Stand firm then...with
the breastplate of righteousness in place... Ephesians 6:14
The next piece of armor
Paul mentions, is the breastplate. The
item that protected the vital organs, protected the heart, protected what was
on the inside.
So, what then, is the
purpose of the breastplate of
righteousness?
Paul is speaking to the
church here...we do not expect righteous behavior from the world. However, once we become a saved we are
directed to live righteously. To live
the life that God would have us live.
To live right. To do right
things. To see right things. To read right words. To listen to right words. To yoke ourselves with right-thinking
people.
Living a righteous life
then, protects our hearts. Living a
righteous life protects what is on the inside.
Seeking out the
world...watching, reading, and listening to wrong things...seeking out the
company (and I don't mean for evangelistic purposes) of nonbelievers...exposes
our hearts to danger. What danger? Sin, shame, being an ineffective witness...
God expects us to live
righteously. The Body of Christ needs
us to live righteously. The Holy Spirit
equips us to live righteously.
And to protect our hearts.
After all...that's where
Jesus lives.
Questions:
1. What do you think?
2. How do you protect
your heart?
3. How has righteous
living helped you in a time of spiritual battle? How has unrighteous living hurt you as a Christian?
May we protect our
hearts. Jim
"He who has a pure
heart will never cease to pray, and he who will be
constant in prayer shall know what it is to have a pure heart." Pere la Combe
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