Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Today we want to look at the second piece of the armor of God, which is the breastplate of righteousness. It is important to remember that the armor of God is not something God gives you; instead, it is something God is to you and for you in Christ. It is God’s armor! Look at what Isaiah 59:17 says about the Lord, “and the He put on righteousness like a breastplate,…” The breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus himself that we are in union with. The breastplate for the Roman soldier protected the heart and all the other vital internal organs, so the breastplate of righteousness is a righteousness that comes from the inside out, not just outward behavior. Look at Romans 8:4, “in order that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”This breastplate of righteousness is a righteousness that is fulfilled in us, not a righteousness that fulfilled by us, and in the sermon on the Mount Jesus emphasized that his disciples must have a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. He gave examples of what he meant by that when he told them that not killing someone was not the righteous he was looking for, but the righteousness that a new creation manifests doesn’t hate someone in their heart. They don’t just not kill, they don’t hate on the inside. The righteousness of Christ exceeds not committing adultery; it is manifested on the heart level by being free from hidden lustful thoughts. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “… We have become the righteousness of God in Christ.” Romans 5:17 says, “for if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and a gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Christ Jesus.” Here we are told that righteousness is a gift we receive in the person of Jesus, not something we strive for by our own self effort, no matter how sincere that self effort might be. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “but by the Fathers doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.” Notice that in this verse that righteousness is a who, and not a what. Righteousness is a person, and that person is Jesus, and Jesus lives His righteous life through us as a free gift, that we simply receive by faith, step by step, and moment by moment. Remember again those key verses from Romans 6:10 – 11; “For the death that He died, He died to sin once and for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so, consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Because you and I are in Christ, we are in union with the righteous life that he lives before the Father. I am in union with the spirituality of Jesus, which is gloriously better than my trying to live a righteous life for him. Holiness is the righteousness of Christ manifested in, and then through our lives. This is the breastplate of righteousness, and when it says to “put on” the breastplate, it is interesting to note that the original word that is translated “put on,” actually means to “sink into” something you already have. Better still; to sink into someone I already have. We are called to simply sink into Christ as our righteousness, and to joyfully celebrate, and manifest that reality throughout the day.