What is righteousness? As shared in the intro of this mini-series, righteousness is the standard of good relationships between people, regardless of social status. In other words, it’s living right with people based on how God designed a good life to be with Him and others. The Breastplate of Righteousness is a part of God’s love and strength extended to us through Christ when we become God’s children, clothed by Jesus’s guidance.
God’s Love – affection, friendship, romance, and charity (see The Breastplate of Righteousness mini-series before the wrap-up to define each aspect of God’s Love) – makes up the whole of love only received and experienced through the righteousness of Christ. God specially designed The Breastplate of Righteousness to protect our hearts or love from evil and deception to give us divine strength only He can provide. We wear the breastplate issued by Christ to thwart the fiery darts of the enemy who desires to destroy God’s Love. We do so as not to fall victim to those who cause division among us, condemn and use guilt and shame to manipulate and discourage love in us, and who want to kill God's mission of “LOVE.”
Putting on “The Breastplate of Righteousness” is to seek God’s Love and Righteousness above everything else. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” We make him and his ways our dwelling place (Psalm 91:1). We are to be in love and delight in Christ’s Wonderfully Weird Commands and desire them to become our ways. When God reveals an area of bad habit or vice, we acknowledge it and allow him to work through us by his teachings to transform our love and strength into His. At this point, if you decide to say “no” to God, you open a little crack in the breastplate where Satan’s arrows can get through and harm or kill the Love of God in you. Do all you can to stay pure to wear God’s righteousness properly.
The Breastplate of Righteousness is worn unsuitably often and will malfunction when put on unfittingly. Several factors can interfere with the effectiveness of our spiritual breastplate. Carelessness, unbelief, abuse of grace, or disobedience come to mind and hinder our ability to stand firm to defeat the enemy to protect God's Love. When we stomach sin, refuse to forgive, or allow worldly concerns to consume us, we, in effect, take off The Breastplate of Righteousness, minimizing its power to protect us and let us fight the good fight in right relationships with God and others.
Today, I encourage all to put on The Breastplate of Righteousness properly to be in the right standing with God and others, ready to fight the enemy at any given moment to withstand the spiritual pressures of living life purely in the Christian faith. Next, we look at the third of six pieces of God’s Armor, “The shoes of readiness.”
With Love,