The Breastplate of Righteousness
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor 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 armor 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 saints.
Our battle order is to stand firm in the face of Satan’s attacks. Be strong, take your stand, stand your ground, after you’ve done everything, stand, stand firm.
Last week we were reminded that God’s truth is the centerpiece of our armor, holding everything together.
Today we’re focusing on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was one of the last pieces of functional armor to be used on the battlefield because it protected the vital organs without limiting mobility. In fact, even today, we outfit our soldiers with a sort of breastplate: the bulletproof vest.
A breastplate is important, again, because it protects the vital organs, most notably the heart. The heart represents the center of who we are. The heart was understood as the center of emotion, thinking, understanding, judgment, desire, wisdom, and morality. The heart receives God’s teachings, which thus influence our character. People in Bible times regarded the heart as the source of all the body’s activities. This means that whatever you do is controlled by your heart.
Proverbs 4:20-23 tells us this: My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Did you hear that? Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. This is what’s most important to guard, and Satan knows that full well. Satan will attack your heart, because he knows how important the heart is.
Here’s something to consider: every heart has a ruler. Every heart is ruled by something. What rules your heart? Well, what keeps you awake at night? What gets you super excited? Where do you spend a majority of your time? There’s a good chance that one of those things rules your heart.
Does God rule your heart, or do you? Jesus tells his followers to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well. Many of us find ourselves seeking first after "all these things" – and losing out on the Kingdom in the process. What that means is that you’ve allowed your heart to be ruled by someone or something other than God…
So, how do we guard our hearts?
We guard our hearts by following one of the most memorized passages of scripture ever: Deuteronomy 6:5, where we’re told to love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength.
Paul tells us to stand firm, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. What does this really mean? Remember that righteousness is simply the seminary word for being in a right relationship with God. To protect who we are, how we think, how we make decisions, whatever we do, we must be in right relationship with God.
How can we do that?
We recognize our need for God; we have sinned and that messed up our relationship. God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice, and sin cannot remain in His presence. If we do not recognize and admit our sin, there is nothing we can do to get back in God’s favor.
We accept that Jesus already paid the price that was required to reconcile us to God.
We grow in our love of Jesus and in likeness to Him, putting Him first in everything we do.
Putting our relationship with Him first protects us from danger during Satan’s attacks.
How does this work?
We gain confidence in who we are. God reminds us of who we are: we are fearfully and wonderfully made, says Psalm 139, created in God’s image, says Genesis 1.
God reminds us Whose we are: if we have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, then we have been set apart by Him and for Him. And if God is for us, who can stand against us?
As God transforms us, He helps us overcome temptations and to cease sinful behavior.
So let’s prepare for Communion by wearing the breastplate of righteousness.
Our battle order is to stand firm in the face of Satan’s attacks. Be strong, take your stand, stand your ground, after you’ve done everything, stand, stand firm.
Last week we were reminded that God’s truth is the centerpiece of our armor, holding everything together.
Today we’re focusing on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was one of the last pieces of functional armor to be used on the battlefield because it protected the vital organs without limiting mobility. In fact, even today, we outfit our soldiers with a sort of breastplate: the bulletproof vest.
A breastplate is important, again, because it protects the vital organs, most notably the heart. The heart represents the center of who we are. The heart was understood as the center of emotion, thinking, understanding, judgment, desire, wisdom, and morality. The heart receives God’s teachings, which thus influence our character. People in Bible times regarded the heart as the source of all the body’s activities. This means that whatever you do is controlled by your heart.
Proverbs 4:20-23 tells us this: My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Did you hear that? Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. This is what’s most important to guard, and Satan knows that full well. Satan will attack your heart, because he knows how important the heart is.
Here’s something to consider: every heart has a ruler. Every heart is ruled by something. What rules your heart? Well, what keeps you awake at night? What gets you super excited? Where do you spend a majority of your time? There’s a good chance that one of those things rules your heart.
Does God rule your heart, or do you? Jesus tells his followers to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well. Many of us find ourselves seeking first after "all these things" – and losing out on the Kingdom in the process. What that means is that you’ve allowed your heart to be ruled by someone or something other than God…
So, how do we guard our hearts?
We guard our hearts by following one of the most memorized passages of scripture ever: Deuteronomy 6:5, where we’re told to love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength.
Paul tells us to stand firm, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. What does this really mean? Remember that righteousness is simply the seminary word for being in a right relationship with God. To protect who we are, how we think, how we make decisions, whatever we do, we must be in right relationship with God.
How can we do that?
We recognize our need for God; we have sinned and that messed up our relationship. God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice, and sin cannot remain in His presence. If we do not recognize and admit our sin, there is nothing we can do to get back in God’s favor.
We accept that Jesus already paid the price that was required to reconcile us to God.
We grow in our love of Jesus and in likeness to Him, putting Him first in everything we do.
Putting our relationship with Him first protects us from danger during Satan’s attacks.
How does this work?
We gain confidence in who we are. God reminds us of who we are: we are fearfully and wonderfully made, says Psalm 139, created in God’s image, says Genesis 1.
God reminds us Whose we are: if we have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, then we have been set apart by Him and for Him. And if God is for us, who can stand against us?
As God transforms us, He helps us overcome temptations and to cease sinful behavior.
So let’s prepare for Communion by wearing the breastplate of righteousness.
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