Sermon Title: Righteousness – Our Key Defense (Pt 1)
“…with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 4:13b)
Dearly Beloved,
War is upon us.
Believe or not.
This is a war that began since the fall of Man; a war where every human being is either saved, or lost – a war which will be waged till Christ returns.
The only way to be saved, and live long after this war is over, is to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” and “put on the full armor of God, so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-11)
Here’s the reality.
If you are not strong in the Lord, you will be lost.
If you are not saved through faith in the Lord, you will be lost.
The day of evil is here.
Are you “able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)?
Are you ready for war?
Are you fit to fight in this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of darkness?
There are no such thing as an inactive Christian, or an un-mobilized Christian in this war.
Every Christian must be active, and every Christian – ever willing to be mobilized to the front lines of this war the moment we give our lives to Christ and His Kingdom’s cause.
We must “put on the full armor of God”; and always be found with it – till the day we meet Christ face to face.
To this, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 6:14)
Upon your unreserved and unyielding commitment to fight in this war – as signified “with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,”, the next crucial piece of our armor – “the breastplate of righteousness” must now be in place.
During combat, the breastplate functions as the key protection for the warrior’s vital organs from possible damage and prevents possible death. It is essentially the key piece of armor that greatly improves the warrior’s chances of survival in combat;
For the warrior, it is imperative that the breastplate is in good and effective condition.
For the warrior, it is an essential discipline to maintain the breastplate, and repair any damages and holes that might have been sustained.
For the warrior, great attention must be paid to ensure that the breastplate is in peak condition; well-polished to reflect the sun - possibly blinding the opponent; and consistently effective during combat.
If the breastplate is damaged, weakened, or has holes, you best repair it now; because you never know when the next battle is; and you certainly wouldn’t want to go into battle with a defective armor.
The Apostle Paul informs us that the Christian soldier’s breastplate is made of righteousness.
What does that mean – to wear a breastplate made of righteousness?
Aren’t we already justified (righteous in God’s eyes) by faith in Christ?
Can such a breastplate get damaged? How do we fix the damage in a breastplate made of righteousness?
To answer these questions, we need to imbue a deeper understanding on the nuances of righteousness.
To be clear.
There is only one kind of righteousness – and that is to be seen as upright – pure and holy in the eyes of God; to be holy as God is holy (Ref: Leviticus 11:44).
However, this gift of righteousness through our faith in Christ requires an appropriate response which reveals if we have indeed received God’s gift of righteousness - and it is found analogously in how well we maintain our breastplate made of righteousness.
To this, we need to understand the difference between:
- Imputed Righteousness;
- Imparted Righteousness;
- Intentional Righteousness.
Imputed Righteousness
Through faith in Christ’s finished work of atonement on the Cross and His resurrection and victory over sin and death, His righteousness has been imputed upon us.
Romans 1:17 reveals this divine blessing:
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith (in Christ) from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith””
And again in 2 Corinthians 5:21:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The moment we give our lives to Christ, the moment we are found in Christ - we have been given the breastplate of righteousness; we have become “the righteousness of God.”
Righteousness has been given/imputed upon us the moment we confess and declare our faith in Christ; for in Christ, we have been sanctified.
The moment you decided to be a Christian, you have made the decision to be a soldier for the sake of God’s Truth and Kingdom – in being a full-fledged combatant in the war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
In Christ, we have been given a gleaming, fully-functional and perfect key piece of our armor – that is, the breastplate of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul explains clearly the significance of Christ’s imputed righteousness upon our lives:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
“…and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9)
This is “Righteousness” which comes – imputed upon us – when we have faith in Christ; His work of atonement on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and His Resurrection - that we may receive the gift of eternal life in His Kingdom.
What must we do with this gift of righteousness?
In faith; put it on – and never take it off!
Imparted Righteousness
As believers in Christ – justified before God through faith; we must each follow Christ on His pathway of holiness.
And that can only happen when we genuinely receive the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work of progressive sanctification of our lives.
The Apostle Paul makes the distinction between imputed and imparted Righteousness in Titus 3:4-6:
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Holy Beings becoming holy –
Understanding the distinction between “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”
At the “washing of rebirth” through Christ, we are born-again as God’s children (Ref: John 1:12) – holy beings in His sight.
Through the ongoing and progressive “renewal by The Holy Spirit”, we are set on course to becoming holy.
