The FULL Armor: Righteousness Is Safe

The second piece in this series of armor is the "breastplate of righteousness."  This would have been made from hard and durable materials like metal or tough leather sewn together.  The breastplate covered everything just below the neck down to the naval, extending as far as each side.  It's purpose is simple: to protect the vital organs from a forward attack.

Note that the breastplate did not protect against rear attacks, because a good soldier kept the enemy always before their face.  Should the soldier turn away and attempt to retreat, they left themselves vulnerable to a sword or arrow.

In the Biblical realm,  the breastplate is made of "righteousness."  This word, dikaiosynē most literally means "a condition acceptable to God," or "right with God."  While we recognize "there is none righteous" in and of themselves (Romans 3),  2 Corinthians 5:21 shows us that we can be made the righteousness of God.  Just as Ephesians 6 suggests, we can wear HIS righteousness.

Why would righteousness be a breastplate?  Because sin's primary target will be the seat of your emotions, the source of life.  Sin targets the heart.  Holiness is the ultimate protection against sins of the heart.  But there's a catch:  It only protects from the front.  Keep moving forward.

Righteousness is not a cloak we put on once.  It is a daily fight, and death to self.  It is a city of refuge and impenetrable wall save a personal choice to remove oneself from its protection.  In order to utilize its strength a soldier must face the battle head on.  Turning a blind side to the enemy even for one second opens your life up for extreme danger.  All too often we flirt with the enemy, and though it seems harmless and safe - sin always brings death.

Righteousness is the second piece of our armor.  When you wear a right relationship with the Lord your heart will always be safe.  Don't take off the armor.  Always work to keep it on.  Face your sin.  Kill it.  The devil flees only by resistance. (James 4)

The truth makes free.  Righteousness is safe.

The Full Armor: PANTS ON THE GROUND

In today's age of modern warfare depicted in news stories and video games, we often skim Ephesians six believing we have a firm grasp of it's meaning.  We have equivocated it with medieval armor and explained it away as a simple metaphorical task. But upon further examination, we find the armor of God to be an in-depth daily process required for effective living.

Each piece of armor was given for a specific purpose, and presented in a specific order.  Neglecting one piece, or attempting to assemble your armor out of order can lead to some very literal battle scars or fatal injuries.  So, today let's take a look at piece number one.  Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth..."  In other words, Paul is saying, "don't go lookin' like a fool with your pants on da ground."

To understand each piece's specific purpose, we have to return to the culture and context of this letter to the Ephesian church, unfortunately it may not be the European chain mail we've seen in the pictures.

  In this time, "loins" osphys implied more than just the waistline of an individual; It was the source of generative power.  A person's loins were their ability to reproduce.  Their future.  Their spawn/creation. Everything that was to come came from the loins.  1Peter 1:13 implies that the "loins of your mind" are responsible for what reality you create.  Literally speaking, that which you create comes from the loins.

To "girt about" the loins was a very important practice....and still is.  I will never forget a particular skit I was a part of as a teenager.  I was running a little late for the evening service and could not find the belt that I needed to match my clean pair of pants.  So,  I left my shirt untucked and thought no one would be the wiser;  That is, until the "bad guys" picked my character up, and turned me upside down and began to shake as if my lunch money was going to fall out...Well, something fell out....ME!!!  But my pants stayed in the air.  And there in front of 300+ teenagers I learned the invaluable lesson that loins should always be "girt about."

In this Ephesian culture, the outer garment was loose, flowing robe-like material.  If the loins were not girt about,  the garment would hinder the movement of the soldier.  Girting about your loins made sure that everything stayed in its proper place,  movement was unrestricted, and the girdle would serve as the sheath carrier for the sword.

The girdle itself was equivocated with "truth."  The etymology of this word alētheia, meaning what is both objectively and subjectively true, is rooted in the word alpha.  This word, synonymous with Christ, signifies a definite beginning and end.  This is what we would call an "indeclinable noun."  Meaning "truth" has only one form and number.

It is no coincidence that truth is the "alpha" and first piece of God's armor.  If we are to reach the world for Christ (generative power) and produce a generation that is committed to Christ, its foundation must be in truth.  We must intentionally girt ourselves with truth.  Seek it out.  Pursue integrity and expel deception.  Apart from the "belt of truth,"  our movement will be restricted and our ability to carry God's Word severly  handicapped.  Loins girt with truth make us free to fight.

Deceit will trip you and slow you down. Have you intentionally put on truth today?  Or are you looking like a fool with your pants on the ground?