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What Is The Breastplate of Rightousness
What Is The Breastplate of Rightousness
What Is The Breastplate of Rightousness
What did a Roman breastplate look like? Certainly not the same as a bulletproof
vest that soldiers wear now. Although this type of armor couldn’t deflect bullets
(an invention that wouldn’t be weaponized in its earliest forms until the 1300s),
they did protect a soldier from swinging swords and arrows on the battlefield.
Depending on the time period in Rome, a soldier would wear a different type of
breastplate. In earlier Roman times, it looked like metal, adhering to the shape of
the soldier’s body. Later on, it looked more like chain mail and leather, with more
flexibility and coverage than the earlier breastplates.
No matter which type of breastplate Paul is referring to in the armor of God
passage, he recognizes the important need to have our spiritual vitals covered in
righteousness.
Righteousness, which is the perfect holiness of Christ, comes from God alone.
Righteousness is to be right in God’s eyes. In essence, perfect living. To flee from
the snares of temptation and sin Satan has set up and to follow God’s plan for
our lives.
Like all other pieces of the armor of God, they can only come from our Savior. We
cannot somehow create the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, or the
helmet of salvation, from our own volition.
What Is the Breastplate of Righteousness in the
Bible?
Like a Roman breastplate, this breastplate protects our vital organs spiritually.
Whenever we enter the battlefield, Satan will attempt to pierce our most
vulnerable areas. Therefore, God arms us with the breastplate of righteousness to
prevent Satan from delivering a fatal blow.
Although issued at the time a sinner repents, the passage in Ephesians intends to
encourage us to put on the armor regularly, not as just a one-time deal. But wait,
you may say, I thought once we were saved, we’re always saved?
Yes, but righteousness doesn’t mean saying a prayer once and then going on
with our lives as though nothing has changed. Justification comes through a one-
time commitment to Christ. Sanctification, the act of God shaping us to become
more like him, happens over a lifetime.
Sometimes this may make us the odd man out, killjoy, or loser, but we have our
spiritual walk at stake. Better to avoid something that can pull us away from God
than to compromise our spiritual safety.