The Armor Of God: Righteousness

Alba 7-16-2023

THE ARMOR OF GOD: RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ephesians 6:14

Dr. Bradford Reaves, minister with Crossway Christian Fellowship in Hagerstown, Maryland, told how when he was a police officer, he wore a piece of body armor every day.

It was heavy, bulky, and hot, but it provided protection and assurance that a bullet would not hit a vital organ. He was in a K9 unit and he and his dog were often given the task of tracking high-risk and heavily armed fugitives.

When that was the case, he said he put on an extra piece of body armor that would provide even greater protection against higher caliber bullets. He said the point being: He NEVER went to work without wearing body armor, period.

Ephesians 6:11 tells us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Then a list of spiritual armor available to us is given.

Ephesians 6:14 says that the first armor that gives us protection against Satan's and his lies is the belt of truth. That verse also lists the second piece of armor that protects us. It says that we can stand against the devil, “having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Greek word for righteousness simply means the correct, proper, just, pure, noble, and honorable pattern for living.

In other words, righteousness is the way a person ought to be. When people turn away from God’s righteousness, the effects are far-reaching. That’s why II Chronicles 7:14 says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

As Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Righteousness is like a breastplate, essential for spiritual warfare in same way the breastplate for the soldier was absolutely essential.

The breastplate covered the most vulnerable parts of the body, and was the soldier’s primary form of protection for his vital organs, including his heart and lungs. The devil does his best to damage our heart relationship with God.

The Roman soldier's breastplate would be made of thick linen, chain mail, animal horns, or even metal. It was cumbersome and could slow the soldier down, but it was also absolutely necessary. It was fitted with loops or buckles that attached it to the belt. If that belt was loosened, the breastplate would slip off.

So the breastplate needed a good solid belt to keep it in place. In the same way, righteousness needs a good hold on the belt of truth, or else what is right and what is wrong is up for grabs.

People will say that all religions are basically the same because they all believe in love and goodness. So, if you live up to your religious convictions, no matter what they are, you can be considered righteous. There is a problem with that though.

While various religions may agree on some general points, they do differ on some rather important matters. Things like creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, salvation. Just little things like that. Little things that are very important!

Most people like to think that over-all they are pretty good people. They may not use the term “righteous” for themselves but they can become somewhat self-righteous in thinking how good they are.

Such was the Pharisee who looked at a tax collector and thanked God that he was not like that other man. But Jesus said that the humble tax collector's prayer was heard, and the prideful Pharisee's was not. It is easy to become Pharisaical, like a Pharisee.

Today, to call someone a Pharisee is an unfavorable description of a person. But in the New Testament times Pharisees were looked upon as the example of how to be moral and religious.

But Jesus said to His disciples and to a group of ordinary people, “Unless your righteousness goes way far beyond that of these guys, there’s no way at all you can be considered a Kingdom person.” (See Matthew 5:20)

He didn’t say you have to be “close” to that good. He used exhaustive words to say you have to be far more righteous than that. Simply put, righteousness means “being good enough for heaven”.

We all often do enough good things causing to us think that it makes us look pretty good, righteous even. The problem is that our righteousness is no better than Monopoly money.

Imagine playing a game of Monopoly and winning! Then taking those winnings to the store and trying to buy your groceries with that money. They would call it funny money. As good as it was when playing the game, it loses its value when trying to use it in the real marketplace.