COMPLETE PROTECTION (5)
We started recently on the important piece of armour the Belt (or skirt) of truth. Our lives MUST be built, guided, directed continually by the Word of God. Now we come to the Breastplate of Righteousness that piece of armour that completed covered the chest of the soldier. The word in the Greek for Breastplate is Thorax that area of our chest which protects our heart. Solomon reminds us (Prov. 4.23) We must guard our heart for out from it flow the issues of life. The heart is the real you on the inside and unless we protect it we will never be a victorious Christian.I believe it sure helps me that I realise my heart is depraved (Jer.17.9) and with HIM I can do nothing. That is why every day we must reaffirm that Jesus is the Lord, The Boss, The Master, The Ruler, The King, The Owner of our lives, He Must be the LORD of our MIND, our WILL, our EMOTIONS, our CONSCIENCE, our BODIES (Rom.12.1). Let me remind you, Jesus wants to help us, “We have not because we do not ask” James tells us, Let us ask Jesus today and every day for Him to be the LORDof our lives.
HOW ARE WE TO PROTECT OUR HEART ?
By taking and using what is our inheritance in Christ, The Gift of Righteousness (Rom. 5.17) This is what we receive when we are born again, Christ’s Righteousness was imputed (imparted) to us. This is our POSITION IN CHRIST, that took place when we were JUSTIFIED (declared not guilty), and were made a child of God.
WE MUST PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE
What does this mean ? 1.We must recognise our own righteousness is as filthy rags,
2. Make a decision daily to confess our inheritance in Christ
3. We must walk (practice) in righteousness. 1 John 2.29, 3.7
The outworked walk of putting on the breastplate is called THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (James 3.18).
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS & REWARDS OF WALKING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS?
Isaiah 32.17 says The fruit of righteousness is PEACE, the effect of Righteousness will be QUIETNESS and CONFIDENCE forever.
I love Ps 92.12 which says the Righteous will FLOURISH like a palm tree, and grow like the cedars of Lebanon.
The Palm Tree, grows the fruit we know as a date This is the sweetest fruit of all.
The Righteous will carry in their lives the sweet character and life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Cedar of Lebanon is a very tall tree (sometimes 100’s of feet, but its root structure is just as deep as the tree is high. The Righteous will stand tall in purity, holiness And victory because their roots are deep into the Word of God.
THIS IS WHAT SPIRITUAL PROSERITY IS
Related to the extreme grace teaching is the teaching because we have been declared Righteous that is all we need, this is unbalanced teaching. Our Position in Christ is one thing, we must then make it our daily experience, the devil does not want us to live righteously, our sinful flesh sure doesn’t want us to live Godly lives, so:
We must put on the breastplate of Righteousness
We must learn to live the SURRENDED life
We must CONFESS our inheritance in Christ.
We must WALK in (practice) righteousness.
We must live in the Word of God
We must be daily intimately seeking to know the Lord more.
We must daily use our prayer language
If we do these things, when the devil accuses us in our minds, or seeks to accuse us before God, if we do the above things his accusations are groundless. Praise God.
Do you remember the chorus:
I am covered over with the Robe of Righteousness
I am covered over by the Blood of Jesus
When He (God) looks at me, He sees not what I used to be,
He sees Jesus.
This is an awesome truth, let it become your personal experience. If you have any questions or comments please let me have them.
