The Breastplate of Righteousness
Ephesians 6:10-17
Chenoa Baptist Church
Pastor Jefferson M. Willams
04-21-2024
Bullet Proof
In the movie “Back the Future,” Doc Brown is gunned down by the terrorists that he stole plutonium from to make the DoLorean time machine. Marty thinks he is dead but Doc has a trick up his sleeve or under his shirt.
[1:43 - stop at 2:23]
A bulletproof vest saved Doc Brown. This is an example from a movie but in real life, the stakes are higher.
Officer Tim Smith elected not to wear his bulletproof vest and was killed when he pulled over a suspect and that person opened fire on him. He left three young children behind.
This morning we come to the second piece of armor - the breastplate of righteousness. Going into this dark and dying world without the spiritual breastplate on is like not wearing a bulletproof vest while chasing bad guys.
Two weeks ago, we learned that we are all in a spiritual battle that we cannot see. The Christian life is not a playground but a battlefield.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Eph 6:10-13)
John Stott writes:
The emphasis on “standing” shows the Apostle’s concern for stability. Wobbly Christians have no strong foothold in Christ and are easy prey to the devil.”
Last week, we studied the belt of truth and learned that truth is the foundation piece of the armor.
We must:
Believe the truth
Engage the Truth
Love out the Truth
Tell the truth
Tony Evans defines it this way:
“Truth is the absolute standard by which reality is measured. It’s God’s view on everything. God has spoken and He has not stuttered.”
Jesus said that truth has the power to set you free from the lies that steal your joy:
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Paul starts with the belt of truth and then moves on to the other pieces of armor:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph 6:14-17)
If you weren’t here last week, you can always listen to or watch the sermon on our YouTube page, website, FaceBook, or Twitter.
Turn to Ephesians 6.
Prayer
What is a Breastplate?
Paul is finishing his letter to the Ephesian church and wants to warn them to be armed and ready for attacks of the evil one. He was probably chained to a Roman guard and started staring at his armor and thought, “That would make a perfect word picture for what I’m trying to communicate!”
The second piece of armor that Paul tells us to put on is the breastplate of righteousness.
The breastplate was made of tough leather, was sleeveless, and had metal plates and brass chains, that would shine brilliantly in the sun.
Contrary to what I was taught, the breastplate did cover the back of a soldier. The idea that it didn’t cover the back comes from John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.”
It protected the most vital organs, covering the entire torso. Most combat was hand-to-hand and a sword through the chest would mean certain death.
Most importantly, the breastplate shielded the heart.
When a soldier had on his breastplate, he would be confident going into battle.
So what does Paul mean by the "breastplate of righteousness?”
Righteousness
There are two possible types of righteousness that Paul is writing about here. First, imputed righteousness.
Imputed righteousness speaks to our justification before God.
Martin Luther said that “justification by faith alone is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls.”
Justification is a legal declaration. It’s the opposite of “condemnation” or “guilty.” Justification is the process by which God declares us “not guilty.” It is “just as if I’d never sinned.”
David Platt and Tony Merida define justification this way:
It is the
* gracious act of God
Why would God justify you? Because He loves you.
By which He declares
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Rom 5:1-2)
* a sinner who stands guilty before a Holy God righteous - He once and for all forgives our sins.
* solely through faith in Christ.
Tim Keller defines it this way:
“Justification means that in Christ, though we are actually sinners, we are not under condemnation. God accepts us despite our sin. We are not acceptable to God because we actually become righteous, be become actually righteous because we are acceptable to God.”
Christ lived a perfect life and was the only person to keep the law perfectly. He was the only Person ever who didn’t deserve to go to hell. But He willingly died on the cross, in our place, to pay the penalty of the Law, which is death. On the cross, Jesus made the great exchange - our sins for His righteousness. And by placing your faith in His substitutionary death, He gives you something the Law could never give
- His perfect righteousness.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)
Imagine that we were required to take a test to graduate. If we didn’t make 100%, we didn’t graduate.
We all took the test. Some of us made good scores. Others not so much. But the ones who made 99% couldn’t look down on the ones who made 40%, because the standard was 100% and none of us got that score.
