Sit, Walk and Stand based on Grace and His Finished Work (11)

Put on the Full Armor of God (4) – The Breastplate of Righteousness

The second piece of the armor of God is the breastplate of righteousness. “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,…” (Ephesians 6:14 NKJ) This is another vital piece of the armor because it protects the chest where the heart is. Why is it important to protect the heart in the spiritual realm? The Bible tells us to “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” ( Proverbs 4:23 Amplified Bible). 1 John 3:20 also tells us : “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” (NKJ)

This means that another vulnerable area where the devil can attack us is our heart. He makes our hearts condemn us by telling us that we have sinned or have fallen short in certain areas of life and therefore do not deserve healing or blessings from God. The devil is the “accuser of the brethren” as Revelation 12:10 tells us. He is a master at accusing us with lies such as we are unholy because of our sins and we do not have right standing with God. Our hearts feel condemned and we feel unworthy to receive good things from God.

Paul says we have to put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts from the condemnation of the enemy. Whose righteousness is Paul referring to here? It is definitely not our own righteousness because Isaiah 64:6 says : “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” (NKJ) Romans 10:3 also says: “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (NKJ). In contrast, Paul declares boldly : “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJ). What Paul is declaring is that Christ’s death on the cross has made us the righteousness of God in Him. God does not see us as pathetic sinners anymore but He sees us in Christ and because Christ is righteous, we who are hidden in Him are righteous too! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Christ has become our righteousness “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—” (NKJ). When we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we are putting on the consciousness of Jesus who has become our righteousness and who we are in Christ. We are now forever made righteous before God because we are now found in Christ “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” (Philippians 3:9 NKJ). This righteousness cannot be earned, it is a gift as what Paul tells us in Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (NKJ). We receive this gift by faith when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour “even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe…” (Romans 3:22 NKJ)

Why is righteousness used to protect the heart? When our hearts are established in righteousness, the Bible says “In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you” ( Isaiah 54:14 NKJ). When we are rooted in righteousness, the devil cannot oppress or terrorize us. Romans 5 :17 tells us “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (NKJ). Those who have received abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life! To reign in life means we reign over every situation and that includes the devil!

---------------------------to be continued---------------------------------