Text: 1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV)
“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”
Remember, we have established that we are victorious in Christ.
A believer is not fighting for victory but from victory.
Our major assignment as believers is to enforce the victory that Christ has already won for us.
It is therefore fitting to call believers the Enforcers of Christ’s Victory.
Just as we have superheroes like the Avengers, many of them wear suits that enhance their abilities and make them powerful. Iron Man, for example, derives much of his strength from his suit.
In the same way, as God’s enforcers, we have a suit that empowers us. This suit is called the Armour of God.
Ephesians 6:11–18 (KJV)
Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 – For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:13 – Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:14 – Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Ephesians 6:15 – And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Ephesians 6:16 – Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ephesians 6:17 – And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Ephesians 6:18 – Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
One of the problems many believers have is that they put on only some parts of the armour. However, the Bible commands us to put on the whole armour of God.
Until the whole armour is on, you are still exposed to the enemy.
The first piece of armour mentioned is not prayer or fasting, but the Belt of Truth. This piece is especially important because it holds all the other pieces together.
If a person lives in falsehood, they cannot effectively wear this armour.
We have already established that lying is a serious matter. It is so serious that it can keep people out of heaven.
Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
No one here will miss heaven, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today, we are looking at the Breastplate of Righteousness.
If the Bible were written using today’s vocabulary, we could compare the breastplate of righteousness to a bulletproof vest. Just as a bulletproof vest protects a soldier’s vital organs from deadly attacks, righteousness protects the believer from the accusations and attacks of the enemy.
To understand this properly, we must recognize that the Scriptures speak of two kinds of righteousness.
1. Self-Righteousness
Self-righteousness is the attitude of believing that you are righteous or acceptable before God because of your own goodness, achievements, or religious works.
Philippians 3:9 (NKJV)
“And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
Romans 10:3 (KJV)
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Self-righteousness leaves a believer vulnerable because it relies on human effort instead of God’s grace.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
No matter how moral, disciplined, or religious a person may be, human righteousness can never meet God’s perfect standard.
2. The Righteousness of God
The righteousness of God is God’s perfect standard of holiness and justice, which He freely gives to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ, we are declared righteous before God and empowered to live holy lives.
Listen carefully.
God’s standard for righteousness was so high that no human being could attain it.
The Law revealed God’s standard, but it could not make anyone righteous.
Therefore, God came down to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled every requirement of God’s righteousness perfectly. He lived the sinless life that we could never live and paid the price for our sins on the cross.
Now, everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ receives His righteousness as a gift.
We are not made righteous because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done.
That is why the breastplate of righteousness is so powerful. It is not the breastplate of our righteousness; it is the breastplate of God’s righteousness that has been given to us through Christ.
When the devil accuses you of your past, your failures, or your weaknesses, you stand boldly—not because you are perfect, but because Christ is your righteousness.
As believers, we do not fight wearing the filthy rags of self-righteousness. We stand clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, and that is what protects our hearts against every accusation of the enemy.
2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 5:20
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Romans 3:22
AMP
“Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). And it is meant for all who believe. For there is no distinction.”
MSG (The Message)
“The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this.”
KJV
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”
NIV
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference.”
NLT
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”
NKJV
“Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.”
From these Scriptures, one truth stands out clearly:
God’s righteousness is not earned, nor is it an achievement—it is a gift.
No one can work for it, deserve it, or qualify for it by personal effort. It is freely given to everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ did not commit any sin in order to become a sinner. Yet, on the cross, He was made sin for us.
In the same way, we do not have to perform acts of righteousness before we can become righteous. We are made righteous by faith in Christ.
You cannot “commit righteousness” any more than Jesus committed sin. Both are matters of identification, not performance.
Jesus took our place as sinners so that we could take His place as the righteous before God.
Illustration
Imagine you’re in a restaurant, and someone walks in and says,
“The bill is on me.”
Would the restaurant refuse the payment by saying,
“Sir, you didn’t eat the food, so you can’t pay the bill.”
Of course not.
The person paying is willingly taking responsibility for someone else’s debt.
That is exactly what Jesus did on the cross.
He paid a debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could never pay.
Likewise, we receive a righteousness we did not earn because He freely gave it to us.
One thing I discovered about the breastplate is that it covers the chest, where the body’s vital organs are located—the heart, lungs, stomach, and other essential organs.
Anything that protects your heart should never be taken lightly.
Spiritually, the breastplate of righteousness protects the heart of the believer.
The heart is the seat of our faith, convictions, emotions, and decisions. If Satan can attack your heart with guilt, condemnation, shame, or a false sense of unworthiness, he can weaken your confidence before God.
That is why the breastplate is so important.
Romans 5:17
AMP
“For if because of one man’s trespass death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive God’s overflowing grace and the free gift of righteousness reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ.”
