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Ephesians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 8, 2025

Just as the High Priest was instructed to do in the Old Testament, Jesus, our great High Priest, wore the breastplate of judgment. He brought the perfect sacrifice on our behalf into the very presence of God. The veil separating God from man has been torn in half, and Jesus entered by wearing our names on His heart. This sacrifice was for our sins, and the barrier has been broken. With the truth of Christ’s sacrificial act on our behalf, we have been given breastplates to wear also. These breastplates protect us from the onslaughts of the enemy. Our two breastplates are the breastplate of “faith and love” and the breastplate of “righteousness.” The cross of Jesus is not just a symbol, but it is at the center of my courage in the battles of life. I put on the breastplate of faith when I trust in what Christ has done for me on the cross. He paid the penalty. He made the sacrifice to expunge my sins from the records. He put my sins upon his breast and entered into the presence of God with the ultimate sacrifice. For me (and you!) He lived! For me (and you!), He died. There is no greater love than this. His love shields me and protects me from all harm. Though there is sorrow for a time, I know the end result. Job didn’t know! But he wore the breastplate of faith: “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in Him…naked came I into the world…naked from it I will go… the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away…blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Since God’s deep love for us (John 3:16) brought Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross, I’ve been made clean, and through faith, I’m made whole and righteous in God’s eyes. The cross is the center of my courage. Faith is the secret of my courage. Trusting God’s promises regardless of life’s situations is the best protection we can ever find. In 1 John 5:13, we read, “I have written these things to you who believe (wear the breastplate of faith and love) in Jesus Christ so that you will know (with absolute certainty) that you have everlasting life.” God’s love is the substance of my courage. We have no fear with Christ’s love and our names on his breast! “Perfect love casts out fear.” “If God is for us (and He is!), who can stand against us?” No one!

His perfect righteousness is the source of all my courage. The breastplate of righteousness is not my own righteousness. It’s His! When Jesus bore our sins on his heart into the presence of God he became sin. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin…” But there is more to that verse. The result of Christ’s wearing the breastplate of judgment on our behalf is “…so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The breastplate we wear, righteousness, is not our own righteousness, which is at best questionable, but it’s His perfect righteousness. As the sky turned black with Jesus on the cross as payment for our sin, His righteousness was being credited to our accounts. As our sins were credited to Christ, his righteousness was credited to us. This righteous standing is the source of all righteous living. It’s out of who we are in Christ that we stand against the temptations, trials, struggles and sufferings that come against us in life. Our courage has its source in who we are! When we have faith in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, motivated out of God’s love for us, we put on the breastplate of righteousness.

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Ephesians 6:14, Ecclesiastes 4:10

Honesty with Others

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 7, 2025

The belt of truth gives us true strength to lift heavier burdens to stay longer in the battle, and to face even stronger foes. It keeps me anchored to something that remains unmovable. Although subjective experience changes for each person, objective truth is the same for everyone. Even when attacked and denied, and betrayed for a time, truth will always prevail in the end. With that certainty, you can do battle with the worst! When we’re honest with ourselves, and when we’re honest with God, it reinforces us in body, soul, and spirit. In addition, we need also to be honest with others. In the context of community, we find the basic human needs satisfied and the help and strength we need to fight our personal foes. The fact is we need each other. There are often failures and defeats that cripple us in our warfare, but with the help of others, we can get back into the fray of battle. The wisest man in the world, Solomon, said this (Ecclesiastes 4:10), “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

God exists in a community of three persons. He created us in that image. We exist in the community, and we need each other. John exhorts us to confess our sins to God for forgiveness. James exhorts us to confess our sins to others for healing (James 5:16). P. D. Robbins said, “When guilt feelings hit, I have a hard time believing God forgives unless I first experience forgiveness from some warm bodies here on earth. But even that acceptance is hollow unless I’ve been transparent enough to know that people see the real me—warts and all. Otherwise, I’ll figure they love me only because they don’t really know how rotten I am. Being open and honest with others gives me the assurance that no matter how people react to me, they’re responding to the genuine article, not some spruced-up version.”

We all need an intimate connection with others. We can’t have that kind of connection with everyone, but we need it to be with someone or some group. We’re always encouraging others to find small groups of those who share their faith in order to find true communion in an honest and open community. If we’re not completely honest with someone on earth, the chances are extremely remote that we’re being honest with ourselves and God. It’s in this community that we can truly get to know ourselves. We really don’t find ourselves through introspection as the trend in our society suggests. Paul Tournier, a Christian Physician, says that introspection “is like peeling the skin off an onion; you remove layer after layer and discover there’s nothing left.” He continues to add, “There is nothing more important than honest dialogue between Christians. It’s how we discover ourselves, our friends, and our God.”

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Exodus 28:15, Ephesians 6:14

The Light Of His Glory

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 6, 2025

As part of the armor of God, Paul instructs us to put on the “breastplate of righteousness.” I think we can get a full picture of what that means by looking at the other uses of “breastplate” in the Bible. First of all, we have the “breastplate of judgment.” In Exodus 28, God instructs Israel on how to create the breastplate. It is to be constructed out of “gold, violet-purple, red-purple and crimson materials and finely woven linen” (28:15). On it were attached 12 precious stones: Sardis, topaz, emerald, sapphire, diamond, opal, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, and jasper. On each stone was engraved the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Aaron, and every High Priest after him, was to wear this breastplate of judgment over his chest as he conducted his business in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in the presence of God. This is explained in verse 30: “Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly.” As our one and only final high priest, Jesus Christ, bore our sins on his heart upon the cross and entered into God’s presence on our behalf. Maclaren puts it this way, “the first step in the intercession of our great High Priest is the presenting before God forever and ever that great fact that He, the Sinless, has died for the love of sinful men, and thereby has secured that the judgment of Heaven on them shall now be ‘no condemnation.’” This establishes for us the basis of our hope in Christ. He took our sins upon himself as our substitute, just as the chief priest did for the children of Israel. It’s the assurance that all who trust in Him are acquitted by the courts of heaven.

There’s another aspect of the breastplate of judgment that’s worth noticing. It’s the fact that our names are not inscribed on pieces of bone, rocks, or scraps of leather, wood or stone. They are engraved upon the most precious of gems known to man. Maclaren elaborates on this fact: “Precious in the eyes of Christ are the souls for whom He has given so much. They are not only precious, but lustrous, flashing back the light in various colors indeed, according to their various laws of crystallization, but all receptive of it and all reflective of it.” Christ’s work on our behalf does not end with acquittal. All those whom He has justified by faith, He also glorified! Maclaren continues, “…be sure that mere forgiveness and acquittal is the least of the blessings which He intends to give, and that He will not be satisfied until in all our nature we receive and flash back the light of His own glory.”

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1 Thessalonians 5:8, Ephesians 6:14, Habakkuk 2:4

The Breastplate of Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 5, 2025

Exodus tells us about the breastplate of judgment that the High Priest wore into the presence of God. On it were the precious gems with the names of each of the twelve tribes. He represented his people with the sacrifice to secure their forgiveness. Christ, as our High Priest, represents us as he entered the Holy of Holies while on the cross, bearing our sins upon his heart. As the veil of the temple was torn in half, we see that Christ’s sacrifice was the final payment for our sins. The cross is the center of all my courage. It is all about Christ’s work on my behalf that evil can be defeated in my life. My courage comes from his work for me. Romans 8:1 says that because of Christ’s work on the cross, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Christ bore the breastplate of judgment for us!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells us, “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith…” We’ve been considering the “full armor of God” and Paul’s exhortation for us to put it on as we struggle against the powers of spiritual evil in heavenly places. Really, the armor is all about Jesus. If we put on Christ, we put on the armor. If we put on the armor, we put on Christ. They seem to be one and the same. Consider the pieces. Regarding the belt of truth, Jesus said, “I am the truth…” (John 14:6.) Regarding the breastplate of righteousness, Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). Regarding the boots of the gospel of peace, Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). Regarding salvation, Jesus is the author and finisher of it all. Regarding the sword of the spirit, the word of God, Jesus is the living word (John 1:1). He seems to be our all in all. But what about the shield of faith or Paul’s reference in 1 Thessalonians regarding the “breastplate of faith?”

The New Testament quotes Habakkuk 2:4 several times: Romans, Galatians, and the book of Hebrews. But all of them say, “The just shall live by faith.” In the book of Habakkuk, in the original, it actually reads, “The just shall live by HIS faith.” You might wonder what the antecedent is to the third person personal pronoun, “His.” What exactly is it referring to? Let me speculate a little. All the other pieces of armor might be illustrated as characteristics of Christ. Could the “faith” be a reference to Christ’s faith and not our own? Well, Galatians 2:20 says, “The life that I now live in the flesh, I love by the faith of the Son of God.” There is so much more security in my victory when the faith that I wear is HIS faith instead of my own. I’m like the apostles at many instances where Jesus asks them “why do you have such little faith?” Donald Grey Barnhouse took it this way. He concludes this observation with this comment: “There I discovered the second great fact. The faith of Christ is the source and fullness of life. Christ is everything, and all that we need to win the battle. All truth is related to Him. All true righteousness has its source in Him. And so on through the list. Put on Christ, and you put on the whole armor of God. Put on the whole armor of God, and you put on Christ.”

