The Breastplate of Righteousness

Therefore put on the full armor of God … with the breastplate of righteousness in place.

Ephesians 6:13-14

Now look at the second piece of armor, the breastplate of righteousness. Have you put that on? What does that mean? That is Christ as the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before him. If you have that breastplate on, you can rest secure that your heart and your emotions are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack. This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. Christians often feel they lack assurance. They feel unworthy of God. They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that he is no longer interested in them. They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings. Growth has been so slow; the first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that he is distant. There is a sense of guilt. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy and miserable. They feel God blames them. This is simply a satanic attack, a means of opposing and destroying what God intends to do.

How do you answer an attack like this? You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness. In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God. You gave all that up when you came to Christ. You quit trying to be good enough to please God. You came on his merits. You came on the ground of his imputed righteousness, which he gives to you. You began your Christian life like that and there is no change now. You are still on that basis.

This is why Paul begins his great eighth chapter to the Romans with the words, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). No condemnation! You are believing a lie when you believe that God is angry with you and that he rejects you. Remember, you stand on Christ's merits. Further on in that chapter, Paul asks, Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies (Romans 8:33). Christ, who died for us, is the only one who has the right to accuse us, and he loves us.

Lord, I often walk through life with a vague sense that I am a disappointment to you. Help me to put on the breastplate of righteousness, knowing that my righteousness is a gift bestowed on me by faith in Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, and that you delight in me. Amen.