Belt of Truth and Breastplate of Righteousness

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…” Eph 6:14 NIV

I ❤️NY. I always imagined living there. So, when I was invited to move there for work I was gushing with a big YES.  It was almost like a wedding proposal. The box was pulled out, he took a knee and then said, “I want you pray about it for 30 days before you decide… ” Wom, wom.  I begrudgingly assured my boss I would do so.

Immediately I was too busy planning a move from Dallas to NYC to inquire of God, or anyone for that matter; until I was also invited to consider Houston. I never liked Houston. I went into prayer certain the Lord would confirm my decision. To my surprise, dreams of NYC brought on nausea and Houston perfect peace. God made the answer clear.  It was my turn to stand firm in obedience.

Like Laura shared last week in her story, “I resolved to move to Houston.”  With every intention of moving back to Dallas, I headed to Houston and met my new friend, Laura Wilcox.  The journey has not been easy for either one of us, but we have stood firm.

To stand firm is not waiting passively but actively engaging all of God’s armor.  Dr. Constable in Sonic Light explains that “Paul described the items that the Roman infantryman wore in the order in which he would have put them on. He first put on, over his short tunic (long shirt), a belt that would hold both the “breastplate” and scabbard (sheathe) in place.”  Without the belt in place everything fell off, including the sword which was hung on the belt.  The “truth” could refer to both God’s revealed truth, that the Christian has believed, and the Christian’s own truthfulness, specifically: a lifestyle that reflects the truth.

The “full truth” of God (i.e., His Word and its power), combined with the Christian’s spiritual integrity, are together the only adequate basis for a defense against Satan.  Similarly, righteous conduct (personal righteousness) seems to be in view as well as the righteousness of Christ that becomes ours at regeneration, both forms of righteousness being represented by the “breastplate of righteousness.” “The “breastplate” covered the soldier’s body from the neck to the thighs. It was usually bronze or chain mail. It had a back piece, but it was the front part that gave it its name.

What I have learned about wearing these two crucial pieces of armor are invaluable.

God’s word is truth. Truth is truth regardless of what I see or how I feel.  For example, my fear doesn’t change God’s promise that he will never leave me, never forsake me. My inability to see him doesn’t mean he’s not right here with me until the end of time.  All that I am hangs on God’s truth.  I can stand firmly in it. I can rest in it.

The breastplate covers my heart and protects me from making decisions out of emotions.  A righteous path is the right way. There is always a right way – whether I want it or not. A righteous step of obedience releases the full measure of God’s best for me. When you are held together with truth and covered with the breastplate of righteousness, you can go confidently into any challenge, any battle, any new territory and confidently stand firm.

What decisions are you facing? I’d love to be in prayer with you. Feel free to share in the comments below or e-mail me at bsikes14@live.com.

The victory is yours.

In His Unfailing Love,

Brandi

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