Ephesians 6:13-17 - Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breast plate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"...with the breast plate of righteousness in place..."

Last week I reviewed the belt of truth, this week I am looking into the "breast plate of righteousness".

To a Roman soldier, the breast plate would cover his heart and all his vital organs.  A very important tool in the battle.  How does this translate to us?  The breast plate is all about protecting our HEART!

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard you heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Our heart is so important.  Out heart is our source for life, from it everything else flows.  Our heart is our connection to God.

So what does he mean by "righteousness"?  We know that we cannot be righteous in God's eyes on our own accord, that is why we need Jesus.  It's only by the work of Christ that we are righteous with God. 

But we are called to a righteous living.  Meaning we are called to right living, integrity, good character and submission to our Lord; called to bend our will to His.  We do this based in the righteousness gained from Jesus.  Righteousness then is the practical application of the truth we learn from the Word of God.

When we don't live the righteous life we are called to we let things get to our heart.  What do you have in your heart?  Do you have anger, resentment, forgiveness not yet given?  Are there truths that God has spoken to you through His Word that you have not applied to your life?  What does these lead to?  Guilt, shame or condemnation?

Lord I pray that you will reveal to us what is in our hearts.  Show us those places in our hearts that need healing and forgiveness.  Show us your truth and what it means to live a righteous life.  Help us to discern your will and then apply it to our lives.  Help us to bend our will to yours.  Amen.

God Bless!