Good morning! This week we are working on having in place the armor of God. You now have the belt of truth in place (yesterday’s blog post). It is now time for the breastplate of righteousness. Let’s talk about putting on the breastplate of righteousness.
Ephesians 6:13b & 14b niv
and after you have done everything, stand. …with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
In the days of old the breastplate was a device worn over the body to protect the soldier from injury. It is also referred to as the chest plate. This piece of armor protects the vital organs of the soldier during battle. Two of the main vital organs that come to mind immediately are the lungs and the heart. If one of these two organs, among others, get injured it could mean an almost sure death. The enemy is looking for an opening, so beware!
Putting on the Breastplate
So let’s talk about putting it on because it seems pretty important, even vital. I’ve said this before and I’ll say several more times before ending this mini-series on the armor of God,
“Immersing yourself with the word of God, or in other words walking with Jesus in your every-day-walking-around-kind-of-life, is what it means to put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
A simple definition of righteousness – right standing with God.
Jesus puts us in the right standing with God. He is our righteousness. To know Jesus, to walk with Jesus, to put our faith in Jesus, is to be righteous. AND this must be emphasized – this is not of your own accord. It is a free gift made possible by Jesus. He stands in on our behalf. There is no way you can be righteous enough (good enough) on your own to stand before or with God. This is what it means to have on the breastplate of righteousness!
Romans 3:23 niv
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 niv
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Pharisees clashed with Jesus because they believed that their righteousness was determined by their actions. They believed it could be earned. It cannot! This leaves us vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. The breastplate protects us from attacks.
Challenge of the Day: Jesus has your heart. Jesus is the air you breathe (with your very lungs). He is the very breastplate that protects your heart and your breath of life. Now go breathe life…righteousness, the free gift of God through Jesus, into the life of others. So be it!
