Ephesians 6:14

6:14

Stand firm – imperative, but also carries the feeling of exhortation and encouragement. The opposite is described by James: tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, half-hearted, unstable

then – logical connection, but this time the logic points in reverse, because Paul is getting ready to enumerate for me how I can stand firm. I.e., what follows explains the previous.

with – 3 “with’s”: belt, breastplate, and shoes; or truth, righteousness, and the gospel of peace. [If anyone ever reads this: I have no intention of exploring the full function of Roman military equipment, except in the most rudimentary fashion. Others much more knowledgeable than I have already done that.]

the belt – I think this item was more than a thin strap to keep my pants from falling down. I picture a broad, thick piece that protected the stomach-abdomen area. Whether that is accurate or not, I need to apply it: How many people can I recall whose double lives suddenly jumped up and punched them in the gut? What kind of nausea did they feel when this happened? God, You know my secrets. You know where truth is lacking and I feel vulnerable. I know that my standing firm comes from our partnership: me doing the possible and You doing the impossible. Right now, I need Your help just to do the possible.

of truth – honesty, integrity, living in private as I appear in public

buckled – securely fastened as opposed to loosely draped. Firmly in place as the bedrock of my armor, ergo the essence of my character. How do I get there?

around – encircling, no part left exposed

your waist – stomach, abdomen, intestines; I feel my emotions revealing themselves in this region. Angry, joyful, conflicted, peaceful, anxious, or trusting: All these emotions run straight to my abdominal region to make their presence known and felt. I need to encircle all those emotions with honesty and integrity.

with – second item

the breastplate – by definition, a covering for the upper torso. I know that popular society ties the heart to the emotion of love (which I reject as an emotion). I do not. I think of the heart as the seat of my will, my intentions, or my motivation. And I really cannot think of any logical explanation for making that connection. But I do. So that sets the backdrop for whatever application comes next:

of righteousness – two sides to righteousness: On one side, God declares me righteous, simply by grace through faith—established fact; I believe it; I no longer question it; that righteousness is securely wrapped around my heart. But there is another side because the Bible uses this term in another sense. I.e., righteousness also refers to my behavior. When I speak of a righteous man, I’m not thinking of his standing with God but of his lifestyle, his behavior. The OT often links this with justice, e.g., Micah’s question: “What does the LORD require of you … but to do justice…?”

So Paul tells me to wrap righteousness around my upper torso, the cardio-pulmonary region. He tells me to let righteousness guard, protect, defend my heart—the center of my will and motives and intentions. This is an important caution for me, one made in the likeness of Jacob and Laban. Was it Kierkegaard who said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing”?

But now another application comes to mind: It is true that God declares me righteous because of the completed work of Christ. It is equally true that God calls me to live a righteous life, characterized by the pure heart that seeks only to honor God

And it is equally true (on the third hand if anyone is counting) that the only truly Righteous One is Jesus Christ. So when I wrap righteousness around my will/motives/intentions, I wrap the Righteous One, Jesus Christ, around me. He guards and defends my will, et al. This does not release me from responsibility. But it does demonstrate the partnership between Jesus Christ and me to guard my heart against any evil intentions.

in place – Wouldn’t it be tragic irony to know all this about righteousness but forget or neglect to apply it? Neglect wrapping Jesus Christ and His righteousness around me? How tragic. And yet there are occasions when I act as if I have left the breastplate behind as I enter the struggles of a new day.