Armor of God, Part 2: Breastplate of Righteousness
reetings everyone, welcome back to our mini-series: Armor of God Part 2. Before we move on to the Breastplate of Righteousness, let’s have a quick recap of Part 1: The Shield of Faith comes from:
Faith is actually a gift granted to you:
- Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
- Ephesians 2:8, which says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not as a result of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Now that we have an idea about the first armor, let’s move on to the breastplate. Paul described this piece of armor as the Breastplate of Righteousness. Again, just like in the previous part of this series, we will discuss about righteousness in the context of the Armor of God. See, this is not the kind of the righteous we know from our day to day experiences. Just like Faith, it is again a gift granted to us from God through Jesus Christ.
Again, so many preachers have taught about the Armor of God but have missed something special which we will reveal here because “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).
What type of Righteousness?
Let’s quickly look at the meaning of righteousness from a biblical perspective:
- God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Meaning, we only become righteous through Jesus Christ who died for our sins.
- For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."(Romans 1:17). Faith another gift from God.
- You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you (Acts 3:14). Jesus Barabbas, a rioter and murderer was released instead of Jesus Christ who never sinned.
- The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous (1 John 3:8).
Now, take a look at the verses closely. This type of righteousness is an attribute of God, it is Christ. It can only be granted to us through faith in Jesus Christ, so watch this:
Now watch this: Righteousness is a gift through Faith (another gift) in Jesus Christ (actually a gift to us John 3:16). You see the connection? Glory to God!
Breastplate Protection in Action
The physical breastplate, as we know it today, protects our vital organs such as the heart. Now, you might ask how we can put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Remember, this is a spiritual gift.
And one of my favourite verses says: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Notice, it’s not your righteousness but His.
Through Jesus, we will be protected because we stand right before God. Without Jesus it is impossible to get the protection we need because “The Lord saves the righteous and protects them in times of trouble” (Psalms 37:39).
Key Takeaways:
This teaching was designed to make things super clear to everyone, glory to God. To sum everything up, let’s take a look at the main points:
And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:22).
This type of righteousness is a gift through Faith (another gift) in Jesus Christ (actually a gift to us John 3:16). Again, everything points to Jesus Christ, we are saved, protected through our Lord Jesus Christ!
If you are ready for battle you should check your armor, is your breastplate on right now? Do you have Jesus Christ in your life? Remember, without Jesus we cannot be saved or protected, we cannot be righteous before God. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.
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