His Breastplate of Righteousness

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:14

The second piece of Armor is the breastplate of righteousness.

First let me give you the meaning of righteousness before we even get started....

Righteousness is being in right standing before God and man.

Doing what is right, even when no one is looking.

Every professing believer should be righteous, straight , and honest in his dealing with others.

That means towards one's self, towards others in business.

Especially in the work place; it doesn't matter if they are born again or not, they have the right to expect perfection from those of us who proclaim to be a Christian.

The unregenerate man (one whom doesn't know Christ) has that right to expect righteousness from those who profess to be Christians.

The unregenerate man does not expected to be cheated by a so called Christian.

We can not wear the breastplate of righteousness and be crooked in our dealings with others.

We can not wear the breastplate of righteousness and lie to others.

Remember that righteousness is right standing before God and man.

The breastplate of righteousness that the apostle Paul is talking about covers the heart;from whence all our affections and dealings flow from.

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of Life." Proverbs 4:23

This righteousness is not the same righteousness that is imputed to us by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This righteousness is a personal righteousness that is only brought to us by the holy Spirit; which in return we are showing the whole world that we have been born again.

This righteousness through the Holy Spirit allows others to see that we have been made a new creature in Christ.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

We as the body of Christ need a fresh baptism of righteousness.

We need righteousness in our everyday living, everyday contacts.

There is not one little area of a believer's life that should not be righteous,

A believer should be honest, straight forward in their dealings with others, including your neighbors, your self and most of all God.

Christianity affects every part on one's life.

Being a Christian is a practical thing.

How can we knowingly pick up that breastplate of righteousness and lie or be crooked in our dealings.

Our testimonies have no weight when they are neutralized by unrighteous deeds and or acts.

There is an old quote that woks quite well here; "The things that you speak so loud that I can't hear a word that you are saying."

One can also input the things that you do - they are so loud I can't hear you.

We must have a consistent infilling of the Holy Spirit on a daily level so that we can yield our lives to the indwelling of Christ.

Once we yield daily to the Holy Spirit, then it will be an easy task putting on the breastplate of righteousness.

"Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world:" Titus 2:12