In this sermon series of Spiritual Warfare, We have looked at varying aspects of this battle we fight every day. Last week we started considering how we fight these battles and we are reviewing the Armor of God. Last week we looked at the belt of truth and this week we will examine the breastplate of righteousness. Between the truth and righteousness, integrity and right living are the two basic equipment in the Christian arsenal. These two qualities are important because through them we become more like the likeness of God. Our focus today is on the second part of Ephesians 6:14 which is on the breastplate of righteousness. Let us consider the our focal verse in context:
Ephesians 6:14–18
We tend to be self-righteous. Some years ago a member of the Missouri legislature accepted $25,000 for his vote in regard to a certain bill. Later he received $50,000 from the other side, and returned the $25,000. When the man, the legislator, who had turned state’s evidence, related the story on the stand, the examining attorney asked him, “Why was it that you returned the $25,000?” The legislator drew himself up to his full height, and in a voice that showed his scorn of the lawyer for such a question, answered: “I’d have you to know that I’m too conscientious to take money from both sides!” [1]
“I’m righteous in my own eyes.” That is the sort of thing that is getting our country in trouble today. History repeats itself. Some 3,300 years ago the same thing was happening in ancient Israel:
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
And we know about how Israel, the chosen people of God, had departed from the Lord after God brought them up from the land of Egypt and performed all those miracles in sight of all the people. Yet the people did as they pleased. The writer of proverbs summed this up quite nicely:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
It is not about how we think we should live right, it is how God, through His word to us, says we should live.
What is the meaning of righteousness? The word means to make right. The root word means straightness. Righteousness and justice and justification are from the same root in the Greek. God is righteous in all that He does. God establishes the standards of righteousness because He is Judge:
Psalm 50:6 And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge. Selah.
As we will see, our righteousness, or right living before God is only done in our obedience to God, according to His purposes resulting in purity and blamelessness. Our accuser before God is Satan and with right living before God we take away Satan’s ammunition. Paul proclaimed:
Romans 1:16–17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Our focus today, as we examine the armor of God, is breastplate of righteousness. When the Roman soldier puts on his armor, he starts with his belt so that he can have freedom of movement. Next he puts on the breastplate – often these breastplates covered the front as well as the back. They were a stiff leather vest with metal plates attached, they were used to protect the major organs, like the heart.
Right living will protect our vital organs, like our heart.
Ephesians 6:14b and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
Remember, Paul is writing this to the Christians in the Church of Ephesus. These are not unsaved people. These are those who know the Lord and Paul is giving them instructions.
Notice the words “HAVING PUT” In the Greek it is in the Aorist tense, meaning it is a snapshot of an action in the past. This is true at the beginning of this verse (having girded your loins) and the next verse (vs 15 - having shod your feet), these are actions that the Christians should have already accomplished. As Christians, we have already put on the breastplate of righteousness. The implication here is twofold: One we have the righteousness of God, as a result of what Jesus had done for us on the cross.
And second, by virtue of that righteousness imparted to us by the work of Jesus that we are able, by the Spirit, to live righteously. The two together is important. Warren Wiersbe said: “But our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us.” [2]
Let’s look at both of these types of righteousness. We certainly cannot stand before in our own righteousness. Isaiah tells us:
Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
It is only by what Jesus has done for us on the cross that we can stand at all. At the time of our conversion we take on some portion of the attributes of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption
We obtain that Righteousness not by our own works of righteousness, but by faith in Jesus.
Philippians 3:9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
Jesus placed us in a position of righteousness before God. This is our positional righteousness. When we stand before God, it is the righteousness of Jesus that He sees.
But what about the daily battle we fight here. The devil looks for every opportunity. The life we live daily either fortifies us against the attacks of Satan, or makes it easier for the devil to undermined us and destroy our witness. William Barclay in his commentary said: “When a man is clothed in righteousness he is impregnable. Words are no defense against accusations but a good life is. Once a man accused Plato of certain crimes. “Well then,” said Plato “we must live in such a way as to prove that his accusations are a lie.” The only way to meet the accusations against Christianity is to show how good a Christian can be.” [3]
Paul tells us that in Christ we are a new creation:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
And as a new Creation we are to put on the new man. We are not like the rest of the world:
Ephesians 4:17–19 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
We are to walk as God created us in righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:23–24 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Not only is God righteous, revealing his righteousness in his mighty acts, but he also expects righteousness of His own, those who are to reflect the nature of their Creator. Do we reflect the nature of the One who created us? We are created in the image of God.