Now imagine Jesus taking the test and acing it with ease. Justification is Jesus’s 100% test score being applied to our tests. We all get 100%! We didn’t earn it. We didn’t deserve it. But Jesus traded his 100% for our scores so we could graduate.
The story is told about William Herschel. As a young boy, he loved military music and when he was old enough he joined the German military band. He was unprepared for the terrors of war and deserted his unit, ultimately escaping to England.
He excelled in music and science and became well-known. But he always had a secret. He always knew one day it would catch up with him.
When George who was German, became king, William knew that it was over. George knew of William’s desertion and it was now a matter of time. He was summoned before the royal court and he arrived trembling with fear.
He waited for a considerable time until an attendant approached him with a document for him to read. William knew the punishment for desertion was death so he opened the letter and started to read what was his death sentence.
Instead, he read these words out loud:
“I George, pardon you for your past offenses against our native land.”
Not only that, William was to be knighted that day. He went from condemned criminal to honored dignitary in an instant.
That’s a beautiful picture of justification! When we put our faith in Christ alone for our salvation, we go from being condemned sinners to forgiven adopted children in an instant!
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:8-10)
Scott Sauls opened his latest email like this:
Several years ago, a famous politician made a stunning statement as he reflected on his legacy at age 72. He spoke about the initiatives he had spearheaded and listed several of his successes, both real and self-perceived.
The surprising part of his speech was the takeaway, in which he said,
“I’m telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I’m heading straight in. I’ve earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”
Most people think that you get to heaven by being good. But how good is good enough?
If we all try to jump across the Grand Canyon, some would make it farther than others but we would all end up at the bottom flat as a pancake.
God’s standard is perfection and we can hop high enough for His holiness.
Let’s take the two greatest commands - Love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Does anyone here do that perfectly, all the time, every day?
What if we just sinned one time a day? That’s over 25,000 sins in a lifetime. You can’t do enough good deeds to cover all that sin. We need an alien, outside righteousness that can only come from Jesus.
Video: The Good-O-Meter
Imparted Righteousness
In this passage is Paul writing about imputed righteousness or imparted righteousness? I think he’s writing about both. First, you have to understand that you can never be good enough to make God love you. Then you have to believe, by faith, that Jesus’s righteousness covers you.
Because of this belief, it allows us to live out our faith by being light in a very dark world.
The word righteousness is found 92 times in the New Testament. In this passage, Paul is using the word to describe the practical pursuit of holiness in daily living.
Our creed should affect our conduct. Our doctrine should affect our duty.
The word is used three times in Ephesians. [I’m indebted to Steven Lawson for this]
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:23-24)
And in Ephesians 5:9, we read:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph 5:8-9)
These two verses form bookends. In between, Paul gives us multiple examples of what it looks like to live righteously.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
The prophet Zechariah wrote:
These are the things that you shall do: speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace…(Zech 8:16)
Truthfulness should characterize Christians. Our word should be able to be trusted.
“In your anger do not sin.” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
Being angry is not a sin. It’s the way you react to your anger, holding on to grudges, that can lead you into sin and give satan a foothold in your heart.
Tony Evans compares our hearts to a house. If the house is full of trash, it attracts cockroaches. The cockroaches tell their friends and then they move in to feast on the trash.
* Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
As Christians, we must be known for our utmost integrity in our personal and professional lives.
Scotty Scheffler won the Masters golf tournament last weekend and when asked what defines him he said, “My faith in Jesus defines me. When I go on the course, I want to bring him glory by the way I play and the way I interact with everyone.”
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what helps build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen….Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
As Christians, our tongues are hard to tame but we must work hard not to be known for off-color jokes, or gossip, or our mean words toward others. We can use our words to encourage and bring hope to hurting people.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Too many people claim the name of Christ and are quick to argue on Facebook or Twitter. We need to remember that “blessed are the peacemakers.”
I googled “road rage” in church parking lots and got multiple results!
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
In this world, being kind is wonderfully weird. A smile, a hug, or an encouraging word can change someone’s day.
This week, I was in Iowa to eat lunch with Geoff Trembly. Then I chased a tornado. After it was over, I had pulled over on a farm road and was under my car trying to figure out why it was making a strange noise.
