Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,
Parallel translations
- WEB Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
- KJV Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
- NKJV Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
- NASB Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
- NLT Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The first pieces of armor are truth, like a belt holding everything together, and righteousness, like a breastplate guarding the heart. It matters because integrity and right standing protect the believer's core.
Overview
Drawing on Old Testament imagery of the LORD and his Messiah as a warrior (cf. Isaiah 11:5; 59:17), Paul applies God's own armor to the believer. The belt of truth speaks of sincerity and commitment to God's revealed truth that holds one's life together; the breastplate of righteousness guards the vital organs. Faithful Christians have noted this includes both the imputed righteousness of Christ that is our standing and the practical righteousness of a holy life that gives no foothold to the enemy.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Isa 59:17He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
- 1 Th 5:8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.
- Isa 11:5Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.
- Luke 12:35Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
- 2 Cor 6:7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
- 1 Pet 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Eph 5:9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
- Rev 9:17Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.
- Rev 9:9They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
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Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
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Original language
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