The wisest man who ever lived, once said, “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19). Our heart reveals who we really are. In our society, the heart is referred to as the seat of the emotions. You can “put your heart into it.” You can do things “whole-heartedly.” You may love someone with “all your heart,” or experience a “broken heart.” Even Christians like to ask, “have you asked Jesus into your… heart?” Out of our hearts comes every issue of life. This is why Solomon counseled, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

It is natural then, that the next piece of armor that Paul advises us to put on is the Breastplate (Ephesians 6:14). He counsels that, after securing the belt of truth as the center of our life, we must make sure that the Breastplate of Righteousness is in place.

The Breastplate is an important piece of armor designed to protect a soldier’s core, or vital organs—the stomach, liver, lungs, and especially the heart. An arrow piercing any of these organs would spell doom for the soldier. Much like how a bullet-proof vest would protect today: while the force of a bullet may still knock a person down, the vest keeps the bullet from making the person a statistic.

It is interesting, though, that the Bible reveals another purpose for a breastplate. It isn’t one that a warrior wears, but one a priest wears. In Exodus 28:15, we find that they were instructed to make a “breast-piece for making decisions…” The breast-piece the priests wore helped make judgment calls between right and wrong. (How nice would that be today?) The Israelite priest always wore the means of making God-led decisions over his heart—which is the foundation of what righteousness is: right choices. I believe this idea is very much connected to the armor Paul is talking about. Although what the priest wore didn’t protect them physically, it did protect them and the people spiritually.

Of course, we don’t always see the need for protection. Yet, the heart is the doorway to our character. Everything that affects our lives centers in our heart. It is decision central. The place our will is located. It is the very place in us in which God desires to live! How valuable is that? But that’s why it is also very vulnerable. We must not fool ourselves and think that satan doesn’t wish to take up residence in our hearts as well. He’d do anything to get in and keep God out! And our character will always reflect our heart’s resident. If God is residing in your heart, you will be more God-like. But, the opposite is also true. So, we must guard our heart!

We must also be careful to avoid the substitutions. Satan would like us to think that righteousness is overrated and niceness is all we need. While being nice is good, it cannot take the place of righteousness and will not protect us in spiritual battles. Therefore, man suggests we manufacture our own: self-righteousness. The trouble with such self-made Christians is that they frequently worship their “creator.” Of course, this isn’t armor either, it is a straight-jacket. No matter how hard we struggle, nothing is ever really accomplished towards eternity. In the end, it is only a big self-hug.

Here is the solution: “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:3, 4). The righteousness God offers comes from Him through Jesus Christ. How can we get this righteousness from God? “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our sins, so we could have his righteousness. He died so we could live. Again, we find our protection and victory in Jesus! It is His righteousness that is offered to protect our hearts, His righteousness that can give us wisdom for good decisions, and His righteousness that saves us.

Does this mean that it doesn’t matter what we do? Of course not! We weren’t saved from sin just so we could continue to live in sin. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” Our new heart will reflect the change. If we have on the Breastplate of Jesus’ Righteousness, His life will shine through ours. We will live for righteousness. We would obey, not to be saved, but out of love for the One who saved us. We would live a new life in Christ, obedient to His guidance. It is in this obedience—following and listening to Jesus—that will protect our heart.

We suffer a lot of needless pain because we aren’t protected. If we want to have healing, security, or forgiveness in our heart we must guard our heart. Guard it with Christ’s righteousness; guard it with obedience to His right choices. Following Him will make us careful what we put in our lives, for not everything will bless us. We will be careful what we read, what we watch, and what we listen to—we will be careful who we let in. We must be on guard to keep out things that will bring us defeat.

Our protection, and victory, comes only from following Jesus. The good choices that protect our hearts will not be our own, but Christ living in us. If we desire to be still standing at the end of our spiritual battles, we must put on the Breastplate of Righteousness! Let God lead—be obedient to His guidance—and He will guard your heart.