The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of the Gospel
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:14-15).
The first part of the armour of God is a belt fastened around the waist. Our centre of gravity, when standing, is usually located in front of the sacrum bone, just below the waist. We naturally support ourselves just above this area. The idea of girding is to prepare ourselves for service. The Lord Jesus girded Himself with a towel before undertaking the lowly service of washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:4). Paul reminds us that the truth of God is at the basis of all we do. We need to take it in and understand it in our hearts and minds; to make it our own and live by it. God’s word and your faith in it are vital. Again, it is the Lord Jesus who demonstrates this. At the outset of His ministry, after His baptism, He goes into the wilderness to confront Satan. He defeats his power by the word of God, the belt of truth. His example is our pattern.
The next piece of armour is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate a soldier wore was like a leather waistcoat from the neck to the waist. It was worn primarily to protect his heart and other vital organs, as he stood in battle, but it also covered his back. In the Old Testament, the High Priest wore a breastplate of judgement over his heart. Upon it were twelve stones representing the twelve tribes. It is a beautiful picture of our position before God in Christ, upheld by the power of His love and righteousness. The first thing the father put on the prodigal son when he returned home (Luke 15) was “the best robe”, an illustration of the righteousness of Christ placed on us. This is a protection Satan cannot overcome. However, if we live unholy and disobedient lives, we open ourselves up to the attacks of Satan. As Christians, our communion with Christ stimulates our obedience to Him, producing a life consistent with the righteousness we have in Him. This practical expression of righteousness forms our breastplate of righteousness. God alone puts Christ’s righteousness on us when we trust in Christ. But we have the responsibility of putting on the breastplate of practical righteousness in our everyday living. Paul adds to this in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 when he writes, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love”, encouraging us to live by faith and to show love to one another.
Paul then writes, “having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v. 15). It is also translated “as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” in the ESV. The word used for preparation has the meaning of “readiness” and has also been translated “foundation” in Psalm 89:14 (LXX). Given the apostle’s theme of standing, the use of “foundation” is appealing; it fits with the sound footing we have in the Gospel of peace. The upright acacia wood boards overlaid with gold, that formed the structure of the tabernacle, stood on two sockets, or bases, of silver (Exodus 26). This is a powerful illustration of our righteousness in Christ (the gold covering) being based on His death and resurrection (two sockets of silver). We stand on this ground, knowing peace with God, the peace of God and the God of peace. In doing so, we give witness to the power of the Gospel of His grace in our lives: “Always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1Peter 3:15).
