The Breastplate of Righteousness
Part 2 of the “DRIP” Armor of God Series
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. – Ephesians 6:10-20(NASB)
The BIG Idea
Satan is an accuser. In order for us to stand against the accusations of Satan, followers of Jesus must remember that we have been clothed with the righteousness of God. We are accepted and welcomed because of what Christ Jesus has done.
Our battle is a spiritual battle. Because of this, we need spiritual armor.
Are we battle ready?
If we must fight against sin and evil on our own strength, we would fail.
No one is righteous.
Righteous = acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.
As it is written: “There is no righteous person, not even one; There is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks out God; They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, there is not even one.” – Romans 3:10-12 (NASB)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 (NASB)
“We know that by nature we are sinful, unholy and ungodly. So whatever is to be done to change our condition must be done by some power outside of ourselves.” – Billy Graham
God gives us the gift of God’s armor.
The Breastplate of Righteousness has a two-fold meaning in Paul’s illustration.
1. Righteousness refers to God’s gift of righteousness for the follower of Jesus.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. – Romans 3:21-26 (NASB)
The righteousness of Christ as a breastplate covers us and defends us.
*This new righteousness that followers of Jesus have through faith in Jesus means that all their sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s blood on the cross.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace. – Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)
“By the breastplate of righteousness the Apostle Paul means a blameless, righteous life so as to deal fairly with all men, injuring or harming no one, but endeavoring to be of service and to help everyone, so that neither the devil nor anyone else may justly accuse the Christian or confront with any ungodliness in life.” – Martin Luther (Luther on the Armor of God; Media Vita in Morte Sumus)
2. Receiving God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus leads to a new life of living righteously (transformation).
ILLUSTRATION: The origins of Juneteenth.
Satan wants followers of Jesus (believers) to think they are still enslaved.
Satan is utterly defeated, but Satan continues to engage in a kind of spiritual guerilla warfare.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means embracing and recognizing our status as followers of Jesus.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.” – Zechariah 3:1-4 (NASB)
16 And He saw that there was no one, And was amazed that there was not one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. 17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak. – Isaiah 59:16-17 (NASB)
When we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we . . .
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” – Galatians 2:20-21 (NASB)
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:5 (NASB)
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, 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. – Philippians 3:8-9 (NASB)
“My finite mind cannot comprehend all the complicated workings of redemption. But through faith, I can grasp the simple fact that Christ died for me. I have God’s Word that Jesus became sin for us, and I can even make it more personal by saying I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me. This is the mystery of imputed righteousness.” – Billy Graham
You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not show partiality to the poor nor give preference to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. – Leviticus 19:15 (NASB)
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions. – Hebrews 1:9 (NASB)
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. – II Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB)
Jesus transferring His righteousness to us is “Imputed Righteousness.”
When the accusations of Satan are heavy, followers of Jesus must remember that Jesus is their Great Defender.
*We absolutely should NOT let anyone’s opinion of our past keep us from growing into God’s future for us.
He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. – Micah 7:19 (NASB)
The “Good News” of the Gospel is that sin, guilt, shame, and addiction do not have the last word on our lives.
Followers of Jesus are now called to walk in that new victory accomplished for them.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. – II Corinthians 10:3-4 (NASB)
“When you meet opposition to your faith, your first reaction may be anger toward your antagonist. This may divert your attention from the deeper, spiritual dimensions of your conflict. Your adversary may be hopelessly in bondage to sin. Rather than retaliating, you should immediately and earnestly intercede for that person. Your opponent’s hostility is your invitation to become involved in God’s redemptive work to free him or her from spiritual bondage. Be alert to the spiritual warfare around you.” – Henry Blackaby (from ‘Experiencing God’)
Be a warrior for Christ who fights – and loves – fiercely!
ILLUSTRATION: “Uprightness” and good posture
Questions for Reflection
What does it look like for a follower of Jesus to have the Breastplate of Righteousness in place?
Have you ever had doubts about the love of God for you? How can the Breastplate of Righteousness help us amidst these feelings?
Are there areas in your life where you feel Satan has a stronghold? How can the Breastplate of Righteousness help us when we are trapped in sin?
How does the righteousness of Christ give us strength against sin?
After reading Paul’s letters we discussed today, do you think it is possible for us to put on the Armor of God to fight for God’s Kingdom and still lose our passion for Christ Himself?
We talk about – and even sing – about having victory in Jesus. What are some practical things you could do (or are doing) each day to experience Christ-filled victory in your life on a consistent basis?
Where in your life right now do you most need to be reminded that God is indeed big and strong, that God has won the battle, and that evil will not have the last word?
The BIG Idea
Satan is an accuser. In order for us to stand against the accusations of Satan, followers of Jesus must remember that we have been clothed with the righteousness of God. We are accepted and welcomed because of what Christ Jesus has done.
Our battle is a spiritual battle. Because of this, we need spiritual armor.
Are we battle ready?
If we must fight against sin and evil on our own strength, we would fail.
No one is righteous.
Righteous = acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.
As it is written: “There is no righteous person, not even one; There is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks out God; They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, there is not even one.” – Romans 3:10-12 (NASB)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 (NASB)
“We know that by nature we are sinful, unholy and ungodly. So whatever is to be done to change our condition must be done by some power outside of ourselves.” – Billy Graham
God gives us the gift of God’s armor.
The Breastplate of Righteousness has a two-fold meaning in Paul’s illustration.
1. Righteousness refers to God’s gift of righteousness for the follower of Jesus.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. – Romans 3:21-26 (NASB)
The righteousness of Christ as a breastplate covers us and defends us.
*This new righteousness that followers of Jesus have through faith in Jesus means that all their sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s blood on the cross.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace. – Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)
“By the breastplate of righteousness the Apostle Paul means a blameless, righteous life so as to deal fairly with all men, injuring or harming no one, but endeavoring to be of service and to help everyone, so that neither the devil nor anyone else may justly accuse the Christian or confront with any ungodliness in life.” – Martin Luther (Luther on the Armor of God; Media Vita in Morte Sumus)
2. Receiving God’s gift of righteousness through Jesus leads to a new life of living righteously (transformation).
ILLUSTRATION: The origins of Juneteenth.
Satan wants followers of Jesus (believers) to think they are still enslaved.
Satan is utterly defeated, but Satan continues to engage in a kind of spiritual guerilla warfare.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means embracing and recognizing our status as followers of Jesus.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. 4 And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.” – Zechariah 3:1-4 (NASB)
16 And He saw that there was no one, And was amazed that there was not one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him. 17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak. – Isaiah 59:16-17 (NASB)
When we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we . . .
- Believe in Jesus and His righteousness, not our own.
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” – Galatians 2:20-21 (NASB)
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:5 (NASB)
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, 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. – Philippians 3:8-9 (NASB)
“My finite mind cannot comprehend all the complicated workings of redemption. But through faith, I can grasp the simple fact that Christ died for me. I have God’s Word that Jesus became sin for us, and I can even make it more personal by saying I live by the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me. This is the mystery of imputed righteousness.” – Billy Graham
- Stand firm against injustice and corruption.
You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not show partiality to the poor nor give preference to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly. – Leviticus 19:15 (NASB)
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions. – Hebrews 1:9 (NASB)
- Know that God promises God’s protection against the forces of evil for those who have faith in and follow Jesus.
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. – II Thessalonians 3:3 (NASB)
Jesus transferring His righteousness to us is “Imputed Righteousness.”
When the accusations of Satan are heavy, followers of Jesus must remember that Jesus is their Great Defender.
*We absolutely should NOT let anyone’s opinion of our past keep us from growing into God’s future for us.
He will again take pity on us; He will trample on our wrongdoings. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. – Micah 7:19 (NASB)
The “Good News” of the Gospel is that sin, guilt, shame, and addiction do not have the last word on our lives.
Followers of Jesus are now called to walk in that new victory accomplished for them.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. – II Corinthians 10:3-4 (NASB)
“When you meet opposition to your faith, your first reaction may be anger toward your antagonist. This may divert your attention from the deeper, spiritual dimensions of your conflict. Your adversary may be hopelessly in bondage to sin. Rather than retaliating, you should immediately and earnestly intercede for that person. Your opponent’s hostility is your invitation to become involved in God’s redemptive work to free him or her from spiritual bondage. Be alert to the spiritual warfare around you.” – Henry Blackaby (from ‘Experiencing God’)
Be a warrior for Christ who fights – and loves – fiercely!
ILLUSTRATION: “Uprightness” and good posture
Questions for Reflection
What does it look like for a follower of Jesus to have the Breastplate of Righteousness in place?
Have you ever had doubts about the love of God for you? How can the Breastplate of Righteousness help us amidst these feelings?
Are there areas in your life where you feel Satan has a stronghold? How can the Breastplate of Righteousness help us when we are trapped in sin?
How does the righteousness of Christ give us strength against sin?
After reading Paul’s letters we discussed today, do you think it is possible for us to put on the Armor of God to fight for God’s Kingdom and still lose our passion for Christ Himself?
We talk about – and even sing – about having victory in Jesus. What are some practical things you could do (or are doing) each day to experience Christ-filled victory in your life on a consistent basis?
Where in your life right now do you most need to be reminded that God is indeed big and strong, that God has won the battle, and that evil will not have the last word?