Eph 6:14-18 (NIV) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
NOTE: I would like to look at each one of these and see if there is some relationship to chapters one to three.
The belt of truth relates back to verse 1:13, the word of truth. In 1:13, the word of truth is what we believed, and as a consequence were sealed by the Holy Spirit. The HS serves as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. Our waist covers a variety of organs, mostly involved in digestion, such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. We need to digest the word of truth in our life, and allow the nutrients of the word to filter through our whole body.
The breastplate of righteousness relates back to verse 4:24, in the application section. Verse 4:24 talks about putting on the new man, created in righteousness and holiness. The word for righteousness, dikaiosune, seems to also refer to the overall character of a man. Because we are new creatures, going back to the main idea in chapter 2 and 3, the mystery of our inclusion in the family of God and the kingdom of God, we are to live as bespeaks our new status. The breastplate protects the very vital organs of the body, heart and lung. Both are critical aspects of life that must always be working. When they stop, our life stops. So we should treat our character. It is not something that we can take a break from living.
I think that is all for now. My character must exhibit the new man; my digestion must be on God's word.
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