.

Chuck Missler, “The Breastplate of Righteousness,” http://khouse.org/articles/1996/269/

Dan Wesol, “Putting on the Breastplate,” http://www.heraldmag.org/2009/09jf_2.htm

The Christian Arsenal, “The Full Armor of God,” http://www.christianarsenal.com/Christian_Arsenal/Full_Armor_of_God.html

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament