Strapped: The Breastplate of Righteous- Part 4 of Armor of God Series
We have finally arrived at the last part of our Armor of God series.
Over the past few weeks, we have talked about the reality of spiritual warfare, the importance of knowing what we are fighting, and the necessity of understanding who our enemy is. Last week, we focused on one of the most foundational pieces of the armor—the Belt of Truth.
Truth matters because we cannot fight effectively while believing a lie.
The enemy wants to distort what God has said, what God has promised, and even who God says we are. But when we know the truth of God's Word, we have something solid to stand on.
Now, as we close this series, we come to another foundational piece of the armor: the Breastplate of Righteousness.
And I want to call this final installment:
STRAPPED
Because by the end of this series, that is exactly where God wants us to be—not simply aware that there is armor available to us, but fully equipped and ready to stand.
The Armor Was Designed for Battle
When we think about a soldier in biblical times, we can understand why the breastplate was so important. A breastplate protected the soldier's torso—the area containing some of the body's most vital organs, including the heart and lungs. It offered protection against sword strikes, spears, arrows, and other attacks that could come from close range or from unexpected directions. (Guards against fatal blows).
The breastplate was not the soldier's only protection. He also carried a shield, but the breastplate provided another layer of defense. And I think there is something powerful about that when we consider the spiritual armor God has given us.
God knows we are going to experience battles. He knows there will be attacks we see coming and attacks we don't. He knows there will be moments when life hits us from an unexpected direction, and He knows there will be times when the battle feels overwhelming. So He doesn't send us into battle without protection.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:13–14, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground... Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”
Notice that Paul doesn't say if the day of evil comes. He says when. The armor is not necessary because we will never experience difficulty. The armor is necessary because we will.
What Does Righteousness Have to Do With Armor?
At first glance, it might seem strange that righteousness would be compared to a breastplate. But when we understand what the breastplate protected, the connection becomes much clearer. The breastplate protected the soldier's heart and vital organs.
Spiritually, the heart is also a place that must be guarded. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Think about how many things in life can get into our hearts—betrayal, disappointment, rejection, fear, guilt, anger, bitterness, shame, and unforgiveness.
Sometimes the enemy doesn't need to destroy our circumstances to defeat us. He simply wants to get into our heart and change what we believe. He wants disappointment to become hopelessness, hurt to become bitterness, conviction to become condemnation, and a difficult season to become evidence in our minds that God has abandoned us.
That's why we need the breastplate of righteousness. It guards the place from which so much of our life flows.
2. But Let's Be Clear: Righteousness Does Not Mean Perfection
This is an important distinction. When we talk about the breastplate of righteousness, we are not talking about becoming perfect. None of us could accomplish that.
Our righteousness begins with Christ. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that through Him, we could become the righteousness of God. That means I don't put on the breastplate because I have lived a flawless life. I put it on because Jesus made a way for me to stand in right relationship with God.
There is a difference between righteousness through Christ and the ongoing process of sanctification. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
When we receive Christ, we are made right with God through Him. Then begins the lifelong journey of allowing God to transform our hearts, our minds, our attitudes, our habits, and our lives while being protected by the full armor of God.
We are still growing, still learning, still being corrected, and still being transformed. But our imperfections do not mean we are abandoned. God looks at the heart that is turned toward Him. That is why we don't have to live under constant condemnation. We can acknowledge where we have fallen short, repent, receive God's grace, and keep moving forward.
Righteousness doesn't mean I never fall. It means I know where to go when I do, and I can move forward with confidence because I am covered by the full armor of God.
3. When the Enemy Gets Close
One of the things that stood out to me about the natural breastplate is that it was particularly important when the enemy got close.
There are some attacks in life that feel like they come from a distance, but then there are those attacks that get personal. Someone betrays you, someone you trusted lies about you, someone attempts to damage your character, or someone you loved becomes someone you have to protect yourself from. Those are close-range attacks.
Psalm 55:12–14 describes the pain of betrayal by someone who was once close: “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it... But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend...”
There is something different about being hurt by someone you trusted. And the enemy can use that hurt to try to penetrate your heart. He wants you to become bitter, retaliate, and lose your character trying to defend your character.
But this is where the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness work together. The truth reminds us that God knows what is true. Proverbs 19:5 says, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
I don't have to become unrighteous because someone treated me unrighteously. I don't have to become a liar because someone lied about me. I don't have to become bitter because someone hurt me. I can remain anchored in the truth of God's Word and protected by the righteousness I have through Christ.
I can let God defend what I cannot defend myself.
4. Then There Are the Unexpected Blows
Life also has a way of delivering things we never saw coming—a phone call, a diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, a job ending, a relationship changing, a financial setback, or a door closing that we thought God was going to open.
One moment everything seems normal, and the next moment we are trying to figure out how to process something we never expected.
Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper...”
Notice that Scripture doesn't say the weapon won't be formed. It says it won't prosper. There may be a weapon, there may be an attack, and there may be a painful season, but it does not have the authority to determine your final outcome. That's why the armor matters.
When the unexpected happens, the enemy wants to attack your heart with fear and make you question everything you know about God.
But the truth says: God is still God. The situation changed, the report changed, the relationship changed, the circumstances changed, but God did not.
The breastplate helps us guard our hearts so that what happens around us doesn't destroy what God is doing within us, and so that we remain standing, come what may.