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
Children imitate their parents. Do we imitate our Father in Heaven? As imitators of God, my righteousness is not based on who I am, but on who He is. It is not my standard for righteousness; I don’t set the bar, Jesus sets the standard for righteousness.
I believe that the most miserable creature in the world is not the sinful and unrighteous un-regenerated non-believer – they don’t know any better. I truly believe the most miserable person is the believer, the one who calls themselves a Christian, who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, who has tasted the goodness and grace of God, but refuses to live the righteous life that God has called them to live. The Holy spirit in them will not let them rest.
People are quick to point out that God gives grace and he is quick to forgive. We shouldn’t worry about how we live our lives because God will forgive. Besides, don’t we believe “once save always saved?” Paul hade a word to say about this attitude:
Romans 6:1–2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
I often hear “But Brother Doug, God loves me just the way I am.” True statement. But God loves you too much to leave you that way.
Consider the Old Testament story of David and Bathsheba found in 2 Samuel 11-12. You know the story. Read it, soap operas on TV have nothing on the stories in the Bible. David, a man after God’s own heart, had an adulterous affair with the wife of one of his top men. To make a long story short, Bathsheba got pregnant and to cover it up, David had Uriah, her husband killed. David was only doing his thing – doing what come natural! That’s our sinful nature. David, a man after God’s own heart, committed a great sin. David drop a piece of the armor. He left off the breastplate of righteousness. Listen to what Nathan the prophet had to say:
2 Samuel 12:14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
Without righteous living, we give the enemies of God an opening.
Romans 6:12–13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
R.C. Sproul commented concerning the breastplate of righteousness: "When believers are living in unconfessed sin, they are vulnerable to the assaults of Satan." [4]
As Christians, we become God’s instruments of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Being in Christ, we become the righteousness of God before the world. We represent Him. Jesus has become our righteousness before God. How can we live anything less for Him? We are His righteousness before the world. We may be the only Jesus many people may ever see. So how are we doing?
Philippians 2:12–13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; How are we working out our salvation. This passage is not about obtaining salvation, it is about using the salvation the Jesus died to obtain for us. I tremble when I think that Christ died for me. He could have far easier required my death. I can do no less than do the things he commanded me to do.
In the Old Testament, righteousness was defined by obedience to the law. Adam and Eve would have acted righteously in their relationship with God if they had obeyed Him, because His commands defined that relationship. The Ten Commandments and related laws defined Israel's relationship with God. To obey those laws was to act righteously. The sacrificial system in the Old Testament and the cross of Jesus in the New Testament showed man's need for righteousness.
Sin is disobedience to the terms that define man's relationship with God and with other people. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man has been inherently unrighteous.
1 John 2:4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
Man cannot be righteous in the sight of God on his own merits. Therefore, man must have God's righteousness imputed, or transferred, to him. Have you taken on the righteousness that Jesus offers? The cross of Jesus is a public demonstration of God's righteousness. God accounts or transfers the righteousness of Christ to those who trust in Him.
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Abraham acted on his belief. that is why his belief was deemed as righteous. It was not a hollow, words only belief. The this level of belief can only come from and through the holy Spirit. Do you have the righteousness that can only come from Him?
And if you have His righteousness – are you living a life that is worthy of that that righteousness? You cannot do it in your own power only with Jesus is it possible. Living right before God protects our hearts, protects us from the accusations of the devil, and enables us to live boldly before for Christ before the world. Are you wearing the breastplate of righteousness?
[1] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996).
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 58.
[3] William Barclay, ed., The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 183.
[4] R. C. Sproul, The Purpose of God: Ephesians (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 149.
