The Armor of God | Breastplate of Righteousness, Day 2

These five devotions were written earlier in the year to include in a booklet for a local youth camp that is held in July. Now that camp is over, I thought I'd share the devotions. Helping Hands Camp is a faith based youth camp that allows campers to provide services and to fulfill clean up and construction projects for those in the community that are unable to do so. 

Theme: Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 

Our anchor verse is based of the entire passage from Ephesians 6:10-17. Each daily devotion is based off of that verse.

[NIV Translation, Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.]

Breastplate of Righteousness

[14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place]

There are a lot of different ways to interpret what a breastplate might represent in our spiritual life. 

Purposes of the Breastplate 

• Does a breastplate represent what we might stand for or believe?
• Does it symbolize how others might identify us?
• Does the structure of the garment help maintain our posture, back straight, square shoulders, etc.?
• Does the structure or design aid in restraining us from moving too quickly or bending too much?
• Is it a barrier to you, protecting you from things that might injure your heart?
• Does it generate power from the sun [Son] by drawing heat and reflecting light?
• Now give yourself a moment to imagine what expectations you might make of someone else that you see already in armor?

In considering that list, as believers we should each “represent” Christ in the same way. What people discover about us in private should match or even beat what they expected to find when they first learned of our faith.

If you review that list again, with a more self-reflective approach; you may be able to identify areas in your own life where you can speak out, stand firm, hold back and also let a bit more God in. Suddenly that list begins to take the shape of self-control. 

Examples of Self-Control

• Do you find ways to humble yourself so that God doesn't have to? (By spending time with positive leaders, volunteering, reading stories that inspire you to be a better version of yourself.) 
• When you feel your temper flare do you pause and restrain yourself?
• When presented with a need for another do you put aside what you had planned so that you can be of service to someone else, no matter how much you have to do?
• Do you ask for conviction when you feel like something is off and you just don’t know what it is?
• Do you repent and seek forgiveness from God and whomever may have been offended?
• Do you live by the boundaries in your heart or do you do follow what your friends do, even if it begins to feel uncomfortable or increases doubt?
• Do you allow yourself to matter by caring for and respecting your body and values?
• Do you spend time in prayer and study of the word?
• Do you turn the t.v. or internet off when the content starts to cross the line?
• When peers at school are being torn down, do you lift up the person’s good qualities, and correct lies redirecting the conversation?

Proverbs 4:23 Says to always guard your heart, for all you do flows from it. By spending time with God and deciding who you are and what you stand for, you will be able to draw healthy boundaries in your life. -Ones that preserve dignity and reflect purpose.

With the practice and use of self-control, it becomes more obvious to others that that no matter what the outside looks like, the inside backs it up. You have the heart, stamina and the guts to protect what you believe.

Think About It

1. If you don’t know what you stand for, how will you know when to defend and when to back down? 

2. What characteristics come to mind when you hear the word righteous? (Faithful, honest, loyal, trustworthy, prayerful and powerful)  What else?

3. How many of them would you use when describing yourself? What role do you think self-control plays in those characteristics?

4. If questioned about your faith or your values, would you be able to answer question(s) holding your head high or would you awkwardly try not to make eye contact and avoid the question(s)?