Our response to the Imparted Righteousness of the Holy Spirit – which is, His renewal in our lives to grow in Christ’s image progressively – is found in our daily choice and willingness to submit to the Holy Spirit completely; and this is what it means to ensure that our breastplate, made of righteousness, is in good repair; shiny and gleaming – ready for battle; ready for any blows or temptations or tribulations that the enemy would strike at us with.
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to walk by the Holy Spirit, and always be led by Him - to keep your breastplate gleaming!
“16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ”
(Galatians 5:16-25)
To conscientiously respond to both the imputed and imparted righteousness of God is to be enduring and steadfast in being willing to walk by the Holy Spirit; and put to death the
“desires of the flesh”.
To succumb to the flesh, to walk apart from the Holy Spirit - is to get our armor damaged or dirtied - to lose its shine, or to be dented and compromised; but by God’s grace, never beyond repair.
Our armor is damaged not only from the attacks of the evil one, but also very much and more so self-inflicted – from committing the “acts of the flesh”; succumbing to the temptations of the world and the sins of self.
Paul leaves us with no doubt that the “acts of the flesh” cause great damage to our “righteous” standing before God, and will ultimately cause our forfeiture of the Kingdom of God - leading to our own destruction.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
21I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:18-21)
For only by bearing the breastplate of God’s righteousness would one inherit the Kingdom of God.
Without it, there is only death.
Without the breastplate of righteousness – actually, for that matter, without any piece of the full armor of God – you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Make no mistake about this.
If you do not “put on the full armor of God” – you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Keep every part of your armor about you – and keep it on your body at all times!
2 Corinthians 5:21:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Remember that our Heavenly Father looks upon us through the blood of Jesus Christ – through the righteousness of Jesus – that only if we are found in him – might we “become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
And that is what the breastplate of righteousness must represent to us!
We belong to Jesus, and we are bonded to Him through His finished work of atonement on the Cross!
We have been purified by the blood of Jesus and as such must wear His righteousness for the world to know and see that we have indeed “become the righteousness of God."
How do we know that we are living as God’s righteousness?
When our lives bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Does your life manifest the fruit of the Spirit?
If not, simply start.
It is that simple.
Simply start manifesting “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Put thought, effort and discipline into it.
Compel yourself to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul insists:
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
In Christ, we are “new creation” (Ref: 2 Corinthians 5:17); though still very much a part of this wicked world and within our sinful nature, we have the
power and authority to overcome the “acts of the flesh”.
The question remains: have you crucified “your flesh with its passions and desires”?
Have you truly died to yourself? Have you truly picked up your cross? Do you truly follow Jesus? (Ref: Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20)
If you do; daily receive, embrace and obey the Holy Spirit’s work in your life!
Keep your breastplate – made of God’s Righteousness – in effective condition by being always willing to receive and embrace the Holy Spirit’s work of imparting righteousness into your life; be absolutely deliberate about
(i) Manifesting the Spirit’s fruit – keep your armor gleaming and effective;
(ii) By the Spirit’s prompting and power, resolutely put to death your sinful nature – removing the grime, knocking out all the dents and mending all the holes from your armor with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We need to keep in step with the Holy Spirit; by keeping in step with living out God’s Righteousness – which is, our right and holy response to His Imparted Righteousness through the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is the act of keeping our breastplate in peak and effective condition – keeping up to God’s Holy Standards.
Remember.
Anything short of His standard will find you short on entry into His Holy and Eternal Kingdom.
In order to achieve this, you need to be very, very intentional about being found righteous in God’s sight.
Intentional Righteousness;
Our Lord Jesus commanded us:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Our only response to the imputed and imparted righteousness of God through the divine work of Christ and the Holy Spirit - is to live each day with the FOREMOST intention to be righteous in the sight of GOD!
That’s right.
As Christians, we must be overt – never covert – manifestations of God’s righteousness.
James 2:21-22, 24 clearly elucidates for us:
“Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
Live each day with the foremost intention and utmost priority to be found righteous in the sight of GOD!
That is what it means to wear a breastplate made of righteousness!
(1) Be led and renewed daily by the Holy Spirit – conscientiously ensuring that your breastplate is effective in withstanding the attacks of the evil one;
(2) Confess and repent of all unrighteousness and all wickedness in your life – conscientiously check that there are no weakness, damages or holes in your breastplate.
Remember.
Like the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness – along with the whole armour of God - once worn, must never be taken off till we see King Jesus face to face.
We are at war.
And the fact that our armour must never be taken off speaks of this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of evil as our daily reality; a reality which we must embrace, in order to be, and become, God’s Holy Nation, destined to be citizens of His eternal Kingdom.