5. And Then There Are the Overwhelming Battles
Some battles aren't just close. Some aren't just unexpected. Some feel overwhelming.
There may be seasons when you are dealing with grief, anxiety, depression, sickness, financial pressure, family problems, loneliness, or simply the exhaustion that comes from carrying too much for too long.
You may find yourself saying, “God, I don't know how much more I can take.”
And sometimes faith isn't pretending that everything is fine. Sometimes faith is saying, “God, I don't know what to do, but I know I need You.”
Jeremiah 32:27 reminds us, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
The answer is no. There may be something that is too hard for me, but there is nothing too hard for God. And this is where the armor becomes more than an illustration. It becomes a way of living.
6. From the Natural Armor to the Spiritual Armor
Think about what a soldier needed in the natural. The breastplate protected the body, the helmet protected the head, the shoes protected the feet, the shield provided protection against incoming attacks, the sword gave the soldier a weapon, and the belt helped secure everything.
Paul uses that familiar picture to help us understand how God equips us spiritually. The Belt of Truth reminds us to build our lives on what God has said. The Breastplate of Righteousness guards our hearts and reminds us of our position in Christ. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace prepare us to walk wherever God sends us. The Shield of Faith enables us to extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. The Helmet of Salvation protects our minds and reminds us that our salvation is found in Christ. And the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, gives us the weapon we need to confront the lies and attacks of the enemy.
Now we can see the bigger picture. We don't just have one piece of armor. We have been given a complete suit.
7. The Armor Works Together
This is why I believe the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness are such important foundations. Before I can effectively use the sword, I need to know the truth. Before I can raise the shield of faith, I need to know what I am believing. Before I can walk in the Gospel of peace, I need to understand the Gospel. Before I can protect my mind with the helmet of salvation, I need to understand what salvation means. And before I step fully into battle, my foundation has to be secure.
Truth establishes me, righteousness covers me, peace directs me, faith shields me, salvation protects my mind, and the Word gives me a weapon.
Now I'm fully equipped. Now I'm STRAPPED.
The enemy can throw the dart, but I have a shield. He can tell me a lie, but I have truth. He can attack my identity, but I have righteousness. He can attack my thoughts, but I have the helmet of salvation. He can try to disturb my peace, but I have the Gospel of peace. He can come against me spiritually, but I have the Word of God.
The goal isn't to live a life where nothing ever happens. The goal is to become a woman who can say, “I am going to stand.”
The Righteous Have a God Who Hears Them
Psalm 34:15 says, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry.”
I love the word attentive. God isn't casually listening. He isn't distracted. He isn't too busy. He isn't unaware of what you're experiencing.
He sees, He hears, and He knows.
And sometimes wearing the breastplate of righteousness means standing in the middle of a battle and simply crying out, “Lord, help me.”
You don't have to have the perfect words. You don't have to pretend you're stronger than you are. You don't have to hide your pain from God. Call on Him, cry out to Him, and talk to Him. Because your righteousness through Christ gives you the confidence to approach Him.
So, How Do We Obtain Righteousness?
The answer takes us right back to where we began: Jesus.
That's why 2 Corinthians 5 is such a fitting Scripture to close this series.
Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
And then he says that we are Christ's ambassadors. We represent Him, we carry His message, we walk in His truth, and we live from the righteousness He has given us.
And then we come to that powerful declaration in verse 21: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
That's the heart of this entire message.
I am not righteous because I have never made a mistake. I am righteous because I am in Christ.
And because I am in Christ, I don't have to live defeated by guilt, shame, condemnation, fear, or the accusations of the enemy. I can repent when I am wrong, grow when I need to grow, learn when I don't understand, ask God to change what needs to be changed, and keep moving.
Because my identity isn't based on my perfection.
My identity is based on Christ.
Reflection: Are You Fully Covered?
As we close this series, I want you to take a moment and ask yourself: What has been attacking my heart? What lies have I been tempted to believe? Have I allowed something that happened to me to change what I believe about God? Have I allowed someone else's behavior to change my character? Am I carrying guilt that God has already forgiven? Am I allowing fear to control decisions that should be governed by faith?
And perhaps most importantly: Am I wearing the armor—or do I simply know about it?
Because there is a difference between knowing about the armor and actually putting it on.
The armor of God is not about looking prepared for battle.
It is about actually being prepared for battle.
We Are STRAPPED
We started this series talking about the fight. We learned that we have an enemy. We learned that we need to understand his strategy. We learned the importance of truth. And now we understand righteousness.
But we don't stop with the belt and the breastplate. We take up the full armor of God. Our feet are ready, our shield is raised, our minds are covered, and our sword is in our hands.
We are fully covered. We are fully equipped. We are ready to stand.
So when the enemy comes at close range, I'm STRAPPED. When the unexpected happens, I'm STRAPPED. When the battle becomes overwhelming, I'm STRAPPED. When someone lies about me, I'm STRAPPED. When fear tries to overtake my mind, I'm STRAPPED. When circumstances don't look like what God promised, I'm STRAPPED.
Because I know the truth. I know who I am. I know whose I am. I know where my righteousness comes from, and I know that I don't have to fight this battle in my own strength.
I have the Armor of God.
I am fully covered. I am ready to stand.