The Breastplate

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”  Ephesians 6:14

 

Today’s devotional continues the thought from Friday.  The second part of this verse talks about having the breastplate of righteousness in place.  This means that our hearts are protected by having our hearts in right standing with God.  When we know our sins are forgiven, when there is nothing standing between us and God, we have so much more confidence to come to Him in prayer.

None of us are righteous.  We are only righteous when Christ justifies us and counts us as righteous because we are washed and standing “in Christ.”  But once we have received this great salvation, we must stand in our righteousness in Christ. That means we do not allow the enemy to beat us over the head because of wrong things we have done in the past. Having our breastplate in place means we do not even judge ourselves.  We keep the breastplate of righteousness in place by operating in what the Bible says about us and refusing to fall into sin.

When we compromise our standards and sin against the written Word, we are left susceptible to the arrows of the enemy.  We lay our breastplate aside and are vulnerable in the day of attack.  I encourage you today to check your heart and see if you have misplaced your righteousness by things you have done that you have not repented of, or if you are taking sins out from under the blood of Christ and remembering them against yourself.

Dear Lord, help me to stand in the righteousness you have freely given me.  I know that I am justified by your sacrifice and by nothing I have done on my own.  Forgive me for sinning against you and stepping out of your righteousness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri