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Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place\\u2026 (Ephesians 6:14)

In Isaiah 59, an important background to Ephesians 6 emerges. \\xa0The whole chapter is worth a read (and is, I think, an excellent description of the \\u201cpowers and principalities\\u201d of evil Paul has in mind in this section). \\xa0Here\\u2019s an excerpt\\u2014this is Isaiah describing the state of affairs among God\\u2019s people:

\\u201c\\u2026justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head\\u2026\\u201d (Is. 59:14-17).

When Paul talks about the armor of God, he is quite literally speaking of God\\u2019s own armor. \\xa0Think back to our series of 1 Samuel and David\\u2019s journey of growing up to be king. \\xa0In both the chapter 17 Goliath episode and the running-from-Saul episode of chapter 21, David is confronted with a question: will he fight the Lord\\u2019s battles in Saul\\u2019s armor, or in God\\u2019s (i.e. nothing but trust in God\\u2019s own deliverance)? \\xa0In the first case, David chooses God\\u2019s armor with childlike faith. \\xa0But in the second instance, David is quite open to whatever armor will get the job done\\u2014any means necessary. \\xa0He is in the wilderness of the \\u201cthe devil\\u2019s schemes\\u201d where \\u201ctruth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.\\u201d \\xa0But in this wilderness it proves to be true that the one who asks, receives. \\xa0When David asks for armor in the house of God\\u2014God\\u2019s armor is what he receives there. \\xa0It is a gift.

You will notice that in both the context of Isaiah and the life of David, the sort of truth we\\u2019re talking about is the sort of honesty and integrity of character that Pastor Michael spoke of yesterday. \\xa0The same is true of righteousness. \\xa0In Isaiah, righteousness is said to \\u201cstand at a distance,\\u201d because \\u201cwhoever shuns evil becomes a prey,\\u201d a target. \\xa0The Lord is appalled at this\\u2014that no righteous person can be found to intervene against injustice and dishonesty. \\xa0All the righteous have shrunk back from the fight. \\xa0They have not stood their ground.

Notice again that doctrinal truth and personal, ethical righteousness is not the issue here. \\xa0If these were the issues at stake, then \\u201cany means necessary\\u201d to hold up the doctrine or our own reputation would be perfectly justified, even if it means running roughshod over others causing pain, mistrust, and material hardship. \\xa0But in fact, the \\u201cmeans\\u201d do matter, because honesty and the failure to stand for what is right when neighbours are being unjustly treated is the problem. \\xa0\\xa0

Thankfully, God himself comes to do what his people will not. \\xa0He comes as the righteous one who stands for the right and who achieves salvation. \\xa0And so come the familiar words of Isaiah 60:1, \\u201cArise, shine, for your light has come.\\u201d \\xa0We are the ones now standing in the light of Christ, the very Lord of Isaiah who strapped on the breastplate of righteousness. \\xa0He has won the salvation. \\xa0Both forgiveness for the perpetual dishonesty and failures to stand up for what\\u2019s right of his people, but also the setting right of injustices so that honesty and righteousness might flourish among people. \\xa0

When we \\u201cput on Christ\\u201d in our baptism, his armor becomes our own. \\xa0He has won for us this ground on which we stand. \\xa0He arms us with his own armor. \\xa0He commands us not to advance, nor to retreat, nor to give up the fight and throw his armor on the floor. \\xa0All we must do is stand firm where we are, in his armor. \\xa0

In practice, this means quite a simple thing, I think. \\xa0It means a willingness to be the odd one out when someone is being picked on, when a \\u201ccoarse joke\\u201d is being told, or when some injustice, cruel action, or power grab is being perpetrated whether in a committee, in a group of friends or colleagues, or on the street. \\xa0Very often, doing nothing more than standing firm and saying: \\u201cI can\\u2019t go along with this,\\u201d is this righteousness of God\\u2019s armor that stands firm in justice and truth.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:17-21).

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