Sermon republished here by kind permission of Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
Listen to the sermon at SermonAudio.com website:
Part 2 of The Christian Armor or The Full Armor of God
Christian in the Complete Armour
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Text: Ephesians 6:14b
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Introduction
There is a war of cosmic proportion raging. It has been raging for several millennium. About two millennium ago, the outcome of the war became clear for all to see— for at the Cross of Calvary, Christ crush the head of the ancient serpent as it nipped at his heels. But the war is far from over, for the ancient serpent, the devil, is thrashing about in its death throes, seeking to sweep as many as he possibly can into hell with him.
There are still battles for the seed of the woman and all united to Him to fight. Everyone of us who profess faith in Christ or have receive the water of baptism have been enrolled into the army of Christ to fight the battle behind our Captain of Salvation.
Two sabbaths ago, we considered Paul’s briefing in regards to the war that we have to fight. He tells us essentially 5 things…
• Arm ourselves with courage in the Lord.
• Rely wholly on the Lord to Supply all we need in the battle
• Make no mistake: unseen does not mean unreal.
• Occupy and Hold our Ground.
• Receive our armour and use it!
Having heard the briefing, we stepped into the armoury to learn about various parts of the armour that is available to us. We have considered the belt of truth.
We learned 4 things about the belt of truth, namely:
1. Basically, the belt is a badge, a bell and a binder.
2. Everything to do with truth is represented by the belt.
3. Listening to and Studying the Word is one way of wearing the belt.
4. Truthfulness to self & others is another way of wearing the belt.
So we must put on the belt of truth. But having put on the belt of truth, we must next put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Paul says:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
But what is a Breastplate? What does this breastplate represent? How to put on this breastplate? These are the questions that we must ask this morning.
To answer these questions, consider these six points:
• The Breastplate Protects the Soldier’s Heart.
• Holiness & righteousness by regeneration is one side of the Breastplate
• On the other side is the righteousness of Christ by Justification.
• Resting in Christ’s Righteousness is one way of wearing the Breastplate
• Adorning Holiness by a righteous Christian walk is the second way.
• eXamining ourselves to avoid extremes is another way.
Consider these six points briefly:
1. The Breastplate Protects the Soldier’s Heart
There are essentially two kinds of breastplates referred to in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, the high priest wore a breastplate with the Urim and Thummim as well as the names of the 12 tribes engraved on precious stones fixed on it (Ex 28:15-30; 39:8-21).
It is clear, however, that this is not the breastplate in the armoury of the apostle Paul. The breastplate that Paul wants us to put on is one that is to be used in actual battle rather than in temple ceremonies.
The breastplate in the panoply of the Christian army is like the kind used in the Roman army. Each Roman soldier was issued with a breastplate to protect his most vital organs from enemy weapons.
The word translated breastplate is actually a Greek word (qwvrax) from which we get the English word ‘thorax.’ Our thorax is the part of our body between our neck and our navel where the ribs end. Within the thorax are our most vital organs including our heart.
I am not sure if the term thorax was first used to refer to the breastplate or to the part of the vital part human torso. Whatever the case might have been, the Roman breastplate is aptly known as the thorax as it s protects the vital organs in the chest.
It is thought that the thorax worn by the Roman soldiers during Paul’s time consisted of two parts. One part protects the front of the body, while the other part protects the back. Each part is made of shiny strips of iron (cf. Rev 9:9, 17), laid in an overlapping fashion, and secured by leather straps.
When the strips of iron are attached in such a fashion, it makes for an extremely strong, yet flexible defence against enemy swords and stabbing weapons. The soldier wearing this breastplate could move freely and use his shield and sword without it getting in his way.
It is true that the breastplate did not protect the Roman soldier’s entire body. But no thinking Roman soldier would ever go into battle without his breastplate.
And so no Christian soldier should venture to go into battle without our spiritual breastplate in place. Without our spiritual breastplate, we can be severely injured in the battle.
What does it mean to be injured in the spiritual battle? To be spiritually injured is to give in to temptation; to backslide; to become spiritually despondent or joyless; to become cynical; or worst to give up the fight altogether.
Beloved brethren, youths and children, in the war that we are engaged in, there will be casualties, but like in any war, we must never enter into battle expecting to be injured or killed. We must protect ourselves. We must fight a safe battle.
