“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God…Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth (Ephesians 6:13-14).
“Jesus saith unto [us], I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
The area of our loins represents the center of reproduction, the most intimate area of a relationship between husband and wife, which also begets the other family relationships (children, siblings, etc.) that result from the marriage union. Godly faithful marriages and family relationships are God’s means of revealing His character of unselfish love. Having and raising children teaches us invaluable lessons about our need to be born again unto a lively hope (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:3), as well as our utter dependence on God for everything (Isaiah 49:25; John 15:5).
In ancient times, one way that men entered into a covenant relationship with another was by placing their hand on the inside of the upper thigh while swearing a solemn oath. As Abraham said to his eldest servant, “Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh” (Genesis 24:2). Or as Israel called on Joseph, “put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh…bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt” (Genesis 47:29).
In these examples, we can see that the loins, is considered the center of our emotions and passions, symbolically represent these most significant relationships. The Scriptures further speak of our need of having bowels of compassion (1 John 3:17) and bowels of mercies and kindness (Colossians 3:12). The psalmist tells us that to be weak in the loins produces anxiety or fear (Psalm 69:23). Jeremiah laments, “Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled” (Lamentations 1: 20). No wonder then that when John saw Christ coming, he records that He had “on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19:16).
Our response to stress and crises may be positive or negative. No wonder then that God chose His armour of Truth to protect these crucial life areas. Truth that is honest, just, pure, and filled with praise and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:8). True relationships are built on these characteristics. Thus Christ pleads with His Father to “Sanctify them [us] through thy truth; thy word is truth” (John 17:17).
Breastplate of Righteousness
God has made Christ our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). The breastplate protects some of the most vital organs necessary for life (heart, lungs, and breast). In God's word, the heart represents the center core and source of spiritual life (as it is in the physical body). Paul tells us that our attitude in service for others should be rendered “with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:5-6). He further describes the results of prophesying, “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest” (1 Corinthians 14:25). The wise man says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). A man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), King David models a prayer for restoration, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
The breastplate points to a positive, approved, and blessed relationship with the King, rightfully standing with full acceptance in the eyes of God (Luke 21:36). We need the lungs for breathing; moreover, Christians believe that prayer is the breath of the soul, without which we would die. “Praying without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) with the lungs will bring comfort betwixt the breast when the righteousness of Christ is mingled with true confession with the heart. Babies find comfort on their mother's breast. So our relationship deepens betwixt the breast of God (John 13:23).
As we experience trust with the Lord and comfort through the knowledge of His Word, we develop skills to propel the gospel to others. An old proverb says, “An army is only as good as the feet of its soldiers.” In New York City, we say, “Our feet is our taxi.” Feet in the Scriptures can represent our service to God and humanity, sharing our faith on the pathway of life. “He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places” (Psalm 18:33). “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace” (Isaiah 52:7). We are to encourage others to come to Christ and “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). When Jesus sent His disciples out to labor among men, He instructed them by saying, “And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house” (Luke 10:5). That verse tells us that peace is a dynamic spiritual gift that we can project and give to others. But we can only expect to give this type of peace when we ourselves are personally experiencing it through union with Christ. So having invited me into your home, I say to you, reader, "Peace be unto to you, and unto your household."
In order that we might retain this peace, God gives us the faith of Jesus, which imparts stability, strength, and endurance. The true people of God possess the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12). Above all, the Scripture urges us to take up “the shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:16). Why? Only the shield of faith can “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” The rest of the armour clothes specific parts of the body. But the shield forms the first line of defense. Such is why God has picked faith as our shield, because Satan seldom attacks us directly. He always uses other people or situations to strike us down. Our adversary, as a roaring lion, strikes without warning (1 Peter 5:8), so his attacks can come from any direction. His poison arrows may involve: fear, doubt, rejection, unkind words, lies about us, depression, sickness, or anything that can wound or disable us in the battle of the Lord. Faith looks at all things through the eyes of the Lord. And that is why the just must live by faith (Romans 1:17).
It was faith that kept Jesus in Gethsemane, and that kept Him strong through the mockery of a corrupt trial. He bore the crown of thorns, was whipped, beaten, flogged, and stricken — all for us. But praise Jesus, He remembered the promise, “He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). Such is the power of the faith of Jesus. Stephen saw Jesus through the eye of faith, as did Abraham, and so also the three Hebrew worthies in the fiery furnace. Faith quickens and uplifts the soul, looking ever forward to higher and still higher attainments.
And when we look up (Luke 21:28), God gives us “the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17), which protects our mind — the seat of our thinking, judgment, and identity. So “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). For indeed “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). “And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed through the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), where perception, reasoning, motives, and values are found.
Salvation in Christ means wholeness, through willing cooperation with our infinite, omnipotent God, whose unlimited power alone can bring the mind, body, emotions, and habits back into the likeness of God. “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9).
Finally, God says to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus is the living Word. Here in the Holy Scriptures, we can see from Genesis to Revelation, it is all about Jesus! This book contains the mind of God, which is the Christian's sword. It is also their missionary map, for it has light to direct you; food to support you (John 4:31-34), and comfort to cheer you (Zechariah 1:13). It should fill the memory (Psalm 119:119), rule the heart (Proverbs 2:1-2), and guide the feet (Psalm 119:105).
Call to Action
The Bible must be read prayerfully, patiently, frequently, and daily. The Bible, the written word, points the way to the living Word. Both must be woven into the fabric of our life. Dress us in your armour, O LORD, we pray, for Christ’s sake! Amen.
All scripture taken from the King James Version.