I heard a horn and then a man screamed at me, “Close your door! Do you want me to go in the ditch?”
I closed my door. He didn’t ask if I was okay or if I needed help. His wife shrugged her shoulders at me as if to say “Sorry, for my husband being so rude.”
As Christians, we are called to be countercultural in our approach to forgiveness. We don’t hold grudges. We forgive because we know how much we have been forgiven.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
In a world that celebrates and even worships sinful sex, we should be characterized by our hunger for holiness. Let me remind you that God created sex, it was His idea. And in its proper context of marriage (one woman, one man for life), it is a beautiful, life-giving thing.
Anything outside that context is a sin. Just as fire in a fireplace lights a room but fire in a forest can burn the whole thing down, sex outside of its proper context creates destruction.
In the movie “Fireproof” Kirk Cameron is “married” to Catherine, played by Erin Bethea. At the end of the movie, the script calls for Kirk to kiss his onscreen wife and he refuses, rightly stating that he would not break his wedding vows.
The producers employed a little movie magic to make the scene happen.
Many Christians want to rant about LGBT while secretly watching pornography or cheating on their spouse.
Also, in a world in which charlatans posing as Christian preachers con people out of money so they can drive Lamborghini’s, we need to be content with what God provides.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
We are called to walk in love because of the way that God has loved us.
Pastor David Patterson wrote this on FB this week:
If someone ever leaves our church to go to another church, our responsibility is to do the following:
Love them
Champion them
Thank them for the time we had with them
Honor them
Be their cheerleader
When you run into them at Sams or CFR or the gym or Daves don’t treat them like a leper or like they walked away from the faith. Be kind and say hello because, in the end, we’re building the Kingdom not castles.
God is not expecting us to do these things perfectly. He’s not interested in our perfection but in our direction.
While imputed righteousness is about our justification, imparted righteousness is about our sanctification, growing in our relationship with Jesus, and becoming more like Him.
But there’s a catch. We can’t be righteous without the righteousness of Jesus. And we cannot live righteously without the Spirit empowering us.
Not wearing the breastplate can rob you of spiritual joy, spiritual fruit, and spiritual reward.
Satan loves to accuse us.
Remember the Duck
A little boy was in the backyard with his little sister and he was playing with his slingshot. His mother had told him not to aim at her ducks. He decided that he would just scare the duck but miss-aimed and hit the duck in the head, killing it instantly.
He panicked. He put the dead duck behind the hedge and told his sister not to tell on him.
When they went in for supper, his mother asked the sister to set the table. She said, “Actually Mom Johnny wants to set the table.”
He glared at her and she whispered, “Remember the duck!”
After dinner, their mom told them to clean their rooms. The little girl said Johnny says he wants to clean my room too.” She whispered remember the duck.
All of this became too much for Johnny and he went to his mother and confessed everything.
She put her hand on his shoulder and smiled, “Honey, I saw you kill the duck out the window. I’ve known the whole time. I was just wondering when you were going to tell the truth so you could get out from under your sister’s thumb.”
When we sin, and we will, satan comes and accuses us - you call yourself a Christian? God is so sick of you committing the same sin again and again. He’s done with you. You know what you did. Remember the duck!
But I John 1:9 give us our freedom:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
When we confess our sins and repent, God will forgiveness and make us righteous again.
Jesus is our Armor
It is not our armor but God’s armor we put on. And ultimately, all of these pieces describe Jesus! He is our armor. He is our victory.
Warren Wiersbe writes:
“In one sense the 'whole armor of God' is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14).
Armor of God Prayer
Lord Jesus, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God because I know that my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.
Thank you that you have made it possible for me to be strong in your mighty power and to stand against all that the evil one would throw against me this day.
In Jesus’ Name, I put on the belt of truth and pray that I may be centered in and encircled by your truth today. By your power, enable me to walk in your truth and to give no place to deception or the lies of the enemy. Protect me by the truth of your Word.
I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I praise you, Lord Jesus, that I am covered with your righteousness today in my body, soul and spirit. I now pray that by the power of the Holy Spirit, my life would show forth the righteous fruit of Your presence. Guard my heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Strengthen and protect the most vulnerable places in my life with that which is right, good and noble so I might not receive a fatal blow from the enemy.