Therefore, let us neglect not to put on our breastplate and to wear it constantly. As the breastplate protected the Roman soldier heart, tt will protect our spiritual heart.
But what exactly does the breastplate represent?
Well, we mentioned that the Roman Thorax has two pieces—one to protect the front, the other to protect the back. And providentially, we may also think of our spiritual breastplate as having two parts.
Consider therefore what the breastplate represent in our second and third lesson points. Our second point is:
2. Holiness & Righteousness by Regeneration is one side of the Breastplate
The spiritual breastplate is a breastplate of righteousness. So it represents righteousness.
But the Scripture speaks of righteousness both in the objective and subjective sense just as it speaks of truth in the objective and subjective sense.
Objectively, righteousness is purchased by Christ and imputed to believers in justification.
Subjectively, righteousness is earned by Christ and imparted to believers in regeneration and sanctification.
What kind of righteousness is Paul referring to? Some commentators say it is either this or that. Calvin insists that it is the subjective sense. Paul is speaking about “a devout and holy life,” he says.
Charles Hodge disagrees:
Many say it is our own righteousness, integrity, or rectitude of mind. …But this is no protection. It cannot resist the accusations of conscience, the whispers of despondency, the power of temptation, much less the severity of the law, or the assaults of Satan.
What do we say? Well, I agree with Matthew Henry it must refer to both!
Righteousness, both objective and subjective must be our breast-plate. Consider the subjective sense of holiness first: Holiness is one side of the breastplate.
Many commentators, including Calvin insist that this is what the apostle Paul is referring to by the term righteousness when he speaks of the breastplate of righteousness.
Now, remember that this righteousness is not our own righteousness by nature—for there is none righteous no not one, and all our righteous deed borne out of our fallen nature are filthy rags in the sight of God.
Moreover, this righteousness that Paul talks about is part of the spiritual armour supplied by the Lord. It is no doubt supplied at regeneration, which is why Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:24 that the new man “is created in righteousness and true holiness.” This is the righteousness and holiness that the Scripture talks about as being essential if we are to be saved:
The Lord Jesus says:
“Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20).
Take note that the Lord is not referring to justification here but to actual righteousness for he goes on to explain how we must keep the Law. We cannot keep the law by our own nature, but with the righteousness imparted by the Lord in our regeneration, we may indeed keep the law—albeit imperfectly in this life.
But however imperfect, we must have such a righteousness and holiness or we can have no assurance of salvation. Thus the apostle to the Hebrews asserts that without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Heb 12:14).
Now, we will talk about how we must wear this part of the breastplate of righteousness shortly, but for now let us understand that we must wear it.
The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breast-plate to fortify our heart against the attacks of Satan. This righteousness of Christ implanted manifest itself in a holy life. Unless we have a holy life, we shall be easily fall prey to the temptations of the devil.
Sin always begets sin. If you do not have the breastplate of a righteous life, you will be bound to sink deeper and deeper into unrighteousness. For Satan will make every attempt to sink you with the weight of his arrows of temptation.
Therefore, beloved brethren and children, make sure you are born again and have an actual righteousness and holiness in your heart—for Holiness & Righteousness by Regeneration is one side of the Breastplate…
But now thirdly, note that…
3. On the other side is the Righteousness of Christ by Justification.
We noted how imparted righteousness does not affords sufficient protection as it does not make us perfect. Well, we think it affords some protection, but it is not sufficient. We need also the righteousness of Christ imputed through justification by grace through faith.
The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is not only our breast-plate against the arrows of divine wrath, but our breast-plate against the arrows of Satanic accusation and condemnation. Satan is known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10). But “who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died” for us (Rom 8:34).
Without the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, we will have no defense against the attacks of the devil whenever we fall under temptation. The devil, you can be sure will try to cast doubts in your mind. He may make you doubt, for example, that God will still receive you when you fall into sin.
Sometimes, only the knowledge that God accepts us not on account of our imperfect righteousness, but on account of the perfect righteousness of Christ will lift us up and bring us to the throne of grace to seek pardon.
And not only so, except we have the righteousness of Christ imputed to us through justification, no conscientious Christian can have any sense peace and freedom—for we will never be satisfied that God is pleased with our efforts to live the Christian life.
We will always be trying harder and harder to please God, and we will find our Christian life to become a life of dos and don’t and a desperate attempt to please God and man.
