"God's Protection" - Breastplate of Righteousness

copyrighted by Art4Him Studios 2023

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;"   Ephesians 6:14

After doing a painting for a contest in regards to spiritual warfare, the LORD laid on my heart to start a series of paintings based on the same subject matter with the armor of God. I started reading and studying what the LORD had to say about spiritual warfare and how the armor of God is so important in a Christian's walk. As I studied and thought about each piece of the armor, I thought about how the church is being attacked a lot from the enemy and how he even uses other believers in these attacks. We as children of God are not exempt from sin, that is why it is so important to fight against the enemy by being in God's Word, praying and attending a good Bible believing church so we can not only encourage one another, but that we also will sharpen one another for our LORD as it says in Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.". This is when the LORD showed me that I was to use my church as the models of each piece, doing it in a unique way. This also allows me to pray for my church and the individuals that make up this church.
     This piece represents the Breastplate of Righteousness. I learned how the breastplate (like a bulletproof vest) protected the fragile parts of the body and was fastened by the belt that went around the soldier’s waist. It’s so important for us to remember that the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness go together. When we gird ourselves with God’s TRUTH, it then allows us to do what is right in God’s eyes which protects us from the enemy.
     This particular painting was done  for a young couple that were married in my church in 2022. When the two of them got married, they were doing what God ordained, which was right. The definition of righteous is doing what is right. That’s why I painted the two of them in front of the church on their wedding day, as a reminder of what was right. The reason for their hands on an open Bible, is to remind not just them, but all of us of God’s TRUTH and when He and His Word are at the center of our lives, we will desire to do what is right.  Isaiah 26:3-4 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:".  The mind can go in so many different directions, but when our mind is focused on Him, He gives us the knowledge that we can trust in Him. He will be our strength throughout our lives, we just need to keep our focus on Him.
          It was a joy to not only paint this for that couple and to bring them and my church before the LORD, but I also was reminded about how important it is to be in God's Word DAILY and go to Him in prayer, DAILY.  Just as the breastplate protects the vital organs of the soldier, so does this special armor help us to face the world each day, because it is "God's Protection". Are you putting on God's armor daily?