now. And that garment was to be Truth. Truthfulness, honesty, that
was to be the first defence of a Christian man, instead of being, as
too many so-called Christians make it, the very last. Honesty,
before all other virtues, was to gird his very loins, was to protect
his very vitals.

The breastplate, which covered the upper part of the body, was to be
righteousness--which we now commonly call, justice. To be a just
man, after being first a truthful man, was the Christian's duty.

And his helmet was to be the hope of Salvation--that is, of safety:
not merely of being saved in the next world--though of course St.
Paul includes that--but of being saved in this world; of coming safe
through the battle of life; of succeeding; of conquering the heathen
round them, and making them Christians, instead of being conquered by
them. The hope of safety was to be his helmet, to guard his head--
the thinking part. We all know how a blow on the head confuses and
paralyses a man, making him (as we say) lose his head. We know too,
how, in spiritual matters, terror and despair deal a deadly blow to a
man's mind,--how if a man expects to fail, he cannot think clearly
and calmly,--how often desperation and folly go hand in hand; for, if
a man loses hope, he is but too apt to lose his reason. The
Christian's helmet, then,--that which would save his head, and keep
his mind calm, prudent, strong, and active,--was the hope of success.

And for their feet--they must be shod with the preparation of the
Gospel of peace.

That is a grand saying, if you will remember that the key-word, which
explains it all, is Peace, and the Gospel, that is, the good news,