Truth and Righteousness

Have you ever been told to put on a smile, even thought your weren’t feeling it? Or maybe you were told you wear your heart on your sleeve? These are often used to tell us that its ok to “fake it til you make it.” Smile even when you are upset. Not everyone should know how you are feeling.

One of the biggest issues I have is that I wear my emotions out loud. It’s very hard for me to pretend to be something I am not. I believe there is strength in transparency. I have also learned, however, that living in my feelings instead of truth isn’t helpful either.

A couple years ago I was in a really bad funk. I felt passed over, looked down on, and marginalized. Then one day I had a mentor tell me something very important as I was helping with baptisms. “These people deserve to be celebrated by you, not dragged down.” That really stuck with me. Why should my emotions be anyone else's problem?

Sometimes we have to fake it til we make it. Not because we are being fake, but because what we are feeling isn’t the truth.

Paul starts out by talking about the armor of God by saying….

Ephesians 6:13 NLT

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

He doesn’t say, “Put on your feelings.” or “put on your truth.” No, he says put on God’s armor. The armor that God has gifted you to stand not just during, but also after the battle.

I think it’s important that the Bible says “after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Usually we don’t feel very strong or victorious during the spiritual battles we engage in day to day. But this is saying that if we put this on, we will still be standing when the smoke clears.

I also believe it is important to pay attention to the order it is given.

1. Truth always comes first

Ephesians 6:14 NLT

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

This seems odd to me for a couple different reasons.

I would never put my belt on first. That’s weird

How does keeping my pants up relate to truth?

First we need to understand what this would have meant from a military stand point. Specifically Roman military because that is who Paul was most familiar. So what does a belt mean to a Roman soldier?

In Roman military attire, the belt, known as the cingulum militare or balteus, was a crucial piece of equipment and a symbol of social status and military identity. It served practical purposes like distributing weight and securing armor, as well as supporting the sword and dagger. Beyond its practical use, the belt was a visible mark of military service, and its loss or removal could be seen as a serious punishment. 

Think about this.

Truth is what should set us apart as Christians.

It also distributes the weight we have to carry. How? If you have ever had to sustain the believability of a lie, you know the weight that puts on your soul. It also supports the sword. The Sword of the Spirit, which we will get to in the next couple weeks, is always supported by truth. And what happens when truth is removed or you get caught up in lies? You lose more than you gain.

What does Jesus say about truth?

John 14:6–7 NLT

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Jesus is Truth! We need Him every second of the day to hold us together, lift us up, and secure us. We must always start with truth!

2. Protect your heart

The breast plate or body armor of righteousness. What is that about?

Well, fist and foremost this is about protection. The body armor used by the Romans was designed to deflect arrows, spears, and swords. It protected the heart and other vital organs from injury or attack.

It also provided esprit de corp, morale. It was their uniform. It brought them together as a team so you never thought you were alone out there.

Romans 3:22 NLT

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Righteousness, right standing with God, can only be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ . By identifying with Jesus, His death and ultimate resurrection, we are put in right standing with God.

Just as a physical breastplate shields a soldier from harm, the breastplate of righteousness, which is a lifestyle of faith and obedience, protects believers from spiritual attacks and condemnation. 

Let’s get real practical about this.

Following Jesus is hard. That is why we must put on righteousness everyday. We start to get into trouble when we believe we can do it on our own. Look at Paul

Philippians 3:6–11 NLT

I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Paul realized that all the striving and law following meant nothing without a relationship with Jesus. Everything else was worthless. Out of that relationship righteousness will flow and our heart and soul will be protected.

When you put truth and righteousness together you get integrity. What is integrity? The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. I’ve heard it put this way, “integrity is when you are the same person when no one is watching.”

If you have the truth surrounding you and binding you together, coupled with the righteousness of God guiding you, you will have protection in this war we find ourselves in.

This war is real. The difference between Christ followers and the world is that we know that we are in the fight of our lives. This is why Jesus has given us armor and instructions.