With the breastplate of righteousness on our chest, we must live each day, accomplish every task, and express ourselves as living manifestations of God’s Holiness.
Be very intentional in being found - every moment of your life - righteous in the sight of God.
Be very conscientious about ensuring that your armor is in peak condition against attacks from the forces of darkness; by coming before God – through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit – be confessing and repenting before Him of all wickedness in your life.
In this war, may the Lord always be with You, and be your Strength; as you take your stand in courage, resolve and victory against forces of evil – and at the very end, remain standing; giving all the glory and honor to Christ our King!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit – ready me for war!
Grant me the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fitness to fight in this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
May I be ever active in this war, and willing to be mobilized to be on the front lines of the battles as You deploy me.
May I be unreserved and unyielding in my commitment to fight this war.
May I “put on the full armor of God”; and always be found wearing it – till the day I meet Christ face to face.
Help me to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 6:14)
Grant me favor in Your sight – and grant that the Holy Spirit’s Power be upon me that I may be holy and righteous, just as You are!
May I live solely by faith in Christ Jesus my Lord!
May I remain wholly in Christ that I might become Your Righteousness, O God!
Thank You for making me holy and righteous in Your sight the moment I repent of my sins and profess my faith in Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior!
I acknowledge that my decision to follow You makes me a soldier for the sake of Your Truth and Your Kingdom; and that in You, I have become a full-fledged combatant in the war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
And yet, I know that You are our Refuge and Fortified Tower; and the righteous will run to You and be safe! (Ref: Psalms 61:3, Proverbs 18:10)
Thank You for bestowing upon me the breastplate of righteousness.
Grant me the wisdom, resolve and commitment to always be Your righteousness – for in Christ, I “have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
May I always “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9)
Thank You, O Lord, for imputing Christ’s Righteousness upon me.
May I live each day in, and as, the Righteousness of God!
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your ongoing and progressive work of sanctifying me; imparting Your righteousness in my life.
May I deliberately be holy as You are holy; may I consciously and conscientiously follow Christ.
May I daily respond to Your impartation of Righteousness in my life – by being ever-willing to submit to Your work; ensuring that my breastplate, made of righteousness, is in good repair; shiny and gleaming – ready for battle; ready for any blows or temptations or tribulations that the enemy would strike at me with.
Holy Spirit, I commit to walking with You; and being led by You – in crucifying the desires of my flesh, and in living as Your Holy agent in this unholy world.
Forgive my wickedness, O Lord, when I walked apart from Your Holy Spirit; succumbing to the flesh, the world and to the evil one.
I repent of my sins and ask that You renew and restore me unto Your likeness once again.
Restore me – from the moments that I was attacked by the evil one; or when I gave in to the temptations of the world and to my own flesh. I acknowledge that my wickedness has greatly damaged my righteous standing before You, O God, and would definitely result in my forfeiture of Your Kingdom, if not for Your Mercy and Grace.
I repent from the wickedness that stems from the acts of the flesh - sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I know that any wickedness, even in the minutest, will disinherit me of Your Kingdom.
Thank You for Your forgiveness through Christ; and thank You for Your strength to overcome this darkness in my life through the Holy Spirit.
Heal me, O Lord, and lead me back in Your Righteousness; bear within me the fruit of the Holy Spirit – that I may overtly manifest Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy Spirit, help me keep my armor gleaming and effective!
Help me, O Holy Spirit – and grant me power and resolve to put to death my sinful nature – and removing the grime, knocking out all the dents and mending all the holes on your armor.
That I may keep in step with You; living out God’s righteousness.
Help me to be deeply intentional about seeking first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness.
I desire to be an overt manifestation of God’s righteousness!
Grant me the courage and the holy abandon to live each day with the foremost intention and utmost priority to be found righteous in the sight of GOD!
Holy Spirit, lead me every day in everything, and in every way – that I will be ever-conscientious about ensuring that my breastplate is effective in withstanding the attacks of the evil one.
In this, make me deeply sensitive and abhorent to all things unfavorable in the sight of God – that I may repent and rid my life of all unrighteousness and wickedness – constantly checking and ensuring that there are no weakness, damages or holes in my breastplate.
In You, Lord Jesus, I have victory.
Thank You for choosing me to stand alongside You.
May my life bring You glory and honor!
I thank You and pray all these – on our knees - in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“…with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 4:13b)
Dearly Beloved,
War is upon us.
