Equipped: Righteousness

This is the second installment of the Equipped series (see the first one here).  We're taking a look at the the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6.  Last week we saw that the Belt of Truth provides us with a foundation and also offers freedom.  Today we'll look at the second piece of armor.

"Stand firm then...with the breastplate of righteousness in place..."  Ephesians 6:14

The lorica segmentata was the breastplate of the Roman legionnaire.  It literally means "armor in pieces" and was made up of 4 sections.  Each section consisted of several strips of iron arranged horizontally, overlapping downward,  and fastened together internally by strips of leather.  The 4 separate sections (right and left torso and shoulder pieces) were buckled, hinged, strapped, tied, etc. by brass fittings.  The unique construction of the lorica segmentata proved to be an improvement over the previously used lorica hamata (a type of chain mail), offering a greater level of protection at about half the weight.  When a soldier had all the pieces in place and fastened together, all of his vital organs (save the brain) would be protected inside the most advanced body armor of the day.  It offered heightened protection from slashing and thrusting attacks from an enemy sword in the melee of battle, and an additional line of defense (beyond the shield) from an unexpected spear or arrow.

What is Righteousness?
In our battle with spiritual forces, righteousness serves as the breastplate.  The physical breastplate protected the vital organs of a soldier and the Breastplate of Righteousness protects a vital "spiritual organ", the heart.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."  Proverbs 4:23

The condition of the heart determines a life.  Not just its course or direction, but everything that it touches.  Is it any wonder that the enemy chooses the heart as a battleground?  We are urged to guard the heart, above all else.  What do we guard it with?  Righteousness.

But what is righteousness?  It is goodness, holiness, moral virtue.  In short, righteousness is living right.  This includes thought and action.  Biblically speaking, righteousness is conforming to God's law.  No one is capable of perfectly conforming to God's law.  Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteous acts are like filthy rags compared to God's righteousness.  We have no hope of being righteous, of being good enough, in and of ourselves.

Then how can we possibly have righteousness as protection?

As with all of the other armor, the source is outside of ourselves.  We must have Christ's righteousness imputed and imparted to us.

IMPUTED Righteousness
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, His righteousness is imputed to us.  God then views us in light of our imputed righteousness.  That is, He judges us according to the righteousness of His Son rather than our imperfections.  Paul puts it this way:

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."  2 Corinthians 5:21

The Breastplate of Righteousness is given to us; it is not something we can manufacture on our own.  It protects our heart first by renewing it.  We can stand up to the condemnation that Satan so often brings against us by standing firm in the knowledge that, although we sin, our righteousness is secure in the work of Christ; a work that doesn't depend on our good deeds or our mistakes.  After having having our heart transformed by Christ's imputed righteousness we put on the breastplate daily in the power of Christ's imparted righteousness.

IMPARTED Righteousness
Not only is Christ's righteousness credited to us as salvation, but He imparts it to us allowing us to live righteously.  Essentially, to be who we are.  As our behavior prior to receiving Christ's righteousness showed our separation from God, so our renewed status before Him should be represented by how we live our lives.

"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.""  1 Peter 1:15-16

"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."  Romans 6:13

The power to do this; to be holy, to obey God, to live righteously, is also given to us.  We are responsible to use it, to put on the breastplate.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."                     2 Peter 1:3-4

While imputed righteousness saves us from the condemnation and punishment of our sins, imparted righteousness (the practical, daily application of the breastplate) protects us from the corruption of sin.  We are able to live righteous lives, free from sin's power.  If we make righteousness a daily pursuit, we will guard our heart and close what could be a giant hole in our defense.  If we live righteously, the sometimes unexpected attacks from our enemy will be less effective as the arrows that were meant to pierce our heart are instead completely deflected off the breastplate provided by God.

Equipped: Truth

Last Tuesday I decided I was going to do a blog series (my first attempt, and more of a commitment than I'm used to making to the blogosphere) dealing with spiritual warfare and the armor of God from Ephesians 6.  Then, last Tuesday night at our Element Church staff meeting I found out our next sermon series was All Out War: Investigating Spiritual Warfare, based on...you guessed it: Ephesians 6.  (you can check out the sermons here)

Coincidence or providence?  I don't know...but I'm running with it either way.

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."   Ephesians 6:11-12 

There are three critical things to notice from this passage:

1. You have a very real supernatural enemy.
2. He will attack you.
3. God provides us with the equipment we need to overcome the attacks.

The original readers of this letter would have been very familiar with the image of armor as Roman legionnaires would have been a common sight throughout the empire. Since you may not be so acquainted with the garb of a soldier of Rome, in each blog post I'll describe each piece and its function before tackling the spiritual counterpart.

Let's take a look at the first piece of equipment.

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."  Ephesians 6:14

The cingulum militare (sometimes referred to as a balteus) was the military belt of a Roman legionnaire.  This piece of equipment was a critical component of the armor of the soldier.  In addition to carrying his sword (as well as his dagger and perhaps some provisions in pouches), it provided support for the breastplate, taking some of the load off the back and shoulders.  It was also adorned with the apron which afforded some additional protection though was probably more decorative than functional.  One of the most important uses of the belt was to "gird the loins".  This involved tucking the otherwise knee-length tunic into the belt in preparation for a battle or march.  The extra movement afforded by this would make a soldier more mobile and agile.  As you can see, the function of the soldier's belt was twofold: foundation and freedom.

We can draw a comparison of the spiritual value of this piece of the armor from its physical counterpart.