Beloved brethren and children, do you find your Christian life to be burdensome and discouraging? Do you feel a constant guilt in your conscience because of your failure to meet up with the unspoken expectations fellow believers, but demands of the preaching of the Word of God?
If so, I would suggest to you that you have not been putting on the second piece of the breastplate of righteousness, even the righteousness of Christ through justification?
You are working out your salvation without a proper understanding that you are already saved and justified in Christ and accepted of God.
This being the case, the devil is, as it were, having a field day with you. He is making you a miserable legalist. He has robbed you of peace and gratitude. And he is probably making use of you to make others feels miserable by having you to look at others with a critical and judgmental attitude and tempting you to insinuate the faith of others by your critical and sarcastic remarks.
Beloved brethren and children, be very careful to put on the breastplate of righteous—both sides of it. Remember: Holiness and righteousness by regeneration is one side of the breastplate. On the other side is the righteousness of Christ by justification.
But now, how to put on and wear the breastplate? For this consider our 4th, 5th and 6th lesson points.
4. Resting in Christ’s Righteousness is one way of wearing the Breastplate
We noted that the breastplate of righteousness has two parts: Christ’s imputed righteousness through justification on the one hand and Christ’s imparted righteousness through regeneration on the other hand.
So to put on the breastplate of righteousness is to apply the doctrine of justification as well as the doctrine of regeneration and sanctification in our lives.
In the first place, in application of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith, we may say that…
Resting in Christ’s Righteousness is one way of wearing the breastplate.
To rest in Christ’s righteousness, you must understand that salvation is all of Christ. It is not what you do that is going to save you—whether before or after your conversion. Therefore, you must be determined to fix your eyes on the Lord. You must constantly remind yourself that your salvation is of the Lord, not of yourself. Working out your salvation with fear and trembling is not about working to be accepted by the Father or to avert his wrath.
You are or well be accepted by the Father not on account of your own righteousness, for all our righteousness are as filthy rags says the prophet Isaiah.
It is the righteousness of Christ that alone is acceptable to God. You must ensure that this truth is lodged firmly in your mind, or should I say your breast.
Only if you learn to rest in the righteousness of Christ in justification will you have a true freedom, and the courage and strength to serve the Lord out of gratitude rather than out of an attempt to gain the Lord’s favour.
Conversely, a conscientious professing Christian who fails to grasp the doctrine of justification will tend to be legalistic in his service and worship. He can be very zealous, but his zeal is not according to knowledge (Rom 10:2). I think of devout Roman Catholics going for mass every morning before going to work. I think of fervent fundamentalists going about doing street evangelism while neglecting their studies and family commitments.
Beloved brethren and children, do not allow yourself to go off balance. Rest in the righteousness of Christ. Work out your salvation out of a grateful response to the Lord for the salvation that He has granted you, not to make sure that God will be compelled to give you salvation!
Unless your relationship with God is founded upon the righteousness of Christ imputed to you, you will easily fall under the temptations of the devil in hours of discouragements due to your own failures.
Therefore, at times when you fall into sin, and come under the assault of the devil, remember to go to the Lord acknowledging that you are a sinner and thanking him that he came for sinners and not for the righteous. Do not allow Satan to tempt you to give up because you are not good enough. It is not about you! You are accepted not because you are good enough, but because of the righteousness of Christ.
Remember: Resting in Christ’s Righteousness is one way of wearing the Breastplate. Unless you rest in Christ’s righteousness, you will have many occasions to be wounded by the devil as he tries to make you doubt your salvation, or make you serve out a slavish fear of the Lord.
But be as that may be the case, remember also fifthly that…
5. Adorning Holiness by a righteous Christian walk is the second way of wearing the breastplate.
We not how it is dangerous for a Christian to fail to wear the half of the thorax that represents the righteousness of Christ in justification.
However, take note that the doctrine of justification if embraced without a proper understanding of sanctification will lead to lawlessness or antinomianism; which will in turn be used by the Devil to bring disrepute to the name of Christ.
I think of conservative Christians who are supposedly resting in Christ so much that they sleep through most of the sermon. They would not lift a hand to help out in anything in the church, or to do their Christian duties at home, and yet are absolutely sure they are going to heaven! I think of professing Christians who have no idea about the law of God but are sure they are going to heaven because they once prayed to receive Christ.