Believe or not.
This is a war that began since the fall of Man; a war where every human being is either saved, or lost – a war which will be waged till Christ returns.
The only way to be saved, and live long after this war is over, is to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” and “put on the full armor of God, so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ref: Ephesians 6:10-11)
Here’s the reality.
If you are not strong in the Lord, you will be lost.
If you are not saved through faith in the Lord, you will be lost.
The day of evil is here.
Are you “able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13)?
Are you ready for war?
Are you fit to fight in this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of darkness?
There are no such thing as an inactive Christian, or an un-mobilized Christian in this war.
Every Christian must be active, and every Christian – ever willing to be mobilized to the front lines of this war the moment we give our lives to Christ and His Kingdom’s cause.
We must “put on the full armor of God”; and always be found with it – till the day we meet Christ face to face.
To this, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 6:14)
Upon your unreserved and unyielding commitment to fight in this war – as signified “with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,”, the next crucial piece of our armor – “the breastplate of righteousness” must now be in place.
During combat, the breastplate functions as the key protection for the warrior’s vital organs from possible damage and prevents possible death. It is essentially the key piece of armor that greatly improves the warrior’s chances of survival in combat;
For the warrior, it is imperative that the breastplate is in good and effective condition.
For the warrior, it is an essential discipline to maintain the breastplate, and repair any damages and holes that might have been sustained.
For the warrior, great attention must be paid to ensure that the breastplate is in peak condition; well-polished to reflect the sun - possibly blinding the opponent; and consistently effective during combat.
If the breastplate is damaged, weakened, or has holes, you best repair it now; because you never know when the next battle is; and you certainly wouldn’t want to go into battle with a defective armor.
The Apostle Paul informs us that the Christian soldier’s breastplate is made of righteousness.
What does that mean – to wear a breastplate made of righteousness?
Aren’t we already justified (righteous in God’s eyes) by faith in Christ?
Can such a breastplate get damaged? How do we fix the damage in a breastplate made of righteousness?
To answer these questions, we need to imbue a deeper understanding on the nuances of righteousness.
To be clear.
There is only one kind of righteousness – and that is to be seen as upright – pure and holy in the eyes of God; to be holy as God is holy (Ref: Leviticus 11:44).
However, this gift of righteousness through our faith in Christ requires an appropriate response which reveals if we have indeed received God’s gift of righteousness - and it is found analogously in how well we maintain our breastplate made of righteousness.
To this, we need to understand the difference between:
- Imputed Righteousness;
- Imparted Righteousness;
- Intentional Righteousness.
Imputed Righteousness
Through faith in Christ’s finished work of atonement on the Cross and His resurrection and victory over sin and death, His righteousness has been imputed upon us.
Romans 1:17 reveals this divine blessing:
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith (in Christ) from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith””
And again in 2 Corinthians 5:21:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
The moment we give our lives to Christ, the moment we are found in Christ - we have been given the breastplate of righteousness; we have become “the righteousness of God.”
Righteousness has been given/imputed upon us the moment we confess and declare our faith in Christ; for in Christ, we have been sanctified.
The moment you decided to be a Christian, you have made the decision to be a soldier for the sake of God’s Truth and Kingdom – in being a full-fledged combatant in the war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
In Christ, we have been given a gleaming, fully-functional and perfect key piece of our armor – that is, the breastplate of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul explains clearly the significance of Christ’s imputed righteousness upon our lives:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
“…and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9)
This is “Righteousness” which comes – imputed upon us – when we have faith in Christ; His work of atonement on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and His Resurrection - that we may receive the gift of eternal life in His Kingdom.
What must we do with this gift of righteousness?
In faith; put it on – and never take it off!
Imparted Righteousness
As believers in Christ – justified before God through faith; we must each follow Christ on His pathway of holiness.
And that can only happen when we genuinely receive the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work of progressive sanctification of our lives.
The Apostle Paul makes the distinction between imputed and imparted Righteousness in Titus 3:4-6:
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Holy Beings becoming holy –
Understanding the distinction between “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”
At the “washing of rebirth” through Christ, we are born-again as God’s children (Ref: John 1:12) – holy beings in His sight.
Through the ongoing and progressive “renewal by The Holy Spirit”, we are set on course to becoming holy.
