The Whole Armor of God Series
Part 5 – The Breastplate of Righteousness
SCRIPTURE READING
Ephesians 6:14
“14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,”
PRAYER
BREASTPLATE SLIDE
We’ve talked over the past few weeks about what Spiritual warfare is, the unseen battles that rage on in the backgrounds of our lives, how to recognize and deal with attack’s from the devil in our lives, and we started week before last with the whole armor of God.
The first piece of God’s armor that’s mentioned is the “Belt of Truth”. This is the very first thing you must put on. The belt on the Roman Soldier’s armor would hold his sword & dagger, and the breastplate would fasten to it as well.
We know that Christ is the truth. The belt represents the acceptance of Christ and His truth. You MUST have this BEFORE you can wear any other part of the armor. The truth to discern what is of God.
The next part of the armor is the breastplate of righteousness. On a Roman Soldier’s armor, the breastplate was custom made to fit that soldier. It was specifically designed for him to protect him from attacks. This breastplate protected the soldier’s heart and major organs from a potentially devastating wound by protecting their area of weakness.
Our breastplates are from God’s armory. Custom made by God Himself to fit each of us in our lives and protect us where we are weak. My breastplate would not fit anyone else here, nor would it properly protect them in their area of weakness. It was made by God, for me! And yours was made by God for you!
So what is righteousness?
Greek word is dikaiosune dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay (Strong’s #1343)
• The condition acceptable to God
• Right Standing before God
• To be found innocent
• Justified – to be acquitted of the charges
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
“17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
On the cross, Christ was an offering for us and our sins so that we may become the righteousness of God!
Philippians 3:8, 9
“8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
Many of us walk in constant guilt and condemnation feeling like failures, not worthy to serve God or receive any blessings from Him. If we don’t believe we are the righteousness of God through what Jesus did on the cross, our armor is ineffective!
And the Flaming Arrows come at us!
LIES
ACCUSATIONS
REMINDERS OF OUR PAST SINS
Without the breastplate of righteousness, these attacks from the devil could seriously wound us. And the flaming arrows left unattended will spread and grow into our own pyre.
Remember the story of the candle?
The Devil will tell you;
• You are not righteous (Yes I am! I became the righteousness of God when Christ died for my sins and I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior!)
• You are not worthy (Yes I am! Through God’s grace and Christ’s Sacrifice!)
The devil will remind you of your past sins;
By the way, when the Devil reminds you of your past, I like to remind him of his future!
Revelation 20:10
“10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
The past is gone! You have been forgiven!
The blood of Jesus has spiritually washed us clean!
Hebrews 9:13-15
“13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[3] so that we may serve the living God! 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
You have been set free by Christ! Don’t allow the devil to bring up your past and use it for a toehold in your life! A toehold grows into a foothold if not dealt with, and that will grow into a stronghold and the devil will oppress you and defeat you in your life if you do not address these issues.
Hebrew 10:22
“22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
YOU HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY CHRIST!
JUSTIFICATION = YOU WERE ACQUITTED OF CHARGES
YOU ARE RIGHTEOUS
RIGHTEOUSNESS = RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD
That is if you have accepted Christ
Romans 3:20-22
“20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
The devil will have nothing to exploit if we deal with the weak areas of our lives by recognizing them dealing with those areas with scripture and wearing the breastplate of righteousness.
John 14:30 – Jesus tells us the devil has no power over Him. Jesus is our High priest, and if we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God’s purposes, Satan will have NO power over us!
When you wear the breastplate of righteousness you will live and pray in power and authority. Knowing that you are the righteousness of God and Justified through Christ Jesus.
We need to see ourselves as God sees us, and in doing this, through Christ we will achieve the greatness in our lives that God has willed for us. Abundant life!
Benefits of living for righteousness: A great benefit of living for righteousness is that our breastplate will function at maximum efficiency. Here are some other benefits that we will also enjoy:
• Protection:
The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust. (Proverbs 11:6 NKJV)
• Prosperity and honor:
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21 NIV)
• Filling with God’s Spirit:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6 NIV)
• Quietness and confidence forever:
The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17 NIV)
• Reflection of God:
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 (Ephesians 4:22-24)
PRAYER
Lord, I put on your breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am clothed with God’s righteousness, which protects my heart from the enemy. All holds that the Devil HAD in my life and in me have been washed away by the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed in filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness. The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy.
