Are You Wearing Your Spiritual Bulletproof Vest?

“I don’t think there’s anything like saving someone’s life to bring you satisfaction and happiness,” said Stephanie Kwolek, the chemist who invented Kevlar®. Invented in 1965, Kevlar® is the synthetic fiber used in bulletproof vests.

According to the National Institute of Justice, “During the past three decades, ballistic-resistant soft body armor has saved the lives of more than 3,000 police officers.”

The Wikipedia entry for “Bulletproof Vest” states, “A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or bullet-resistant vest, is a type of body armor designed to absorb impact and prevent the penetration of firearm projectiles and explosion fragments to the torso. The vest can be either soft—as worn by police officers, security personnel, prison guards and occasionally private citizens to protect against stabbing attacks or light projectiles.”

If wearing a bulletproof vest is an occupational necessity for police officers, what about you and me as disciples of Jesus Christ? While it’s very unlikely that we need a physical bulletproof vest, it is critical that we wear a spiritual one—described in scripture as the “breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14). Indeed, divine protection is an absolute necessity as we struggle “against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, New Living Translation). Our real enemy is not people but Satan the devil and his demons who work relentlessly at deceiving, damaging and corrupting human beings—including brethren of God’s Church (John 8:44; 1 Peter 5:8). 

To contend with this malicious threat the apostle Paul stated that we must “put on the whole armor of God” in order “to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Besides wearing the breastplate of righteousness, we need to be outfitted with other defensive and offensive equipment including the belt of truth and shoes of the gospel of peace. We also must have the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Safeguarding Our Spiritual Lives 

While it’s requisite we be outfitted in all of these divine components, let’s focus specifically on the “breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14) which we could call our “spiritual bulletproof vest.” When Paul used the term breastplate, he was referring to the main piece of a Roman soldier’s armor—which covered the front of the body from the neck to the thighs. Without wearing his breastplate, a soldier’s risk of death or serious injury in battle rose dramatically. In a divine sense it’s no different for us if we are not equipped with the “breastplate of righteousness” which God designed to safeguard our spiritual lives from deception, evil and corruption.

But what is the righteousness of which Paul referred? Psalm 71:19 gives us the answer. “For Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?” (New International Version). In comparing God’s perfect justice, morality and holiness to human righteousness—which is behavior conforming to accepted societal standards of right and wrong—there is no equivalency. Indeed, as the prophet Isaiah wrote, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

Because of sinful, unrighteous conduct, human beings have been cut off from God (Isaiah 59:2). But access to reconciliation with Him is possible as described in this decisive passage: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Acknowledging our unrighteousness and rejecting sinful ways is a vital step in putting on the “breastplate of righteousness.” Therefore, we absolutely need God’s righteousness since our own righteous acts are no match for Satan which only leaves us destitute, fruitless and without hope. 

Besides repenting of our sins, we must be baptized, which is an outward sign of an inward change of our heart and mind. It also represents the termination of our past, futile way of life, symbolically left behind in the baptismal waters (Acts 22:16). Furthermore, baptism demonstrates that we have fully accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior through His suffering, death and resurrection. Moreover, it illustrates that we are zealous to follow His perfect, righteous example of love toward and obedience to His Father (1 Peter 2:21; John 15:10). 

Taking Fire From Satan the Devil 

After performing these steps, God will provide us the vital spiritual protection we need in order to confront and repulse “the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This is exactly what putting on the “breastplate of righteousness” is all about. When we “take fire” from Satan, the divine protective gear we wear always proves reliable under the harshest conditions and is guaranteed never to fail. “For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12). God’s righteousness is therefore a critical defensive measure we need in order to be protected from spiritual demise. Satan’s “bullets” simply can’t pierce our minds and hearts because we are striving to live as our Savior lived. 

After putting on the bulletproof vest of righteousness at baptism and after receiving the Holy Spirit, we must keep it on at all times. Remaining committed in faith, love and hope toward God and His way of life are critical elements in dressing in divine body armor. “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Indeed, faith, love and hope go hand-in-hand in conducting ourselves in godly righteousness (Romans 4:3). They provide us the supreme confidence that our bulletproof vest of righteousness will stop any shots fired at us by the devil. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean we won’t be sore after an encounter with him. Even as a projectile stopped by a physical bulletproof vest can cause bruises behind the impact area, so this can happen to us in a spiritual sense. As the apostle Peter explained, even as we are striving to be faithful to God we can “suffer for righteousness’ sake” (1 Peter 3:14).

Finally, just as a police officer doesn’t know what physical dangers he may face each day, the same is true for us spiritually. Therefore, we need to always be fully dressed in all the components of God’s body armor—including His righteousness—our spiritual “bulletproof vest.” Are you wearing yours?