Our response to the Imparted Righteousness of the Holy Spirit – which is, His renewal in our lives to grow in Christ’s image progressively – is found in our daily choice and willingness to submit to the Holy Spirit completely; and this is what it means to ensure that our breastplate, made of righteousness, is in good repair; shiny and gleaming – ready for battle; ready for any blows or temptations or tribulations that the enemy would strike at us with.
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to walk by the Holy Spirit, and always be led by Him - to keep your breastplate gleaming!
“16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ”
(Galatians 5:16-25)
To conscientiously respond to both the imputed and imparted righteousness of God is to be enduring and steadfast in being willing to walk by the Holy Spirit; and put to death the
“desires of the flesh”.
To succumb to the flesh, to walk apart from the Holy Spirit - is to get our armor damaged or dirtied - to lose its shine, or to be dented and compromised; but by God’s grace, never beyond repair.
Our armor is damaged not only from the attacks of the evil one, but also very much and more so self-inflicted – from committing the “acts of the flesh”; succumbing to the temptations of the world and the sins of self.
Paul leaves us with no doubt that the “acts of the flesh” cause great damage to our “righteous” standing before God, and will ultimately cause our forfeiture of the Kingdom of God - leading to our own destruction.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
21I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:18-21)
For only by bearing the breastplate of God’s righteousness would one inherit the Kingdom of God.
Without it, there is only death.
Without the breastplate of righteousness – actually, for that matter, without any piece of the full armor of God – you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Make no mistake about this.
If you do not “put on the full armor of God” – you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Keep every part of your armor about you – and keep it on your body at all times!
2 Corinthians 5:21:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Remember that our Heavenly Father looks upon us through the blood of Jesus Christ – through the righteousness of Jesus – that only if we are found in him – might we “become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
And that is what the breastplate of righteousness must represent to us!
We belong to Jesus, and we are bonded to Him through His finished work of atonement on the Cross!
We have been purified by the blood of Jesus and as such must wear His righteousness for the world to know and see that we have indeed “become the righteousness of God."
How do we know that we are living as God’s righteousness?
When our lives bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Does your life manifest the fruit of the Spirit?
If not, simply start.
It is that simple.
Simply start manifesting “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Put thought, effort and discipline into it.
Compel yourself to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul insists:
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
In Christ, we are “new creation” (Ref: 2 Corinthians 5:17); though still very much a part of this wicked world and within our sinful nature, we have the
power and authority to overcome the “acts of the flesh”.
The question remains: have you crucified “your flesh with its passions and desires”?
Have you truly died to yourself? Have you truly picked up your cross? Do you truly follow Jesus? (Ref: Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20)
If you do; daily receive, embrace and obey the Holy Spirit’s work in your life!
Keep your breastplate – made of God’s Righteousness – in effective condition by being always willing to receive and embrace the Holy Spirit’s work of imparting righteousness into your life; be absolutely deliberate about
(i) Manifesting the Spirit’s fruit – keep your armor gleaming and effective;
(ii) By the Spirit’s prompting and power, resolutely put to death your sinful nature – removing the grime, knocking out all the dents and mending all the holes from your armor with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We need to keep in step with the Holy Spirit; by keeping in step with living out God’s Righteousness – which is, our right and holy response to His Imparted Righteousness through the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is the act of keeping our breastplate in peak and effective condition – keeping up to God’s Holy Standards.
Remember.
Anything short of His standard will find you short on entry into His Holy and Eternal Kingdom.
In order to achieve this, you need to be very, very intentional about being found righteous in God’s sight.
Intentional Righteousness;
Our Lord Jesus commanded us:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Our only response to the imputed and imparted righteousness of God through the divine work of Christ and the Holy Spirit - is to live each day with the FOREMOST intention to be righteous in the sight of GOD!
That’s right.
As Christians, we must be overt – never covert – manifestations of God’s righteousness.
James 2:21-22, 24 clearly elucidates for us:
“Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
Live each day with the foremost intention and utmost priority to be found righteous in the sight of GOD!
That is what it means to wear a breastplate made of righteousness!
(1) Be led and renewed daily by the Holy Spirit – conscientiously ensuring that your breastplate is effective in withstanding the attacks of the evil one;
(2) Confess and repent of all unrighteousness and all wickedness in your life – conscientiously check that there are no weakness, damages or holes in your breastplate.
Remember.
Like the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness – along with the whole armour of God - once worn, must never be taken off till we see King Jesus face to face.
We are at war.
And the fact that our armour must never be taken off speaks of this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of evil as our daily reality; a reality which we must embrace, in order to be, and become, God’s Holy Nation, destined to be citizens of His eternal Kingdom.