Truth as FOUNDATION
Our spiritual battle must first find its anchor in the truth of God.  Jesus himself is our foundation.

"I am the way and the truth and the life..."  John 14:6 (emphasis mine)

The truth of Christ, who He is, His work on the cross and resurrection, and His intercession for us before the Father provides us with the foundation (and the source) for all of our other armor: righteousness received from Him, the readiness of the gospel of peace brought by Him, faith placed in Him, salvation worked through Him, and the Word of God proclaiming Him and empowering us.

God's truth is a sure foundation because it is eternal and unchanging.  When we have accepted the truth of God into our lives and have the risen Lord dwelling in us, who is Himself the truth, we have truth as our foundation, and we have the consistency of character that flows from that.  In this day and age, truth is seen as personal and subjective - what's true for you isn't necessarily true for me.  When we put on the belt of truth, we acknowledge and accept that there is absolute truth and we live in that reality.  Prepare to stand out from the crowd if your life is characterized by truth.  William Shakespeare once wrote:

"To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand." - Hamlet, Act II, scene 2

If you live by truth, if you "bind [it] around your neck; write [it] on the tablet of your heart" (Proverbs 3:3), then you will not only have a rock-solid foundation to live upon, but you will walk in freedom.

Truth as FREEDOM
The truth of Christ is freedom.  It is freedom from the power of sin and freedom from the penalty for that sin.  Jesus said:

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  John 8:31-32

We are no longer slaves to sin if we accept the truth of Christ.  Sin loses its power in the presence of that truth.

Truth is also freedom when we are real with people.  Authenticity.  Letting people see who we really are and allowing them into our struggles.  Much of sin's power thrives in the dark.  Truth acts as the light that dispels that darkness.

"Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."  John 3:20-21

The individual soldier was certainly strong, but a conquering force consisted of many soldiers doing battle together.  Confessing weak areas allows our fellow soldiers to come to our aid.  Trying to hide your sins and struggles from true Christian brothers and sisters is counterproductive.  It would be like a soldier going into battle alone.

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."  Proverbs 28:13

"...each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body."  Ephesians 4:25

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices."  Colossians 3:9

There is freedom in honesty.  You don't have to try to hide who you really are while secret struggles tear you apart.  You don't have to waste time and energy trying to maintain "two lives".  You are free to simply be you.

A final thought on the belt.  The cingulum militare was not a standardized piece of equipment, rather it was a valuable personal possession.  Although made in the Army workshops, it is thought that the belts were not issued at random, but instead selected by individual soldiers as taste and budget allowed.  According to The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History by Pat Southern, most scholars agree that "it was the leather belt more than anything else that proclaimed the wearer as a soldier."  This means that the belt would have been worn in and out of uniform.  On or off duty, a soldier could be identified by his belt.  Let me draw one last comparison.  No matter where we are: in church, at home or at work, participating in an outreach or riding the bus; as followers of Christ, we should be marked by truth.

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."  Proverbs 23:23

We should "spare no expense" to clothe ourselves with truth and never part with it for any worldly gain.  There is no bargain worth your character.

What Do You Stand For?

Okay. Call me late to the party. But this whole Qur'an (Quran, Koran, etc.) burning thing is a disgrace.

Now surely that comment would be applauded in the Muslim community, but let me be clear. I don't think it's a disgrace because the book has any intrinsic value. As a Christian, the Bible is my standard of living and the only Scripture I believe to be inspired by God. I believe it is a disgrace because it shifts the focus of the Christian mission to one of condemnation.

In the last few days I've been confronted at least twice in various places with the idea that churches should be known for what they are for, rather than what they are against.

It's stuck in my head. I can't shake it.

The more disturbing side of this is that this thought somehow seems revolutionary when it really should be the standard for all churches, denominations, believers, etc. Any person or organization that falls under the banner of Christ should have laser focus when it comes to this issue.

So what is the central issue?

Well I believe it is GRACE.

People don't need a list of things they are doing wrong. Most are well aware of it, even if they don't own up to it. Certainly Biblical truth needs to be preached and the standard of Jesus Christ needs to be the "measuring stick" so to speak. But too often we put the cart before the horse.

Jesus didn't expect people to have it all together before they came to Him. He simply wanted them to come. The change came AFTER they experienced the reality of who He is. He met the need FIRST. He asked them to follow FIRST. He forgave them FIRST.

So how did Christians/churches end up identifying with what they are against?

I read these stories and saw the interviews of this small church in Florida. More than once I heard about all the different things they've done in and for the community. Unfortunately, this is not, and probably never will be, what they are known for. They are now singularly identified with persecution of the Muslim faith. What this means, is that, most likely, they have alienated, at the very least, an entire people group. People who are lost and it is there divine calling to reach.

Sad? Yes.

Is this an isolated incident? No.

Muslims, homosexuals, unwed mothers, addicts...the list goes on and on. Too often we are swift to pass judgement when the example of Jesus Christ is crystal clear.

We are to extend grace. Why? Because we have received grace.

I'm so privileged to be part of a church that gets it. And I've seen the fruits of extending that grace. When people feel like they are accepted, despite their weaknesses or failures, in spite of the fact that they walk in the doors with their hands "dirty", they are so much more likely to really hear the Good News.

Let's all work to discard this notion that you have to have it all together before you come to God. Let's be willing to get "down in the dirt" with people.

You're never more like Jesus than when you extend grace. Let's stand for that.