What It Means to Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness

Stand therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness . . . (Eph. 6:14) Ruthless Enemy, Righteous God In movies and TV series centered on law enforcement, you’ll usually get a scene where the characters are gearing up for a major operation. They put in earpieces to communicate with the team. They synchronize their watches. They tuck weapons into holsters, boots, and anywhere else they can find space. And they don a bulletproof vest. These vests are a crucial part of police officers’ gear. Imagine if they wore bulletproof pants and gloves but left their torsos exposed. They’d be in danger, because our hearts and vital organs, from which flow our life, must be protected above all else. There’s a similar reality in our spiritual battle, and God hasn’t left us to face an enemy without protection. But our armor isn’t made of Kevlar. It’s the breastplate of righteousness. The word “righteousness” is multifaceted in Scripture. At times, it refers to believers’ standing before God as holy because of Christ’s perfect record credited to us (this is our imputed righteousness). In other instances, it’s talking about our new way of living in holiness, according to God’s will (our...