With the breastplate of righteousness on our chest, we must live each day, accomplish every task, and express ourselves as living manifestations of God’s Holiness.
Be very intentional in being found - every moment of your life - righteous in the sight of God.
Be very conscientious about ensuring that your armor is in peak condition against attacks from the forces of darkness; by coming before God – through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit – be confessing and repenting before Him of all wickedness in your life.
In this war, may the Lord always be with You, and be your Strength; as you take your stand in courage, resolve and victory against forces of evil – and at the very end, remain standing; giving all the glory and honor to Christ our King!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Holy Spirit – ready me for war!
Grant me the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual fitness to fight in this ongoing war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
May I be ever active in this war, and willing to be mobilized to be on the front lines of the battles as You deploy me.
May I be unreserved and unyielding in my commitment to fight this war.
May I “put on the full armor of God”; and always be found wearing it – till the day I meet Christ face to face.
Help me to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,” (Ephesians 6:14)
Grant me favor in Your sight – and grant that the Holy Spirit’s Power be upon me that I may be holy and righteous, just as You are!
May I live solely by faith in Christ Jesus my Lord!
May I remain wholly in Christ that I might become Your Righteousness, O God!
Thank You for making me holy and righteous in Your sight the moment I repent of my sins and profess my faith in Christ Jesus, my Lord and Savior!
I acknowledge that my decision to follow You makes me a soldier for the sake of Your Truth and Your Kingdom; and that in You, I have become a full-fledged combatant in the war against the spiritual forces of darkness.
And yet, I know that You are our Refuge and Fortified Tower; and the righteous will run to You and be safe! (Ref: Psalms 61:3, Proverbs 18:10)
Thank You for bestowing upon me the breastplate of righteousness.
Grant me the wisdom, resolve and commitment to always be Your righteousness – for in Christ, I “have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)
May I always “be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9)
Thank You, O Lord, for imputing Christ’s Righteousness upon me.
May I live each day in, and as, the Righteousness of God!
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your ongoing and progressive work of sanctifying me; imparting Your righteousness in my life.
May I deliberately be holy as You are holy; may I consciously and conscientiously follow Christ.
May I daily respond to Your impartation of Righteousness in my life – by being ever-willing to submit to Your work; ensuring that my breastplate, made of righteousness, is in good repair; shiny and gleaming – ready for battle; ready for any blows or temptations or tribulations that the enemy would strike at me with.
Holy Spirit, I commit to walking with You; and being led by You – in crucifying the desires of my flesh, and in living as Your Holy agent in this unholy world.
Forgive my wickedness, O Lord, when I walked apart from Your Holy Spirit; succumbing to the flesh, the world and to the evil one.
I repent of my sins and ask that You renew and restore me unto Your likeness once again.
Restore me – from the moments that I was attacked by the evil one; or when I gave in to the temptations of the world and to my own flesh. I acknowledge that my wickedness has greatly damaged my righteous standing before You, O God, and would definitely result in my forfeiture of Your Kingdom, if not for Your Mercy and Grace.
I repent from the wickedness that stems from the acts of the flesh - sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I know that any wickedness, even in the minutest, will disinherit me of Your Kingdom.
Thank You for Your forgiveness through Christ; and thank You for Your strength to overcome this darkness in my life through the Holy Spirit.
Heal me, O Lord, and lead me back in Your Righteousness; bear within me the fruit of the Holy Spirit – that I may overtly manifest Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy Spirit, help me keep my armor gleaming and effective!
Help me, O Holy Spirit – and grant me power and resolve to put to death my sinful nature – and removing the grime, knocking out all the dents and mending all the holes on your armor.
That I may keep in step with You; living out God’s righteousness.
Help me to be deeply intentional about seeking first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness.
I desire to be an overt manifestation of God’s righteousness!
Grant me the courage and the holy abandon to live each day with the foremost intention and utmost priority to be found righteous in the sight of GOD!
Holy Spirit, lead me every day in everything, and in every way – that I will be ever-conscientious about ensuring that my breastplate is effective in withstanding the attacks of the evil one.
In this, make me deeply sensitive and abhorent to all things unfavorable in the sight of God – that I may repent and rid my life of all unrighteousness and wickedness – constantly checking and ensuring that there are no weakness, damages or holes in my breastplate.
In You, Lord Jesus, I have victory.
Thank You for choosing me to stand alongside You.
May my life bring You glory and honor!
I thank You and pray all these – on our knees - in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.