...Having on the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6: 14).

If you do not lay hold of the fact or believe that Jesus Christ is the
way, the truth, and the life, then the next piece of armor may as well be
a piece of tissue paper; for if you deny the truth, then you can never be
covered by true righteousness.
        
There are two forms of righteousness in the world today. One is the
righteousness of Christ, and the other is the righteousness of man. One
is eternal, and the other is temporal. One will stand before God, and the
other will be cast into the lake of fire. One will stand in the battle,
and the other will fall by the wayside.
        
In Jeremiah 23:6 we find the prophecy of the coming Messiah and that He
would be called, “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” He is our righteousness
and no man can match His perfection as He did always the will of his
Father. Who can rival His righteousness? We are talking here again, about
a person, about one who came and conquered sin and death, so that we may
be justified through faith in Him (Please refer to Romans 5:17-19).

The breastplate, in terms of physical armor, is that which protects the
heart. The heart in scripture is the place of affections and where the
appetite of the soul resides. “With all my heart I desire this and that,”
is not an uncommon statement to hear. It is through the desires of a
man’s heart that actions come about, for all things proceed from the
heart. We are told to guard our hearts with all diligence: for out of it
are the issues of life (Proverbs 4: 23). 

One of Satan’s attacks is in the area of the heart. It is the affections
and desires that he seeks to sway and pervert. This is an easy task if
the heart has not the grace and righteousness of Christ as its object.
Our affections and desires can become taken up with temporal deeds and
things that do not profit. Choices can be made in accordance to self and
the will of Satan, instead of to those things that pertain to life and
godliness. Death is chosen over life, sin is chosen over righteousness,
and self becomes more important than God.  We may even act very
religiously and think ourselves to be righteous in accordance to our own
standard, but that is not good enough. No standard that comes by the hand
of man shall or can stand in the presence of a Mighty and Holy God. We
may even add on to the Bible, like the Pharisees did to the law, but this
will not make us holy or righteous before God. Only by the blood of Jesus
can true righteousness be purchased!

As we compare the righteousness of Christ and the righteousness of man,
we must all come to this conclusion:

        
“There is none righteous, no not one.”    “For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.”  - Romans 3:10, 23

Even in our best moments we fall short of the glory of God. Even when we
may have the  purest thoughts, they are not God’s thoughts. The
righteousness and will of God is so much higher that only the
righteousness of One could satisfy. Through His righteousness we find
peace with God, for the enmity that existed between God and man has been
done away with through Jesus Christ (Please refer to Ephesians 2:13-18).

What does Satan want from man? He wants him to be a servant and to be
enslaved to a nature (a self life) that is contrary to God. To the one
who professes Jesus as Lord, there begins a battle for his heart and
soul, a battle that seeks to enslave him again. Satan uses the drive of
religious-righteousness to confuse and puff up. In this puffed up and
prideful state we become ineffectual in spreading the good news of Jesus
Christ. 

In Romans 10:2-4, Paul describes a very common problem of the day: a zeal
of God according to ignorance, an ignorance of God’s righteousness. This
leads to man’s feeble attempt to establish his own righteousness. It
turns the eyes of man inward, so that he becomes occupied with self. Self
becomes the focus of his heart and the place of misplaced affections. In
this state he is greatly hindered and that is what Satan wants. Many do
not believe this and so they are misled into seeking in their own
strength to go beyond the gift (the gift of His righteousness) that God
has provided. 

God has given us a piece of armor that will protect our heart if we will
only submit to it and allow it to become our covering. You cannot buy it,
and you cannot obtain it through works, for it is a gift that only comes
from God. When we stumble or fall in the battle, it is to His
righteousness that we cling; for our righteousness is as dirty rags and
will not stand in that day when we are tested. We are told to hunger and
thirst after the righteousness of Christ, for those who desire
righteousness shall be filled (Please refer to Matthew 5:6). 

In closing, dear saints, let us rest in the fact that the righteousness
of Christ is sufficient to cover all sins, and let us seek not to
establish our own righteousness. Let the righteousness of Christ be the
guard of your heart and the sustainer of your soul. May you find the
righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ to be sufficient for each day, and
may you be found walking therein.   Amen!

M. H. G.
     

E-Mail Matthew H Goins