Being Prepared for Battle - The Breastplate of Righteousness

This is the second of six posts.

Ephesians 6:13-17

The Breastplate of Righteousness

"having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (v14)

When I thought about this piece of the armor, I thought about what it's supposed to protect. In general it protects the chest area, but I think more specifically it protects the heart. One stab to the heart and you're dead.

So what does that equate to spiritually? I wonder if the real heart issue is my righteousness. Satan seems to always be attacking my righteousness in some form or fashion. In one way he likes to shove my sin back in my face and tell me that I'm worthless sinner and that my sin makes God mad at me. In another way, he likes to wave my "good works" in front of my eyes in order that I might claim some level of self-righteousness. Neither of those scenarios are good.

But I wonder if that "Breastplate of Righteousness" is really the breastplate of Christ's righteousness. Because if I am wearing that breastplate then it deters Satan's stabs. On the one hand, yes, I am a sinner who deserves nothing. But Christ's Righteousness has been imputed to me and I stand holy and unashamed before my Creator God. And on the other hand my self-righteousness is nothing in comparison to Christ's Righteousness. My self-righteousness dissolves in light of Christ's perfection.

Satan can ruin me on the basis of my righteousness. That's why I need Christ's Righteous Breastplate to cover over my heart so that Satan doesn't destroy me.