Guarding The Heart

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image source: biblecartoons.com

 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place...Ephesians 6:14 NIV

    We have started looking at the armor that God gives to us as we enter into battle against sin.  Sin, with all of its many, ugly faces wreaked havoc on God's beautiful, perfect Earth way back in the Garden of Eden.  To rectify this, God set in motion His perfect redemption plan to return things to this first state of perfection.  Sending His only Son to Earth to die the most humiliating death possible provided the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.  Accepting this precious gift of redemption returns our hearts to a place of purity (provided by Jesus), restoring that perfect fellowship that was experienced between God and man prior to the fall.  

    However, sin and the effects of sin are still wreaking havoc on our world.  God has provided us an armor that allows us to stand firm as we combat these forces of evil daily. We took a quick look at our core support in the belt of truth last week.  The second piece of our armor is the breastplate of righteousness.  

      What vital organ does the breastplate protect?  The heart!  Proverbs 4:23 warns us to protect our heart, because it is the source of life.  

    The Bible also tells us that sin comes from the heart.  Ecclesiastes 9:3 and Matthew 15:18 tell us that every sin originates from the heart.  Therefore, we must guard our heart to protect ourselves from sin.  Righteousness is the protection from and for the heart.  However, we have absolutely no righteousness to offer.  Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteousness is "like filthy rags."  Are we left with no hope for our sinful, ugly, prideful hearts?  Absolutely not.

    God provides us the breastplate of HIS righteousness!  What a beautiful gift!  When we put on HIS righteousness, our hearts are shielded from the pride, hate, discord, and ugly, impure thoughts that grow into actions of rebellion against our Holy God. It is the only way that we can stand with confidence in the face of attacks from the evil one.  Our hearts are transformed into beautiful, lifegiving vessels.  We are worthy to bear the name and image of God only when we are dressed in His righteousness.  With that breastplate in place, we are worthy to access the very presence of God and bring our needs and concerns to Him directly.  

    Don't let the darts of bitterness, deceit, or anger reach your heart.  That is where the devil wants them!  That is where they grow best! Keep your breastplate of righteousness in place.  Christ's righteousness will not allow those ugly darts to penetrate and take root.   It also enables us to live out a life a godliness.  2 Peter 1:3, Titus 2:12, Romans 13:12 encourages us to shun ungodliness and cast aside the works of darkness through the power of Christ's sanctification. Christ's righteousness protects, defends and enables us to live without bitterness or anger, even as we walk through times of deep grief, confusion and pain. 

     God has provided all we need. He is faithful.  Rest in His righteousness and stand tall.   The enemy is defeated as we put on the whole armor of God.  

💓 Heather Sparks💓

  

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