This is why we must daily put on the breastplate of righteousness to remind ourselves of God’s truth that we have Jesus’ ownership marked on us, we are saved, and we are God’s children (John 1:12).
The breastplate of righteousness is the second item listed in the armor of God passage as found in Ephesians 6:10-18, closely linked with the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14). The entire armor of God is important for us as believers to put on every day, but in this article, we will cover the details of defining the breastplate of righteousness:
The Breastplate of Righteousness
In the most concise sense, the breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness given to us by Jesus by His death on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). At the moment of salvation, every believer receives the breastplate of righteousness to keep forever. This is not a physical breastplate that you can physically hold with your hands and see with your eyes. Rather, it is a spiritual breastplate of righteousness that we wear each day. Due to our own fallen nature, we are not righteous on our own. It is only by Jesus’ imputed righteousness that we can be declared righteous.
The breastplate of righteousness does not automatically clothe us each day. We have to make the intentional decision to put it on. Just like a soldier has to put on a breastplate to protect him in battle, we as Christians have to put on the breastplate of righteousness each day in order to protect us from Satan’s lies and attacks. If we do not actively put on the breastplate of righteousness, we will be exposed to the attacks of the enemy. When we choose to wear the breastplate of righteousness, we can take our stand against the devil and his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-11).
Before we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we have to make sure our belt of truth is buckled tightly on our waist. The belt of truth is the first item listed within the armor of God, and it has to be firmly fitted on our waist before we can put on the breastplate of righteousness. The belt of truth is the truth, which is Jesus and His Word. We must put on the truth, know the truth of the Bible, and keep it in our hearts and minds before putting on the breastplate of righteousness.
During the days that Paul was preaching to the church of Ephesus, they were well aware of how armor worked. Most people would know that if you did not have your belt tied tightly around your waist, the breastplate would fall off. In the same way, if we don’t have a firm foundation of the truth of Jesus and His Word, our breastplate of righteousness can easily slip off, and we can be led to self-doubt or doubt our salvation. This is why we must daily put on the breastplate of righteousness to remind ourselves of God’s truth that we have Jesus’ ownership marked on us, we are saved, and we are God’s children (John 1:12).
Putting On the Breastplate of Righteousness
It can be hard to imagine putting on a spiritual breastplate of righteousness, yet it is what we must do. We can put on the breastplate of righteousness by seeking out God and His righteousness as well as obeying Him. Jesus tells us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). What the Lord is telling us is that we need to seek out Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness more than we seek out other things, such as food, shelter, or clothing (Matthew 6:26-32). God knows we need all of these things, yet we are to seek out Him and His righteousness above all else.
When we seek after God and His righteousness, we will find delight and joy in the things that bring Him delight and joy. In other words, our hearts and minds will begin to reflect God’s heart and mind when we consistently seek out God and His righteousness. By doing this, we are putting on the breastplate of righteousness and truly following God and His direction. Consistently seeking out God and His righteousness will cause our spiritual breastplate of righteousness to grow stronger and sturdier. The moment we stop seeking out God and His righteousness, we are exposed to the risk of Satan trying to attack us with his lies and threats.
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness each day can be difficult, yet we must keep putting on our spiritual armor to protect us from Satan’s schemes. Similar to a soldier’s physical armor, if it is not worn properly, it can cause harm to the soldier. If we do not put on our breastplate of righteousness, we will become exposed to Satan and his demons’ attacks. Since our breastplate is spiritual, it will not be broken by physical attacks like soldiers’ breastplates, harming the physical heart. But facing the enemy without the breastplate of righteousness yields our spiritual hearts (and souls) to fatal damage.
Our breastplate of righteousness can be damaged or malfunction if we are living in a life of sin, living in unbelief, disobeying God, refusing to forgive others, or trying to seek out self-righteousness (Hebrews 3:12; 1 John 3:4; 2 Corinthians 2:10-11; Titus 3:5). Each of these sins can hinder the breastplate of righteousness. In addition to the many things that can damage or cause our breastplate to malfunction, there are many things we can do to ensure that it is firmly fitted to our bodies. By living in obedience, following God, and seeking out His righteousness, we will be able to strengthen our breastplate.
By rejecting the teachings of the world and choosing to follow God, our breastplate of righteousness will be strong and ready to face any attacks from the enemy. Keeping ourselves in check, praying to God, and reading the Bible can also help our armor stay strong and sturdy. It is vital that we always take the incentive to put on the breastplate of righteousness to combat not only Satan but also our sinful desires. Our sin in and of itself can cause us to trip and fall. This is why we must cultivate our spiritual armor and put on every piece of our armor each day because even ourselves can cause the breastplate to not be as effective.
Make the intentional choice each day to put on the full armor of God, including the breastplate of righteousness. A believer needs to first put on the belt of truth before putting on the breastplate of righteousness because it is vital for the individual to know and be knowledgeable of the truth. Without the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness will fall off and not be as strong. Seeking out God and His righteousness is how you can put on the breastplate of righteousness in your daily life.
The more you practice putting on the breastplate of righteousness, the better you will get at combating Satan and his attacks. Remind yourself of God’s promises and trust that He can help you put on the full armor of God each day. It is without a doubt that Satan is constantly trying to cause us to sin and disobey God, yet we don’t have to give him the pleasure of watching us fall. Instead, we can put on the full armor of God and take our stand against the devil and his schemes (Ephesians 6:10-18).
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