New Life In Christ Pt. 18 Protecting Armor with God's Truth & Righteousness

 In our last lesson we learned the importance of walking in the Spirit while wearing the armor of God. We also studied about various aspects of spiritual warfare and God's provision for each born again Christian in this battle. 

Today, I want to look at the individual components of the armor of God. Let me begin by saying that there are only two offensive weapons. Some may say that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon, but prayer is also an effective weapon against our unseen enemies.

One has only to read through the Psalms of David to see how much he prayed against those who sought to do him harm. When his enemies seemed to have the advantage over him, David consistently prayed and cried out to the Lord for deliverance. Therefore, prayer is indeed an offensive weapon in the sense of seeking help from our great God. 

Loins protected with God's Truth. 

Ephesians 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

The word "stand" is like a military call to stand your ground as the enemy approaches. It means to not yield one inch to our foes. It is like a foundation wall that cannot be moved. The word "loins" refers to our hip and thigh area where our body can generate a lot of power and torque. 

Hebrew scholars associate this word with the reproductive organs that are located within our loins. This is an interesting way of thinking about this word because our loins are to be covered by a protective shield like a girdle or a large, heavy belt. 

However, this is a spiritual battle and our "loins" must be surrounded by God's immutable truth. 

Matthew 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

We are to make disciples of Jesus Christ one at a time, and I have often heard that we are to reproduce other follower/learners of Jesus Christ just like us. This is the Great Commission given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to teach these new disciples what Christ taught so that they too might obey His commands. 

Thinking about our loins being girded or surrounded by God's truth is vital because attempting to make a disciple of Christ without His truth will result in failure. So what kind of truth is meant in this text? The word "truth" refers to truth that is founded upon known facts and proven realities. It is truth from God that is free from error and is immutable. It is pure truth coming directly from the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 16:13).

Core of body protected with righteousness. 

Truth and righteousness go hand in hand. Therefore, it is most sensible as we see the next part of our spiritual armor is having on the breastplate of righteousness. The words "having on" literally means to sink down into a garment. It refers to being dressed and as a metaphor, it is used as the soul being clothed with our body (2 Corinthians 5:3). 

The word "breastplate" is from the Greek word "thorax" which refers to the parts of our body from the neck to the navel. In a physical battle, a breastplate consisted of two metal pieces that fasten to the warrior and cover the front and back from the neck to the navel. For our spiritual armor from God, it is a "breastplate" of righteousness. Our loins are girded with His truth and the core of our body is protected by His righteousness. This is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imputed to us when we were born again. 

Righteousness is imputed by faith in Christ. 

Romans 4:6-8  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7)  Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8)  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Romans 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

2 Corinthians 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

The word "impute" is an accounting term that refers to putting numbers together, performing a calculation. It means to transfer something from one person's account to another person's account. When we exercise repentant faith in Jesus Christ God will impute the righteousness of His Son to our account. Our sin debt is blotted out and the slate is now wiped clean (Colossians 2:13-14). 

No wonder David exclaimed that the man to whom God impute righteousness without works, is a truly blessed man. Jesus Christ, the Son of God was made sin for us, in our place that we could be made the righteousness of God in Christ, when His righteousness is imputed to our account. 

Truth & Righteousness together promote holy living. 

The armor of God that we have examined thus far, offers full protection to the core of our body by His truth and righteousness. 

Ephesians 5:8-11  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9) (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 

In this text, Paul warns us against following the pattern of life by children of darkness. Before we were born again, we also were children of darkness, but the new birth brought a radical change to our lives. Salvation through faith in Christ transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Therefore Paul told us to walk as children of light. This is new life in Christ.  

Then, Paul referenced the fruit of the Spirit which he elaborated on in Galatians 5. In this text, Paul made a broad statement about the overall quality of the fruit of the Spirit. His fruit is grounded in goodness, righteousness and truth. The word "goodness" means an upright heart filled with goodness and kindness. 

The word "righteousness" refers to the perfect justice of God and His standard of what is right or wrong. It refers to moral rectitude and those things that conform to the will of God. It refers to a heart of purity that results in living in conformity to God's law. The "righteousness" in this text is virtually the same as the holiness of God. 

The word "truth" in this text is that which is proven to be true by the evidence and facts. "Truth" is based upon what God says in His word. The truth from God is truth that sanctifies the believer in Christ and it is found in His word (John 17:17). 

Righteousness & Truth provide access to Worship. 

Psalm 15:1-2 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2)  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 

The Psalmist asks a question about who can abide or dwell in the holy tabernacle of God. The answer is those people who walk uprightly, men & women of integrity. Those are the only ones who can truly worship in Spirit and in truth. 

Notice what governs their actions because it connects with the truth girding our loins and the breastplate of righteousness that protects our neck to navel in the front and back. They are working righteousness and speaking truth. This is what a soldier of Jesus Christ wearing the whole armor of God will do. Their actions are righteous and their words are truth based. 

Psalm 119:142  Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. 

God's righteousness is everlasting and His law is immutable truth. This is what the wearing the whole armor of God does for us. Protection for our loins and from the neck to the navel, front and back. This is the idea of complete protection from God for us during the spiritual warfare we are engaged in. 

Psalm 51:6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.   

This seems to be the heart of the whole armor of God. That His truth from His Word in securely rooted in our heart and mind and soul. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Putting on the first components of the whole armor of God is what will empower us to stand strong during the attacks of our enemy. Satan will attack us spiritually and physically, using whatever means that he can.  

Is the perfect, immutable truth of God protecting our loins? Is the breastplate of Christ's righteousness guarding us front and back from injury? 

Both pieces of the armor come from the word of God, truth and righteousness. This underscores the importance of taking the Word of God into our hearts. 

We must read it repeatedly and carefully, we must listen to it attentively with the desire to understand it, we need to study it thoroughly, we need to meditate and think about it and we need to memorize it. Doing this will help us retain His Word in our minds so that we are armed for this spiritual battle. 

Bob