The second offering in my series called "Armour Up!" takes a look at the breastplate of righteousness. Some good questions to ask ourselves today might be: When it comes to standing before God, do I think of myself as worthy because of the way I live my life or because of Christ’s death on the Cross for me? Do I ever find myself feeling proud of the things I’ve achieved? Am I prone to feeling held back by guilt and shame from my past?
May this poem, insight and meditation be edifying for us today. Love Lucy x
Ephesians 6:10-18May this poem, insight and meditation be edifying for us today. Love Lucy x
The Whole Armour of God
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
The Breastplate of Righteousness.
Brethren, we are in a battle. We do not have time to waste.
Clocks are ticking loudly now, and we must armour up, post-haste.
First, we must be strong in Jesus and the power of His might.
Foolish is the one who thinks their strength could ever win this fight.
Not against the flesh, we wrestle, though the flesh can bring us woe.
Brethren, we engage in warfare with a fiercer, darker foe.
One who seeks to bring destruction, for he knows his end will come.
How do we defeat the darkness? Seek the light of Christ, the Son!
Do not let the devil bully nor beguile your heart and mind.
Whether it be force or fraud, he seeks to ruin all mankind.
God forbid his lies take root in those who wear the Kingdom crown.
Brethren, stand upon the truth and tear those wicked strongholds down!
Armour up, and don protection, confident this will suffice.
Clad your breast in righteousness; the kind that’s only found in Christ.
Don’t rely on earthly wisdom, leave all pride upon the shelf.
Do not boast in wealth or works! This righteousness won’t come from self!
Christian, see the gift before you, one you neither earned nor bought.
Shelter, now, your heart behind the battle that our Saviour fought!
Fortify your very being through Messiah’s dying breath.
Guard your mortal frame behind the armour forged through Jesus’ death!
Vanquishing both sin and grave; His victory was sorely won.
Stand upon this solid ground, shielded by the Risen Son!
Let the finished work of Jesus be our boast and strength of arm.
Put on Christ, our Lord, whose righteousness will keep us safe from harm!
Romans 3:9-10
“What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one.””
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Romans 3:21-24 & 27-28
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
“Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
Points for Reflection and Insight
Last month saw this series kick off with a focus on the belt of truth, and how imperative it is as warriors of Christ to have the unchanging truth of God’s Word at the core of our very being. Truth is the foundation upon which we stand and from where we find the authority and power to fight against spiritual forces and disarm the lies of the enemy. Paul makes it clear that we must already have the unshakeable truth of the Bible at our core to be fit for the Christian battle.
The second thing on the Apostle Paul’s list, and the first piece of actual armour, is the breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate provides essential protection for the most vital organs, such as the heart, and no soldier will be effective in the fight if their breastplate is missing, exposing their most vulnerable area to attack.
Neither would a weak breastplate be of any real use. For example, one made of wood may offer a little protection but is going to quickly fall apart when faced with the blow of a mighty sword made of steel. To stand any chance of surviving the assaults of the enemy, the warrior must be clad with a strong and worthy defence, capable of withstanding the oncoming onslaught.
When it comes to the spiritual blows that are railed in the direction of every child of God, it’s clear to see why Paul emphasised the importance of putting the righteousness of Christ as armour between us and the enemies’ attacks. As I mention in the poem, this is not the breastplate of self-righteousness but righteousness. There is a vital difference between the two.
Self-righteousness is rooted in the pride and boast of our own personal efforts and achievements, but this is spiritual warfare, so no worldly armour will be up to the task of offering sufficient protection against the devil’s powerful hits. Again, it’s like the comparison between flimsy wood and solid steel. When it comes to guarding the heart against the arrows of guilt, shame and condemnation, we’re going to need the atoning blood of Jesus Christ speaking over us, not our own feeble and flawed efforts towards righteousness.
It’s not the breastplate of earthly experience, human wisdom, accumulated wealth or personal knowledge so this is not something we can earn or attain for ourselves. The righteousness that Paul instructs us to “put on” comes from Christ and Christ alone. Our “good deeds” will not suffice, it is the perfect, finished work of Jesus on the Cross that declares us pardoned and forgiven.
As we read earlier in Romans 3 when the Apostle Paul is referencing Old Testament Scriptures such as Psalm 14, Psalm 53 and Ecclesiastes 7,
“There is no one righteous, not even one.”
Isaiah 64:6 also affirms the fact that our own efforts will fall short of making us worthy to stand in righteousness. The verse declares,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
Scripture makes it very clear that no matter how “good” we may be in life, we are not good enough. Of course, having an awareness of this biblical truth isn’t to make us feel depressed, lost and worthless with no hope! Rather, it’s to give us a realistic awareness of our standing before God and point us to our need for our perfect Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ultimately, it’s the greatest message we can receive, as it leads our souls to salvation and gives us a sense of confidence for the journey and battle we face in the Christian walk. We can be strong and courageous as children of God because we stand protected by the armour that no weapon formed by the enemy will penetrate: the breastplate of righteousness, gifted to us through Christ. The work is finished. The debt is paid. The record books have been wiped clean and so no matter what lies the enemy throws our way, our acceptance and righteous defence through Christ Jesus will never change.
Questions for personal reflection
When it comes to standing before God, do I think of myself as worthy because of the way I live my life or because of Christ’s death on the Cross for me? Do I ever find myself feeling proud of the things I’ve achieved? Am I prone to feeling held back by guilt and shame from my past?
I’ve heard it said that the devil will often try to attack us in one of two ways. He’ll either tell us we’re the best thing to ever grace this planet or try to convince us we’re the most worthless person to ever walk the face of the earth! One will lead to defeat through pride, the other through hopelessness.
Remembering that we stand protected by the righteousness of Christ is therefore beneficial on a twofold level, as the breastplate of righteousness defends us against both pride and hopelessness. We can stand confidently in our armour because it’s the armour of God, and is therefore weighty enough to ground the haughty spirit, yet strong enough to help the humble heart withstand the devil’s accusations.
This highlights once again the fact that this armour is not reliant upon the mere mortal who chooses to wear it. The unchangeable standing we have through the righteousness imputed to us is neither strengthened nor weakened by our efforts. It has been forged through the finished work of Christ on the Cross.
When the axe of the enemy comes our way, trying to fill our heart with pride and boasting, the blow will be quickly deflected when we remember who we are without Christ, yet who we are with Him! When the arrows of guilt, shame and depression fly towards our chest in an attempt to dishearten and take down a warrior with memories of our sinful past, those arrows will come to nothing when they meet with the righteousness gifted to us through the sacrifice of Jesus. So let’s armour up, praise God for the Cross, and choose to stand boldly as we put on the breastplate of righteousness today!
