Summary: In this end-time battle that we find ourselves in, we must put on the whole armor of God if we are going to be able to withstand all the fiery darts of the enemy. The breastplate of righteousness protects the Word of God in our hearts that we have stored there. It is the Christ nature coming forth within us that is the expression of the breastplate of righteousness because He is our righteousness. Show Notes:

• The breastplate of righteousness protects the believer’s heart from all the attacks of the enemy.
• Each part of the armor of God has a specific purpose and a very important function in our protection.
• We don’t defend ourselves, we put on the breastplate of righteousness which defends us – an action that we take.
• The most valuable thing that we have, the Word of God is stored in our hearts.
• Satan wants to take away the Word of God stored in our hearts.
• We take an action to put on the breastplate of righteousness.
• Are these pieces of armor appropriated by faith? Yes, they are put on by faith. They become a permeate part of who we are.
• Christ in us is that breastplate of righteousness.
• You must have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ to have these expressions of His armor because they are Him.

Quotes:

• One of the greatest gifts form God that we have is the armor of God.
• The righteousness is His righteousness. We're putting on His righteousness. But it's putting it on by the assimilation of the Word….
• What does Satan want to take away from us more than anything else? The Word of God that leads us. Without that, we have nothing.
• It's a breastplate that allows us to hold on to the Word. We hold on to the Word with everything that's within us.
• Christ is the Word. The Christ in us is the word.
• Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is an action that we take.
• This breastplate of righteousness is an enabler. It enables us to withstand all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and it's a provision that God has given us to overcome.
• And we know as we wait upon the Lord, and as we give ourselves to Him, we are clothed with power from on high. And that clothing, that power, can be broken down into the armor of God.
• It is so important that we understand by revelation that we have received Christ, who is that breastplate of righteousness to us.
• As we're talking about these pieces of armor, to me, what they are, are expressions of Christ within you.
• You put on the breastplate of righteousness. Basically, what you're saying is you're appropriating, by the blood of Jesus Christ, His righteousness.

References: Ephesians 6:11  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to it’s lusts. John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. I Corinthians 1:30 But it is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. Take Away: In this end time conflict, God has given us spiritual armor that we must put on. The breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts from the enemy’s fiery darts, and is the expression of Christ’s righteousness coming forth within us.

One of the greatest gifts from God that we have is the armor of God, found in the Old Testament and then renamed in the New Testament. And as we look at the different parts of the armor of God, one of the ones that comes to mind is the breastplate of righteousness. We talked earlier on another podcast about girding our loins.

Each part of the armor of God has a specific purpose and a very important function in our protection. And the breastplate of righteousness, I think, can be best identified as that which protects our heart. And what is in our heart? And the first scripture that comes to my mind, and one of my favorite all time scriptures is John 14: 26.

Over the years, what did we do with the Word that we read? The messages, the sermons, the conversations that we heard we hid them in our heart. That hiding in the heart, now what happens? John 14: 26. That “He'll bring to our remembrance, all that He has spoken to us,” where is that at? It comes from your heart.

It's what you've hidden in your heart. And the breastplate of righteousness that we put on, hides one of the most valuable things. It hides it, and it protects it one of the most valuable things that you have; and that's the chronicles that you have stored; the Word that you stored in your heart.

On the last podcast, we talked about girding our loins with truth.

It sounds to me like the breastplate of righteousness kind of dovetails into that same thinking that the Word has a lot to do with these pieces of armor. The righteousness is His righteousness. We're putting on His righteousness. But it's putting it on by the assimilation of the Word, by the assimilation of His nature through the Word.

What does Satan want to take away from us more than anything else? The Word of God that leads us. Without that, we have nothing.

We have to hide that Word in our heart. It's a breastplate that allows us to hold on to the Word. We hold on to the Word with everything that's within us. We hold on to the Word that's been spoken over us from the past.

We hold on to the Word that we're into right now. We hold on to the Word, and what's the Word? That's Christ. Christ is the Word. The Christ in us is the Word.

See, that's why Satan comes and hits you in your heart. That's where you put what you believe. If you've hid in your heart His Word, it's right there.

You can get it anytime you want it. Even in the assault of Satan against you, what's he say? Hath God said? What is your answer?

This is what He has said: “This is who I am.” Word will deal the death blow to the enemy. We have to hold on to the Word. The battle comes against us to let go of the Word.

We don't defend ourselves. We put on the breastplate of righteousness which defends us. It's something you put on. It's not something you generate within yourself. It's a provision that God has made for us: the helmet of salvation. We gird our loins. That's an action taken. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness is an action that we take.

It's definitely a provision that God's given us. This breastplate of righteousness is an enabler. It enables us to withstand all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and it's a provision that God has given us to overcome. So we are protected by this breastplate of righteousness, so that we can move on and hear and receive all that God has for us without fear, without questioning, because we know that we have received His righteousness, and it is a breastplate.

Are these pieces of armor appropriated by faith?

Yes, and they're put on by faith. They become a permanent part of who we are.

And we know as we wait upon the Lord, and as we give ourselves to Him, we are clothed with power from on high.

And that clothing, that power can be broken down into the armor of God. When we wait upon the Lord, when we take communion, these are all ways that we put on that glory of God, that power. This armor of God is a very important thing that we have. If we step out to intercede, and we step out to effectively intercede, we better be clothed.

We better have our loins girded. We better put on the helmet of salvation. We better put on the breastplate of righteousness. We're clothed, we're clothed from heaven on high. And each part is significant.

It is so important. It is so important that we understand by revelation that we have received Christ, who is that breastplate of righteousness to us.

And it's by revelation we have that in our hearts. With that revelation, we can put on things that we could never have put on before. Because it's simply a provision for more of God that all of us have been called into.

I keep going back to the centrality of Christ and the inner dwelling of Christ in the believer.

As we're talking about these pieces of armor, to me, what they are, are expressions of Christ within you. I've always tried to picture these pieces of armor, but you really can't picture them, if you're not picturing Christ. Because Christ is the expression of girding your loins with truth, because He is the truth.

The breastplate of righteousness is. There is no righteousness except for Christ. That to me makes it much easier to practically apply these pieces of armor. When I recognize they're not separate from Christ; they are Christ. And they are expressions of His nature coming through me. I know it says: put them on.

The scripture says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, make no provision for the flesh. Again, that is an appropriation of faith, by revelation .

Without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you don't have it. You cannot even begin to get that without developing a relationship with Jesus Christ coming to know who the Lord is, where you deal with Him.

And you understand that these are His attributes. The armor is like putting on Christ.

Iwhen the Lord was going up to be with the Father and sit at His right hand. He said, “if I don't go, the comforter won't come. But when He comes, He will reveal or disclose all of the things that I have to say to you.” And out of that conversation with the Holy Spirit, we come into the reality of what we're talking about tonight. Because this is essential that we're open to the Godhead, the Father, the Son, the Spirit. The Spirit is so essential because He reveals Christ in us.

There may be others like me that have had a hard time identifying or understanding what these pieces of armor are. But if you can define them, that they're the attributes of Christ, Christ manifesting His attributes through you. So you gird your loins with Him, because He is truth.

You put on the breastplate of righteousness. Basically, what you're saying is you're appropriating, by the blood of Jesus Christ, His righteousness. And you walk that out. All these pieces of armor, as we're talking about them, they cannot be unrelated to Christ within you.

The Word says that He is our righteousness. That's what it's all about. Everything that we function in God, is because of His righteousness.