…with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Eph. 6:14b)

The breastplate is essential protective gear.  Cops wear a Kevlar vest.  Baseball catchers wear a chest protector.  Even Batman has anatomically correct upper body armor.  Why is it so important to protect the chest?

Because your heart is there.

In a very literal sense, you can’t live without your heart—so eat right and get plenty of exercise.  In the metaphoric sense, the heart is the center of our being, the part of us that makes us…us.  As you go out into a sinful, broken, fallen world, how do you protect this essential part of your being?

The righteousness of Christ.  The right relationship with God that is yours through Christ, and which gives you a right understanding of who you are and how much you are loved.  This, and this alone, will protect your heart from the blows of this twisted world.

Remember, I’m not talking about your own righteousness…the place with God you might think you’ve earned by your good behavior.  Count on that to protect your heart, and you might as well try to stop an arrow with a wet paper towel.  I’m talking about the perfect righteousness of the King of the Universe.

Which he just happens to be offering to you.

How can this mighty piece of armor fit your spindly little self?

It’s a mystery, Beloved…just go with it.