_____I'm pretty sure that you already have a mental picture of a breastplate: basically a metal piece that hooks at the shoulders, covers the chest, and ends a few inches above the waist. We have them today in the form of bulletproof vests. So, you can say that through the ages it has been vital to protect the breast. Why? What is contained within the human chest? Strip away the skin, muscle, and protective ribcage, and you find the heart. In physical terms, the heart is the center of life. It pumps blood throughout the body, and when something goes wrong with it, the body dies. The heart is also known as the center of emotions; love, hate, fear, excitment, and peace are all described from the heart. Now, when we recieve the gift of salvation, what does God do? He fills our heart. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the rightousness of God." What he is talking about is the exchange of our sins for God's righteousness, when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Doesn't seem logical, equal or fair, but isn't that great!

_____So we need God's righteousness to protect our hearts. Why? As I stated above, the heart is the center of our emotions, and also our self-worth and trust... which makes it a prime objective for the enemy to attack. Have you ever had someone "break your heart"? How did you feel? If it was anything like the times I experienced, more often than not, you felt like the crud caught in some gum on the bottom of your shoe. Ever notice how when we have lost something or someone how there is an emptiness within? Can you be of any good to serving God feeling like that? No. And now you see what Satan wants of us: to fall in love and fill that emptiness with the things of the world. Money, lust, possessions, alcohol, drugs... any or all of the things that may be a quick fix. But, they too shall pass; any thing of the world shall one day pass away. Any person who walks this earth will one day pass away. But God's love, His grace, His righteousness, is eternal - from everlasting to everlasting. He doesn't want our precious hearts exposed to the evil influences all around us, so He gives us something eternal that will never fail to protect us.

_____Now, what is righteousness? There are those definitions that say "true to the law," or, "doing what one believes is right." So how does that apply to God? It means having a pure heart, obeying His law and living for our Lord and Savior. If we fill our hearts with God's righteousness, which we exchange for our sin (see above), and continue place the breastplate upon our chests, suddenly Satan's odds of getting into our emotions and thoughts decrease sharply. Now, don't get cocky.. should you forget this, or any piece of the armor, the enemy will seize the opportunity and attack. The war is ongoing until the end of our days and God has given us the protection we need... but we have to know how to use it! It is true that the war has already been won, but you can still become a casulty between now and the end.

_____One other note, the prophet Isaiah wrote "He [God] put on righteousness as his breasatplate and the helmet of salvation on his head..." Isaiah 59:17a (NIV). So God is giving us access to HIS breastplate! That is how precious our hearts are to Him! That's just another way He shows His unimaginable love for us, His children.

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