Breastplate of Righteousness
Breastplate of Righteousness
Stand, therefore, with . . . righteousness like armor on your chest. (Eph. 6:14)
Pride and Unbelief
Even as Christians we can sometimes fall into the trap of trying to justify ourselves through our own righteous behavior. That’s impossible, of course, considering that the standard we’d need to live up to is absolute perfection. And yet, there is something in us—the Bible calls it pride—that has a hard time admitting sin and receiving grace. A Christian is, by definition, someone who has given up all hope of self-righteousness and has embraced Christ’s righteousness instead. This great exchange is the heart of the gospel and the spring of all joy in the Christian life.
Heart of the Gospel
It’s not surprising, then, that Satan would attack Christians in this area. He is called “the accuser of our brothers” in Revelation 12:10, and that’s exactly what he does. His strategy is two pronged and subtle. If he can’t get us to try to justify ourselves through our own moral performance (which actually results in living in denial with unconfessed sin), he will constantly attempt to cast doubt in our minds about the sufficiency and reality of our justification in Christ. It’s all-out warfare for us to rest in Christ.
The breastplate of righteousness—the firm and secure knowledge that we are righteous in Christ apart from works—is absolutely critical to protect our hearts from self-righteous pride or crippling despair. Without it, we’re vulnerable to attack.
Bottom Line
Our righteousness in Christ—our justification before God on account of Christ—is crucial to our standing firm.