Armor of God: The Breastplate of Righteousness

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 6:12

2 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

NLT

Previously we learned that the battle we find ourselves in as a nation today is more than just a political battle, it is a spiritual battle for the heart of the nation and the hearts and minds of its citizens.  As such, we cannot expect to win this battle with conventional weapons like elections or even our founding documents but need to use special weapons.

2 Cor 10:3-4

 4 We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds.

NLT

In this posting, we will look at the second piece of the armor of God, the breastplate of Righteousness.

 

Referring back to our picture of the Roman soldier Paul was most likely looking at when writing his letter to the Ephesians we see that the purpose of the breastplate was to protect the soldier’s vital organs.  The Roman soldier’s breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather.  (1)  Since the breastplate was made of bronze, it would be heavy.  To take some of the weight off the soldier’s shoulders, the belt supported the breastplate.  (2)  In other words, without the belt, the breastplate would have placed incredible weight upon the soldier’s shoulders, making it difficult for him to hold up his shield or use his sword.  This shows us that every implement of the armor works in unison with the other implements. 

Paul calls the breastplate worn by believers in the spiritual battle with our enemy the breastplate of righteousness.  God is a just God and we cannot enter into his presence with any unrighteousness in our hearts.  In addition, none of us has sufficient righteousness within our own hearts that would qualify us to stand before God (Job 26:4, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23).  Therefore, any effort on our part to try to enter into this spiritual battle believing we possess righteousness sufficient to protect our heart would be foolish and dangerous and expose our heart to a mortal would. 

The righteousness Paul is speaking of is not our own righteousness but the righteousness of God that we receive when we invite Jesus into our hearts (Philippians 3:9).  When Jesus comes into our hearts, our heart is covered and protected by the righteousness of Christ who knew no sin and yet willingly died for us so we could be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

This breastplate of righteousness does more than just cover and protect our hearts, it actually changes our heart enabling us to stand when attacked.  The breastplate of righteousness does not just protect us on the outside but changes us on the inside so we can be strong in battle. 

To prevail in the spiritual battle we currently face, we must spend time in prayer in the presence of God.  This means we must put on the breastplate of the righteousness of Christ for our own righteousness is insufficient.  This spending time in prayer also allows the Lord to begin performing heart surgery on our hearts to make it more like the heart of God.  In this way we are protecting our most vital organ, our heart as we enter into spiritual battle. 

However, just as the belt supported the Roman soldier’s breastplate, the belt of truth must support our breastplate of righteousness.  Otherwise, we will become weary in battle even though our intentions are good (Galatians 6:9).  It is easy for a believer learning they have the protection of the breastplate of righteousness to charge out into battle believing the breastplate will keep them save.  However, if the belt of truth does not support the breastplate, a believer can become weary from the weight of the breastplate and become discouraged.  This is why it is important for us to be students of the Word and the truth it contains.  Otherwise we will lack the truth of God's word supporting our breastplate and we will become weary in battle. 

We are in a continual spiritual battle that dates back to when Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden.  There is nobody on earth, except Jesus Christ, that had enough righteousness or right standing to stand before God but thankfully, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, we can put on the breastplate of righteousness, not our righteousness but the righteousness of Christ.  This breastplate when supported by the truth of God’s Word will both transform and protect our hearts from a mortal wound by Satan.  So, do not forget to put on the breastplate of righteousness after putting on the belt of truth. 

1. Missler, Chuck. The Breastplate of Righteousness. www.khouse.org. [Online] Kiononia House. [Cited: December 3, 2013.] http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/269.

2. Dondubois. The Belt of Truth. www.dondubois.info. [Online] [Cited: November 19, 2013.] http://www.dondubois.info/armor/the_belt_of_truth.html.