The Importance of Armor Maintenance: The Breastplate

This is the third segment in an eight-part series.

The largest piece of God's Armor is the breastplate. The military breastplate was crucial because it covered vital organs like the lungs, heart, and liver. However, when I was looking for a modern equivalent, I decided against Kevlar, worn our soldiers and police officers. Unlike a breastplate, those vests have both a front and a back. The most common comparison we have today would be baseball/softball umpire's chest protector. They aren't designed to stop modern weapon strikes, but they do help protect the wearer from hurtling fastballs and errant bat swings.

Perhaps you have read or been told that there is no back protection because we aren't supposed to run from a battle. Although I have been taught that since Sunday school, I have come to doubt this interpretation. I find it seasoned with judgment from people who are likely not in a current battle. I believe God protects us when we sit down from fatigue and when we make a quick, overwhelmed retreat. And don’t doubt that the enemy will launch sneak attacks from behind. God still defends in all these situations. But that is a topic for another blog. Let's look more at the breastplate.

In Ephesians 6, Paul lists the breastplate of righteousness, but Roman soldiers wore a cuirass, a combination of both a breastplate and a backplate. These were made either of leather or metal strips attached to leather. Paul was imprisoned by more than his share of Roman soldiers, so he was probably highly familiar with the armor, recognizing the cuirass. I don't know why Paul talked only about the breastplate and not the backplate, but he didn't. I believe it is very likely that Paul, a scholar of the scriptures, based his "Armor of God" on the description of the armor God puts on Himself in Isaiah 59 to battle the unrighteous. And although there is sparse historical evidence, I suggest that armor during Isaiah's time was quite different than that during Paul's, possibly not even having a backplate.

Another possibility is that maybe God is telling us through Isaiah that we need His righteousness to move forward. Job 17:9 says, "The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger." This is certainly an encouragement to seek God and his righteousness. It is not our righteousness that protects us, but the Lord's.

What is righteousness?

The dictionary definitions I found define it as having to do with being morally right or good. Righteous people are those who stand up for what is honest and honorable. Think about old Westerns. There was no doubt who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. They could usually be told apart immediately just by the colors of their hats. (Wouldn't that be helpful in real life?) But God knows that as much as we strive for righteousness on our own, we will never achieve the level of purity it takes to be in His presence.

Isaiah says that compared to God's righteousness, our righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6) We would never be able to come into God's presence with our righteousness, so, out of love for us, He allows us to borrow the righteousness that Jesus supplied on the cross. "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21) There aren't works we can perform to earn this. No matter how many honorable things we do, they won't be enough. Paul writes in another letter that his worldly goods are like trash compared to knowing Christ, who credits our faith as righteousness. (Philippians 3:8,9) So, this gift of righteousness comes through God's love and our faith.

How can we maintain our breastplate?

We can't simply go through the motions of putting on the armor. We must examine how much we allow God's righteousness to cover us. Are we living in faith in every area? Are we leaning on our own understanding? Our own strength? Have we allowed scuffs or rust to mar our armor because of compromise? It is easy for that to happen. But if we examine it regularly, we will stop the damage before it goes too far.

How can our breastplate become damaged?

First, remember that our breastplate will never be damaged because of a lack of God's love. However, we can damage it by lacking humility, thinking that our righteousness is enough. We can damage it by prioritizing the wrong things, being prideful in ourselves, and not giving glory to God. Though pride is, in my opinion, the root of all sin, the presence of it here is obvious. If we begin to think our good deeds are adequate to replace those of Jesus, we in a dangerous place. "Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength." (Isaiah 45:24a) Again, God's righteousness covers us, and we need that to go forward in battle.

There also may be areas in the breastplate that arrows have dented from attacks. The enemy often shoots at us, trying to break our hearts and knock the wind out of our lungs. "For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,/They make ready their arrow upon the string/To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart." (Psalm 11:2) We will fight many battles, and we will get hit, causing damage to our covering.

What if we need to repair it?

Our repair kit should include humility, faith, and a partnership with God. Repairs need to be made during times of prayer and worship, seeking God's face. He will provide us with the things we need. Quick fixes made with works, pride, or hasty promises will not survive another battle.

Does your breastplate look like this?

Photo credit: Policearmor.org.

Does this picture look ridiculous to you? It does to me, too. But this is what happens when we try to repair things in our own strength. You and I know these people. Maybe we are these people. Instead of taking the time, money, or energy to replace something, they rig it up, cover it with duct tape, and keep on going, even when the dependability of the item is lessened. However, just like duct tape isn't bulletproof, our personal righteousness is unworthy of breastplate repair.

God will certainly help us when our armor has been damaged. Actually, seeking His help because we know we need His righteousness is a great start. It allows humility. Believing that He will help us requires faith. And spending time with God, studying the Word, learning more about the qualities of God will help us repair both our relationship and our breastplate. So, take off your white cowboy hat of self-reliance, throw away the duct tape of trying harder, and recognize God’s righteousness is more healing than we can ever understand.