Ephesians 6:14

Stand therefore. The order in which the pieces of armor are given is probably the order in which a Roman soldier would put them on; thus there is a logical sequence of ideas. The metaphor is a magnificent climax to one of the most profound writings ever penned.

Girt about. The girdle about the loins held together the soldier’s garments that might otherwise hamper his movements.

Truth. That is, truth in the abstract, as indicated by the absence of the article in the Greek. The truth spoken of here is more than personal honesty; it is the truth of God as it is lodged in the heart, appropriated, and acted upon. Compare a similar sense of the word in 1 Cor. 5:8; 2 Cor. 7:14; 11:10; Phil. 1:18, and previously in this epistle in ch. 5:9. It was the Pharisees’ insincerity that brought down Jesus’ denunciation upon them (Matt. 23). If truth and integrity, both intellectual and moral, do not prevail in the field of religion, where will they prevail?

Breastplate. Compare Isa. 59:17; 1 Thess. 5:8. As the breastplate covers the heart of the soldier, righteousness preserves the life of the believer, and protects the “vital organs” of spiritual life.

Righteousness. Some apply this to the righteousness of Christ that covers the child of God; others, to the Christian’s personal loyalty to principle. Both are essential for successful warfare, and Paul probably had both in mind. For a definition of righteousness see on Rom. 1:17.