Can you see how fallen human beings, including Christians are prone to swing from one extreme to another? Fail to put on one side of the breastplate and we will be tempted to legalism; fail to put on the other side of the breastplate and we will be tempted to lawlessness.
Therefore, remember beloved brethren and children: Resting in Christ’s righteousness is one way of wearing the spiritual breastplate. Adorning holiness by a righteous Christian walk is another way of wearing the breastplate.
In other words, to put on the breastplate of righteousness, you must not only rest in Christ’s righteousness; you must also work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies, but you have a responsibility too. Remember the famous words of the apostle Paul to the Philippians—
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.…For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-13).
Therefore, out of gratitude for the Lord,…
• Resolve to know and to keep God’s commandments.
• Resolve to make use of the means of grace appointed by the Lord.
• Resolve to read the Scriptures daily and pray without ceasing.
• Resolve to have family worship if you have a family.
• Seek always to do good to others and to glorify God in all that you do.
In this way, you can have the assurance that your breastplate of righteousness is still protecting your heart against the assaults of the Wicked One.
Remember: Adorning holiness by a righteous Christian walk is another way of wearing the breastplate of righteousness.
But finally consider how…
6. eXamining ourselves to avoid extremes is another way of wearing the breastplate
Remember how the thorax or the breastplate of righteousness has two parts corresponding to the two great doctrines of regeneration and sanctification on the one hand; and justification on the other hand.
Remember also how we tend to extremes. Or should we say: we tend to be forgetful. We tend to forget one or the other half of the breastplate—and so we are tempted by the devil to ding-dong between lawlessness and legalism.
So we find ourselves fervently zealous for a season; and then slumping into morbid inactivity for another season. This ought not to be the case. The conscientious Christian should really be walking in the freedom that Christ gives, yet constrained by the love of Christ to a holy zeal to serve Him and witness for Him.
But unless we take time to think about how the two pieces of the breastplate are to be tied together and to examine ourselves to see if we are walking circumspectly; we will easily fall to one extreme or the other.
Beloved brethren and youths, remember that the way of righteousness is a narrow way. There are two lions chain to each side of the path. On one side is the lion called lawlessness; and the other side is the lion call legalism.
These two lion are chained by the blood of Christ and need not trouble us. But the pilgrim must put on his breastplate and walk confidently between them if he were to pass through them without being mauled or clawed by one or the other.
Now, the remarkable think about these two lions is that when they manage to claw you, it will not hurt immediately—though you may get infected and fall very ill. So it is essential that we see to it that we do not get clawed by them. How? By wearing both pieces of the breastplate, and by checking ourselves for scratch wounds.
How should you check yourself? Well, you know that the lion Lawlessness has clawed you if have become lazy and excusing yourself from the public means of grace. So if you find yourself weak to overcome temptation and having no qualms to break God’s law, you must suspect that you are walking too close to the lion Lawlessness. Likewise, if you find yourself becoming irresponsible in the way you dress and speak; or not caring that your words can hurt and stumble other believers; then you know that you are walking too close to the lion Lawlessness.
On the other hand, if you find yourself becoming too much of a Martha—being too busy for Christ to have time to enjoy his word, then you must suspect that you are walking too close to the lion Legalism. The Lion Legalism will make you feel depress if you fall sick or have your opportunity of service taken away from you. It will make you judgemental over fellow believers who are less zealous. It will make you think the worst instead of charitably of brethren who absent themselves from the means of grace for one reason or another.
Beloved brethren and children, do you see these faults in your heart? Perhaps, one or both sides of thorax are loose. Perhaps you are walking to close to the Lions Legalism or Lawlessness without the proper protection over your heart. Oh will you not tighten the thorax, and seek the Lord’s grace to walk in the path of righteousness —gratefully, constrained by His love.
Conclusion
Beloved brethren and children, put on your breastplate of righteousness that you may withstand the assaults of the devil.
Remember:
• The Breastplate Protects the Soldier’s Heart.
• Holiness & righteousness by regeneration is one side of the Breastplate
• On the other side is the righteousness of Christ by Justification.
• Resting in Christ’s Righteousness is one way of wearing the Breastplate
• Adorning Holiness by a righteous Christian walk is the second way.
• eXamining ourselves to avoid extremes is another way.
Amen.
Sermon by Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
Sermon republished here by kind permission of Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
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