My Need For Righteousness Series

Sgt. Steven McQueen of Charlie Company of First Battalion and 28th Infantry Regiment was recently shot in the head with a bullet from a machine gun. He was around twenty feet away from an insider attack in Afghanistan in 2018. An insider attack is when Taliban fighters pose as friendly Afghan national army or police officers and attack American and Afghan forces at close range. Again, Steven McQueen was shot in the head from just 20 feet and he should have been dead.

But I have good news to tell you: he lived to tell about it! Why is he alive? Because he had his helmet on; his helmet protected him. McQueen said, “Before this incident, I thought the helmet was cumbersome, and it was overkill.” “I was sorely mistaken. This helmet works, and I’m a living testament to it.”

I’ve never been a solider but it’s hard to overestimate the important of good armor in a battle. Ephesians 6 speaks about the invisible battle of spiritual warfare. Think of this section as a behind the scenes look at your life, it’s the lifting of the curtain.

It was John Milton in his Paradise Lost that said, “Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth; Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep…” The famous nurse Florence Nightingale said, “Life is no holiday game … but it is a hard fight, a struggle, a wrestling with the principle of evil, hand to hand, foot to foot. Every inch of the way is disputed.”

Paul uses military language to equip for the invisible spiritual battle of life and death. Paul was in prison when he wrote the New Testament letter we called Ephesians. He would have viewed Roman soldiers constantly while in prison. In order to equip followers of Christ to battle satanic forces in spiritual warfare, Paul uses the equipment of a Roman soldier as a model. The soldier would have had a sword, a tunic, and special shoes to protect him among other equipment. All of this was standard equipment for Roman soldiers.

To get the feel for us, we might think of a football player clenching his mouthpiece in his teeth, adjusting his shoulder pads, and hitching up his waist to get ready for the next play.

Now, this is the 5th message in our series on the Bible’s teaching of spiritual warfare. We will not take the time to examine each piece of equipment. Each piece of the equipment is a resource offered to you to win the spiritual battle waged against you. But you have to develop the skills in how to best use and benefit from the equipment. We looked at the belt of truth several weeks ago. Today, I want to examine the breastplate of righteousness.

The Bible calls on every follower of Christ to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Just like our friend, Steve from the First Battalion, all of us need protection in the spiritual battle of life.

There’s a secular way of finding righteousness, there’s a religious way of finding righteousness, and lastly there is Jesus, who can make you righteous. The Bible offers you protective gear for your heart.

1. I’m Driven for Righteousness

All of us are driven to be righteous. Let me show you why.

We’re looking at the armor of God. In the beginning, Paul says, “Put on the whole armor of God.” Then he goes on to say, “Stand therefore … having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” (Ephesians 6:14). What is the piece of armor and why does it matter? You need to understand everyone in life is driven for righteousness.

1.1 Righteousness Defined

To be righteous means to be right with somebody. To be righteous means that I have passed inspection in the eyes of a significant other.

1.2 Examples of Righteousness

Again, all of us are driven to be righteous – let me show you. Like passing inspection as a solider before a drill sergeant. To be righteous is to be pleasing in the eyes of someone I want to please. Like a test in school, I must pass the muster or I must be up to the standard. I want to please someone that is important.

1.2.1 Job Application

This happens every time I put together a resume for an internship or a job application. To land the job is to pass inspection or to be up to their standards. Again, all of us are driven to be righteous. We take SAT’s and we’re radiant when they offer us a scholarship to a chosen school. Why do we light up inside when we are accepted? It’s because we are accepted as having meet and even exceeded the standard. Pick some great school and when they offer us a scholarship, we beam because are thought of us a significant. Again, we have pleased someone that we feel is important.