Faith Food Devotional: Friday: 17^th May, 2013

Protecting the Heart with Righteousness

Bulletproof Vest

“Stand firm then…with the breastplate of righteousness in place”, (Ephesians 6:14 N.I.V)

The role of the heart is critical to life. It supplies all the cells in the body with the oxygen and nutrients they need for proper function. It therefore needs protection. In ordinary life, the rib cage may be adequate to protect it. But those like the police or the army require higher protective armor that helps absorb the impact of firearms and shrapnel from explosions. They require breastplates which today have evolved to bulletproof vests. The vests range from relatively soft ones worn by police and private citizens to hard plate reinforced vests worn by combat soldiers (according to Wikipedia).

The righteousness of God is the ideal breastplate for our spiritual hearts. Given the offensive strategies of the evil one, each of our spiritual lives depends on it for survival. While physical breastplates have a limit of resistance and penetration, that from God is limitless. The Bible dramatically presents this lesson through the story of Ahab who was killed after forcibly taking over Naboth’s vineyard. This action put a big chink in his spiritual armor. He was thereafter killed in battle. "But a certain man drew his bow and unknowingly struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate…at evening he died; the blood from the wound had flowed into the bottom of the chariot" (1 Kings 22:31-35). The righteousness of God gives us a clear conscience; we are found healthy and faultless before God; without a chink in our armor because of Christ’s righteousness which through the cleansing with his blood we wear as our own.

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“If we follow Jesus and look only to His righteousness, we are in his hands and under the protection of Him and His Father. And if we are in communion with the Father, naught can harm us. God will help us in the hour of need, and He knows our needs.” Dietrich Bonheoffer

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