THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. We are looking at the Armour of God. Last week I examined the first mentioned item of the armour – the Belt of Truth. I explained that a key question that I had to ask was whether this piece of armour referred to an objective standard or a subjective experience. Was it an objective, outward standard of truth – i.e. The Word of God or was it related to our subjective response – truthfulness, sincerity? Actually we need both, but I suspect that one is foundational and the other flows from it. One is the root and the other is the fruit. I concentrated on Objective standard – The Scriptures. I talked about how we are to ‘gird up our minds’ with God’s truth, the Scriptures. God’s truth is foundational. It’s like the Roman soldier’s belt. It was the first piece of armour put on. It anchored and secured the other pieces of armour. Without the truth of God’s word all our efforts will be ‘unattached’ and insecure.
I want to look at the second item of the armour that Paul outlines – The Breastplate of Righteousness. [Picture] The breastplate stretched from the base of the neck down to the upper part of the thighs. It covered the chest and abdomen area. The Greek word is actually, ‘Thorax,’ which we use in English to describe the chest area. It protected the vital organs particularly the heart. Obviously this is a vital area physically. You can sustain a wound in the arms or legs and still survive, but a wound in the chest area is much more serious. Spiritually, it is crucial that we protect the heart as well. Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” The Breastplate of righteousness protects the heart. What is it? In order to examine what Paul had in mind we face the same question we had to ask in dealing with the belt. Is he referring to something objective – with its source external to us, or does he have in mind a subjective response – something from within us? I think it’s like the Belt of Truth – it is both, but it is one before the other.
Don Barry 2010.
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THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the case of the Belt of Truth – it was God’s objective standard and revelation of truth – The Scriptures. But is also our subjective response – an attitude of truthfulness – Psalm 51:6 “Behold you desire truth in the inward parts…” We need both, but the subjective rests on the objective. One is the root and the other is the fruit. Righteousness is exactly the same. It is first something that is objective – from God and is applied to us and then it is our subjective response to God. If you make the issue of righteousness simply your internal response to God then you will end up seeking to stand before God and the spiritual powers that are arrayed against you depending on your own efforts at righteousness. You will fail on both counts. You will never be good enough to be presentable to an all holy God and Satan will ‘have you for lunch.’ It is a tragedy that many people in religious settings try desperately to ‘cobble together’ a subjective righteousness; a ‘godly life’ and then present it to God hoping that it will amount to something acceptable. The righteousness that Paul outlines here is a righteousness which comes from God and is prepared by God and is given to you – in that sense it is objective, external to you. Paul was in an excellent position to comment on this issue for he had tried for so many futile years to present to God a subjective righteousness. Philippians 3:5-9. “I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.”
Christianity isn’t about us trying to live good moral lives and then presenting this to God hoping to be acceptable, presentable to Him. The Gospel is about God presenting His righteousness to me in order to make me acceptable, presentable to Him.
The righteousness that we need and that Paul is referencing in this passage is an objective righteousness that is imputed to me. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Living Bible. “For God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God’s goodness into us.”
Don Barry 2010.
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THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Imputation means that you take something that belongs to another person and you put it into the account of another. It is an exchange. At the Cross the liability for my record of sin, rebellion and brokenness was transferred to Christ. I then became ‘liable’ for His record of a perfectly righteous life. I didn’t deserve this – it had nothing whatsoever to do with my subjective efforts at righteousness. It is an objective gift. Romans 5:17 “For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.)”
Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”
This gift of righteousness gives me acceptance, confidence, security and assurance. I have standing, position and identity because of this gift. I am made presentable to and before God. I have a place to stand in His presence; I have a firm foundation. Theologically what we are talking about is called ‘Justification by faith.’ Romans 5:1-2. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
In the warfare we are embroiled in you can be sure that the enemy will not let this go uncontested. He will challenge you on this issue of your standing in righteousness. He isn’t called the ‘accuser of the brethren’ without good reason. He will challenge your standing. “You call yourself a Christian – huh!!” “You are a hypocrite.” “You are a loser.” “You are God-forsaken.” It would seem, given our behaviour that we have a case to answer. He condemns us and the truth is at times our own heart condemns us as well.
Don Barry 2010.
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THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. But 1 John 3:20 states, “our heart accuses us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” God knows what we forget too often – Christ’s record has been imputed to us by faith. Our position, identity and security aren’t dependent on our performance but on what God has done. Isaiah 54:14 “In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.”
Some people can’t or don’t discern the difference between the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin in our lives and the devil’s condemnation. Conviction always has to do with something I have done and it always comes with a promise of forgiveness and cleansing if I follow a pathway of obedient response. Condemnation has to do with who I am as a person. There’s no hope attached to it and it leads to despair.
I need this objective standard of righteousness placed over my heart of I am ever to stand in the cosmic battle that rages around me. I could say much more about this – I have actually done this in another series I called ‘Unpacking Salvation.’ I want to finish by talking about our subjective response of righteousness in the light of God’s objective gift. It is very important in our spiritual battle, – but it is vital we see the subjective flows from and isn’t prior to the objective gift. A number of translators and commentators come to the Breastplate of righteousness and treat it as if it is all about our subjective response of righteousness. The NEB and Moffat translate it by the word ‘integrity.’ Integrity isn’t about my standing before God, but rather is about walking in righteousness in my daily life. [It isn’t either/or but both/and.]
Attempting the second – walking in integrity—without thye first – justification – is an exercise in religious performance and ultimately futility.
Let me very quickly just look at why integrity is vital protection for us in this spiritual struggle.
Integrity is about completeness, wholeness, about not being divided or duplicitous. The word ‘integer’ from which integrity comes refers to a whole number rather than a fraction. A heart of integrity is a heart that is wholly directed towards God and willing to walk wholeheartedly in His light.
Don Barry 2010.
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THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is one who seeks to walk in the power of an ‘ungrieved Spirit.’ [Ephesians 4:30] When we are walking in integrity of heart we respond to His whispers regarding our lives, our motives and our desires. In this way there are no shadows allowed; no foothold given to the powers of darkness [Ephesians 4:27] that would allow them to develop their ‘wiles’ against us.
Charles Spurgeon once commented, “The enemy finds his best weapons against us in the stockpile of our own disobediences.”
Psalm 25:19-21. “Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.”
Proverbs 2:7 “He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. B.B.E. “He is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil…”
2 Corinthians 6:7 J. B. Philips. “Our sole defense; our only weapon is a life of integrity.” We need to be covered with the Breastplate of Righteousness – imputed and outworked. Without either we are going to be significantly compromised in our ability to stand in the cosmic battle of the ages.
Don Barry 2010.
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