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Ephesians 6:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:8

The Breastplate of Love

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 4, 2025

In I Thessalonians, Paul uses the image of the breastplate to describe faith and love. He writes in Chapter 5 and verse 8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love…” Jesus exhorted his disciples about love frequently. On one occasion, he explained that they should “live” in His love for them. In John 15:9, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Jude exhorts his readers to “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21). Obviously, this is not our love for God but God’s love for us. It’s the only safe place. John Calvin said that God’s love is a “watchtower.” It’s a sentry’s post. Even the exhortation to “keep yourself…” is reminiscent of a military command. When Paul exhorts the Corinthians about fighting the good fight as soldiers, he uses military phrases. In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul uses literal military commands. He says, “Be on Guard (alert & Watchful), take your stand in the substance of faith, be courageous, and be strong.” The next verse then concludes, “Let all that you do be done in love.”

Our ability to withstand the spiritual battles against the forces of darkness is not in our own strength, but in our preparedness and reliance on God’s love. Dwelling in, and standing firm in, God’s love acts as a protective shield, safeguarding all the vital parts of our existence against the onslaughts of the evil one. As Paul explains, we are children of the day! We are not children of the night with our pajamas on ready for bed. No, we’re up and dressed and ready for life and able and competent to face all trials and sufferings that life may bring our way. We find courage in the breastplate of God’s love. It’s this truth that brought Paul great confidence when he wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things (read, “face all enemies”) through Christ Jesus.” Whether we are named by our parents or by God, the name that truly defines us is ‘beloved of God.’ That’s what God names you. That’s what God names me! Never doubt God’s love!

Abiding in God’s love, having put on the breastplate of love, will give me confidence and courage in my life long battles. John said it best, “there is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives away fear” (1 John 4:18). No matter what assails me in my day to day life I can face it all because I know that God always has my best interest foremost in mind. He may give Satan permission to attack (see Job 1), but he will always limit the attack as well as bring the end results out for my good. This is not always easy to understand that’s why Paul refers to this breastplate as one of “faith and love.” As we grow to trust in God’s love and grow in our conviction of God’s love and care for us, we will find true courage in all trials and problems (i.e., attacks) of life. Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends…” (John 15:13-14).

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Ephesians 6:14, Psalm 51:5

Honest to God!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 3, 2025

The book of Psalms is a book of songs! It contains prayers, outcries, moans, groans, and explosions of praise, as well as cries of excitement and thanks and just about every other expression of human emotion you can imagine. Knowles explains, “They are written by various people over a long period of time. King David wrote some of them, and priests and directors of the temple music wrote others. The Psalms cover the whole range of our experiences of God, from praising him for our creation and salvation to complaining about our situation or circumstances. Above all, they are honest with God and help us to talk to him straight from the heart.” They express the truth to God. The belt of truth is one of the parts of God’s armor for doing spiritual warfare. When we’re girded about with the belt of truth, we have the strength to stand up to attacks from the evil one when otherwise we might fall prey to his schemes.

One of the key messages of the Psalms is honesty with God regarding our sinfulness. After his huge sin of adultery and murder, David breaks before God with the truth. He writes, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:5). Without being truthful with God about our moral, ethical and spiritual failures, we’ll never find peace with God, and we’ll be fighting battles on our own the rest of our lives. The Greek word for confession is “homologeo.” It means to “speak the same thing.” We must agree with God about our failures, weaknesses, and sinfulness. We not only need to be truthful with ourselves, but we must also be truthful with God. Expressing that truth about our failure and character will give us strength. Many think admitting they’re wrong is a weakness! In God’s economy, it’s strength. John says (1 John 1:9) that if we “confess” our sins to God, He will always forgive us, restore us, cleanse us, and set us back on the right path of life with renewed vigor to fight the good fight. If we deny our sin, we are on our own. God sent His Son to die for our sins. He’s the savior of sinners, or he’s not your savior.

Max Lucado put it this way: “The Message is clear. As long as Jesus is one of many options, he is no option. You don’t need a burden bearer as long as you can carry your burdens alone. As long as your situation brings you no grief, you will receive no comfort. And as long as you can take him or leave him, you might as well leave him because he won’t be taken half-heartedly. But when you mourn, when you get to the point of sorrow for your sins, when you admit that you have no other option but to cast all your cares on him, and when there is truly no other name that you can call, then cast all your cares on him, for he is waiting in the midst of the storm.”

