Armor of God - The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Armor of God Picture

Review of Last week The Girdle of Truth

The Girdle or Belt is what keeps the armor in place

There are two aspects to truth

Living in Truth

The person of Truth

Read Ephesians 6:10-17.

If you will recall from last week, the purpose for God’s Armor is because we are in a daily battle. But we are not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his demons.

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95)

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.

The Roman Military especially during that time period were an incredible force and every thing they did had a purpose. From their weapons to their Armor it was the best the world had to offer.

Today we are looking at the next piece of Armor which is the Breastplate of Righteousness

The breastplate that Paul was likely referring to was what the Romans called the “Lorica segmentata.”

It was designed to go over the head, think shoulder pads if you played football.

It was made with multiple lateral plates fitting together so they had optimal movement and yet where still protected.

It covered the chest, sides, and back.

The wealthy would wear ones made from bronze or other strong metals, while the poor would have worn leather ones.

The breastplate was made up of two halves and drawn tight together

It was fastened to the “Belt” in this scenario the “The breastplate of Righteousness” is fastened to “Belt or Girdle of Truth”

Often it would include a leather or metal apron draped down to protect the groin region.

Interestingly, it was not uncommon for the wealthier soldiers to have the names and images of the various god’s they worshiped engraved on the breast plate.

As Believers we are commanded to “Take Up” verse 13 the Armor of God. So for us, we understand as we take up the armor of God it is His name engraved on it.

Let’s begin by looking again at verse 14

Ephesians 6:14 (NASB95)

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

Notice the word “Having”

The word having in English is part of a present continuous tense. So in this case we are never to be without the Armor of God.

In other words, the idea of putting on the armor is a continuous action.

What are we continuously putting on?

The breastplate of Righteousness

What is Righteousness? - Righteousness carries the idea of a straight line of living. In this case the straight line or moral line is God’s standard of morality.

In fact the word Paul uses here is the Greek word “dikaiosyne” meaning… “a status of legal rectitude that satisfies the moral requirements of God’s character.”

Clearly you and I fall way short of God’s moral standards for living.

According to Rom 3:23 we have all fallen short of the glory of God?

Romans 3:23 (NASB95)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10, Reminds us No One is Righteous…

Romans 3:10 (NASB95)

as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;

We have all sinned and the payment for sin is Death according Romans 6:23.

Romans 6:23 (NASB95)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How is it then we are able to wear this breast plate of righteousness.

First we must understand that this is God’s Armor…

Psalm 11:7 (NASB95)

For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.

Jesus in His High Priestly Pray calls the Father Righteous… John 17:25

John 17:25 (NASB95)

“O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;

When we look at the Breastplate of Righteousness, just like the Girdle of Truth, we must look at both The Action or Person of Christ in the Armor, and The Our Responsibility of Wearing the Armor.

Martin Luther first used the phrase “Simul Justus et Peccator,” when writing a letter to his friend Phillip Melanchthon.

simul justus et peccator

Simul - At the same time or simultaneously

Justus - is the Latin word for “Just” or “righteous”

Et - and

Peccator - means “transgressor” or “sinner”

Martin Luther came to this realization as believers the moment we are saved we are Declared Righteous before God, but are still sinners while we are alive here on earth.

Therefore, like the Roman breastplate being made of two halves woven together, we must look at the breastplate of righteousness from two point of views.

First Half - Understanding we have been declared righteous

WE HAVE BEEN DECLARED RIGHTEOUS

How is that you and I can be declared righteous?

If you will recall, the whole book of Ephesians is about Christ. Who we are in Him, and what we can do because of Him.

Paul addresses Christ Righteousness being imputed to us in 2 Cor. 5:21.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Imputed simply means Christ placed His righteousness on us, and He took our sins and placed them on himself.

Think of it this way…

If we were to receive grades for our lives you and I would all receive and “F” on our righteousness report card.

Christ however, because he lived perfectly righteous received and “A”

When we chose to place our faith in Him for salvation, He takes His report card and puts our name on it. But he also took our report card and put His name on it.

Because God is Righteousness He demands justice for Sin. So Christ paid the price for our sin on our behalf, the price we could never have paid because we simply cannot live a fully righteous life.

This is how you and I can be declared Righteous! Not because of our efforts, but because of what Christ did for us on our behalf.

Remember, we are fighting a battle against principalities, against demons, against Satan himself.

If he comes and accuses us as He does according to Rev. 12:10.

We can remind him, No God sees me as justified, he sees me as righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

It is this very act of Christ imputing His righteousness on us that gives security of salvation.

Back to the Breastplate of Righteousness…

The First Half - We find the because of Christ we declared Righteous.

Second Half - We Must Live Righteously

WE MUST LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY

Rest assured… if you begin to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. If you are living righteously, Satan will come after you.

The Bible reminds us he is like a lion 1 Peter 5:8. seeking who he may devour…

Have you ever watched a lion as it is scanning its potential prey? What they are doing is they are looking for that weak link.

Satan is the same way, the moment you let your guard down, he will pounce!

Paul addresses unrighteous living in Romans 6:1-2.

Romans 6:1–2 (NASB95)

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Yes! We have been justified at salvation. We have been declared righteous, but this is NOT a license to sin.

Paul implores us not to give in to sin a few verses down in Romans 6:12-13.

Romans 6:12–13 (NASB95)

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness;

but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

As believers, our salvation is secure. This is clear. However, Satan our enemy is going to attack and spread doubt and lies in our lives if we let our guard down by living in sin.

Paul reminded us, back in Ephesians 4:24,

Ephesians 4:24 (NASB95)

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

We have a options. We do not have to live like we did before salvation, but now as believers, we can “Put On” the new self which is the likeness of God.

You have been declared righteous before God… this is you eternal standing. This portion of the breastplate of righteousness is secure and impenetrable. But without practical righteousness in our daily lives, we will give Satan opportunities to attack us.

My Challenge to you this morning is this…

Take a moment to review your actions and thoughts of this last week…

What areas do you need to confess and shore up so that your daily living in righteousness can begin to match your eternal standing of righteousness that Christ bought with His life on your behalf?