Breastplate… Batman wore one with six-pack abs made into it. Remember? My breastplate doesn’t give me abs…but it protects the vital parts of me…my heart.
We’re still talking about this armor thing remember? We thought about the belt of truth previously. Now to this breastplate thing….get out your Sword (Bible) and look for yourself. There’s a table of contents in the front of your Bible to help you locate the books, Ephesians is in the New Testament section. Look at chapter 6, verse 14.
‘ ..with the breastplate of righteousness in place…’ Why does scripture use this picture to illustrate something to us? Just what IS righteousness anyway? And a breastplate?? Come on…
Batman’s breastplate turned bullets and protected him from blows to his ribs. (Fictional) Police have garments that serve as breastplates, they call them bullet-proof vests. They offer protection from attacks helping to slow down or stop a piece of lead screaming thru space, shot from a gun. I think it’s made of something called ‘Kevlar’. (Reality)
Dikaiosune = righteousness in the original language of scripture. The word dikaiosune has to do with character. Innocent, holy, absolute rightness. It was once spelled ‘rightwiseness’. So we are to ‘put on’ this thing to protect us…this thing called righteousness. Think you can fill that description? I can’t !! I am not innocent, far from holy, and absolutely never absolutely right !!
So how can I wear something I don’t have ?!!? Here’s The Good News, the absolute best news you’ll ever hear. I quote it from The Message translation…‘…anyone united with The Messiah gets a fresh start, …God settled the relationship between us and Him…He put the world square with Himself through the Messiah Jesus… God put the wrong on Him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God. ’ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
There my friend is my rightwisesness. There is the only absolute right character you’ll find in me. My only innocence. Nothing holy in me except from Him. I want it firmly in place every single day. I have never accomplished it, try as I might…HE accomplished it. And HE continues the work in me to rid me of the stains and residues of sin…the stuff that keeps me from being innocent, holy, and right. It is an on-going process, will be until I draw my last breath in this body.
My breastplate of righteousness is always on. My heart is not just set right with God, but was changed. I want what He wants. And even when I don’t really…I WANT to want what He wants. He protects me in that way…drawing me to Him rather than letting me be content out of His perfect will.
My breastplate doesn’t give me six-pack abs. But it makes me look perfect to God. He sees perfection…the perfection of Christ. And knowing THAT….protects my heart.