MSG (The Message)
“If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes… this wildly extravagant life-gift… that the one man Jesus Christ provides?”
KJV
“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”
The Roman Breastplate
The Roman breastplate (also called a cuirass) was one of the most important pieces of armor worn by Roman soldiers.
A Roman soldier would never enter the battlefield without wearing his breastplate because it protected the most vital parts of his body. Likewise, believers should never engage in spiritual warfare without putting on the breastplate of righteousness—living in obedience to God and resting in the righteousness of Christ.
The importance of the Roman breastplate included the following:
1. Protection
The breastplate protected the soldier’s chest, back, and vital organs from swords, spears, arrows, and other deadly weapons.
Spiritually, the breastplate of righteousness protects the believer’s heart from the attacks of the enemy. Satan constantly uses guilt, shame, condemnation, accusations, and the remembrance of past sins to weaken our confidence before God.
However, when we understand that we have been made righteous through Christ, those accusations lose their power.
The breastplate reminds us that our acceptance before God is not based on our performance but on Christ’s finished work.
Just as no wise Roman soldier would go into battle without his breastplate, no wise Christian should face life’s spiritual battles without walking in the confidence of God’s gift of righteousness.
Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)
“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”
Your heart is worth protecting because everything you do flows from it. That is why the breastplate of righteousness is essential—it guards your heart and enables you to stand firm against every attack of the enemy.
2. Increased Survival
Roman soldiers who wore their breastplates were far more likely to survive injuries during combat because their vital organs were protected.
In the same way, believers who understand and walk in the righteousness of God are much more likely to recover from setbacks, failures, temptations, and the accusations of the enemy.
They may stumble, but they will not remain defeated because they know their standing with God is based on Christ’s righteousness, not their own performance.
Righteousness gives the believer spiritual resilience. It enables us to rise again because we know that God has not rejected us.
3. Confidence
Knowing they were well protected gave Roman soldiers the confidence to fight courageously and effectively.
Likewise, knowing that we have been made righteous through faith in Christ gives us confidence to stand firm against every spiritual attack.
We no longer approach God with fear or condemnation but with boldness because we know we have been accepted in Christ.
The Roman breastplate was one of the key reasons the Roman army was able to win many battles and build one of the greatest empires in history.
In the same way, understanding and living in the righteousness of God will be one of the key reasons you will overcome many battles in life.
You cannot fight confidently when you are constantly questioning whether God has accepted you. The breastplate of righteousness settles that question once and for all.
Righteousness Must Exalt Christ
Any teaching on righteousness that does not exalt Christ is merely zeal without knowledge.
Proverbs 19:2 (NIV)
“Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!”
Passion alone is not enough. Sincerity alone is not enough. We must have the correct knowledge of God’s righteousness as revealed in Christ Jesus.
Awake to Your Righteousness
1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV)
“Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”
Notice that Paul did not say, “Awake to sin.” He said, “Awake to righteousness.”
Many believers are more conscious of their failures than they are of their righteousness in Christ.
The more righteousness-conscious you become, the less sin will dominate your life.
God wants us to awaken to who we are in Christ.
The Gift Must Produce Fruit
God expects those who have received the gift of righteousness to produce the fruit of righteousness.
Disclaimer
I am not saying that good works are unnecessary.
Rather, good works must spring from the righteousness of God, not from an attempt to earn God’s acceptance.
We do not do good works to become righteous.
We do good works because we have already been made righteous.
Good works are the fruit; righteousness is the root.
Consider these examples:
- An unregistered student cannot officially participate in examinations.
- An unregistered voter cannot cast a vote during an election.
Likewise, the gift of righteousness must first be received before the fruit of righteousness can be produced.
The gift of righteousness is received by faith, while the fruit of righteousness is produced as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
How Do We Play Our Part?
1. Continually Confess Your Righteous Standing in Christ
Agree with what God says about you.
Do not confess your failures more than you confess your identity in Christ.
Illustration: The smoker.
A person trying to quit smoking should stop saying, “I am a smoker trying to quit.”
Instead, he should begin to say, “I am a child of God. I am righteous in Christ. Smoking is no longer who I am.”
Your confession strengthens your identity, and your identity influences your behavior.
2. Keep Healthy Boundaries
Although righteousness is a gift, wisdom requires that we avoid situations that encourage sin.
Do not deliberately place yourself where temptation is strongest.
Grace is never an excuse for carelessness.
Set boundaries that protect your walk with God.
The Choice Is Yours
Righteousness is a gift.
Like every gift, you have the freedom to receive it or reject it.
John 1:12 (KJV)
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
Notice the order:
First, they received Him.
Then, He gave them power to become.
Receiving always comes before becoming.
By God’s grace, I have received this wonderful gift of righteousness, and I also know the inspiring story of a man who received it—and his life was transformed forever. Let me share that story with you.