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Ephesians 6:14

Gird Up Your Loins

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 2, 2025

Levi hadn’t invented his jeans in Jesus’ day. The normal dress was loose-flowing robes. This was true in the Old Testament days as well. The robes that people normally wore were impractical for hard work or fast travel but, more specifically, were a real hindrance in battle. Therefore, the phrase “gird up your loins” is a common expression throughout the bible. There was a belt that could be worn around the waist in which the loose ends of the robe could be snugly tucked into to allow for free action of movement. When Elijah ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel (1 Kings 18:46), the text says, “He girded up his loins, and ran…” Some modern translations say, “tucking his cloak into his belt,” and he ran ahead of Ahab. Others simply say he “wrapped his coat around himself.” God called Job to “gird up his loins” (Job 38:8), Which also appears in several other passages. The various translations say the same thing but use different phrases: brace yourself (NIV), be strong (NCV), prepare yourself (NKJV), get ready (CEV), and be ready (CEV).

The common thread with the various translations is the idea of strengthening oneself for imminent action! Something is going down, and you need to get the loose ends wrapped up so you can deal with it without any hindrances. According to Paul, Ephesians 6:14, the belt into which we tuck up our loose ends is called “the belt of truth.” He says, “Stand strong, be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist” (CEV). In keeping with the fact that we’re talking about a battle for the thoughts and minds, Peter addresses us with a similar exhortation. He writes in 1 Peter 1:13, “gird up the loins of your mind” (KJV).

When we are enveloped in the truth, we gain the strength to withstand numerous challenges. Kent Hughes once vividly imagined the Apostle Paul at the end of his career, donned in the armor he described in Ephesians 6. Hughes paints a picture of Paul, “He has worn his war belt so long that it is sweaty through and through and salt-stained and comfortable like an old horse’s bridle, and it holds everything perfectly in place. The belt of truth … has girded him tight for years, so that it has permeated his life and reigns within. He is armed with the clear eyes of a clean conscience. He can face anything.” Jesus once proclaimed that “the truth will set you free.” This statement holds true on multiple levels. God’s truth in Christ liberates us from the shackles of sin and death. Truth, when adopted as a guiding principle, frees us from the snares of deceit we often weave in our lives, which frequently lead to pain and setbacks. But if we’re girded with truth, we can, like Paul, confront anything!

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1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Timothy 6:10-12

A Time to Flee

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 1, 2025

James tells us to “submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” But sometimes, it’s wiser for us to flee. I did a search on this subject and found that there are at least three things that believers should flee from. The first one is found in 1 Corinthians 10:14. It says, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Commenting on this verse, David Jeremiah writes, “An idol is anything that comes between you and God. Anything of value to you could be an idol. When you begin to realize that something is taking the place of God in your life, you don’t need to sit and ponder it. You don’t need to write a thesis or call a meeting about it. You need to flee! Every moment of personal idolatry is a moment of spiritual danger. It is wear and tear on your soul.”

The second thing we are to flee from is “sexual immorality.” That’s exactly what 1 Corinthians 6:18 says. Paul instructs Timothy similarly. He says, “Flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). David Jeremiah adds a great comment regarding this verse as well. He writes, “Sexual temptation is a demonic trump card; there’s something unique and terrible about its power. The devil uses it for those in ministry, those in marriage, and those maturing. He uses it particularly for those perched in precarious positions—those in transition, whether through the storms of adolescence, the trials of marriage, or the temptations of business travel.” Nothing will ruin our relationship with God, others, and ourselves more completely than sexual sin. It has been the downfall of many believers and non-believers as well. We can say it was the downfall of King David as well as his son, Solomon.

The third thing we are to flee from is “Greed.” 1 Timothy 6:10-12 is a fascinating passage. It says, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man (person!) of God, flee these things! Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” Obviously, materialism is a form of idolatry, but it deserves a special focus, as Paul knew. When something, anything, is more important to us than God, it is an idol. It comes between us and God and becomes the focus of our lives. I’ve heard many people say they cannot give what they want to give to God’s work because they have this expense or that expense, or they need this or need that. The truth is when we fail to support God’s work with the resources He blessed us with, we open the door of our lives to all kinds of evil as well as “pangs.” Truly, if you own something or need something or want something you can’t do without, you don’t own it. It owns you! Jesus made it clear you cannot serve both God and money at the same time! Neither can you love them both at the same time! The Living Bible translates Deuteronomy 14:23 this way, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” Nothing reveals our true priorities in life more than our checkbooks.

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