You and I have an enemy.  We did not choose him. When we chose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, His enemy became our enemy. Your enemy wants to defeat you, destroy your testimony, steal your inheritance and take others down with you.

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved from the penalty of sin, being saved from the very power of sin and someday will be saved from the very presence of sin!

The next piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness. Ephesians 6:

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

The breastplate protects the heart. The heart pumps blood to every part of the body. The heart is a vital organ.

What does the Bible tell about the heart?

Jeremiah 17:

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

¹⁰ I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Proverbs 23:

⁷ For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

Jesus, your Lord and Savior, loves you unconditionally. Jesus desires for you to stand in the heat of battle – not to fall or to back down or to be injured. He knows the cunningness of your enemy – his wiles –and the fiery darts he throws at you. The Bible does not indicate your enemy can ready your thoughts. Your enemy is only a creature. But your enemy has had all of history to observe human behavior and craft his attacks.

Jesus has provided the breastplate of righteousness for you to stand and deflect all the fiery darts of your enemy, even in the midst of the battle.

Advice form Solomon-Proverbs 4:

²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Advice from David – Psalm 119:

¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee

Advice to the Romans- Romans 10:

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 5:

¹⁷ 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.)

Advice to the Corinthians-2 Corinthians 5:

²¹ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Advice to the Philippians-Philippians 3:

⁷ But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

⁹ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Advice to the Hebrews-Hebrews 11:

⁷ By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Advice from Peter-1 Peter 2:

²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Advice from Jesus-Luke 12:

²⁰But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

²¹ So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

²² And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

²³ The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

²⁴ Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

²⁵ And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

²⁶ If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

²⁷ Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸ If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹ And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

³⁰ For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

³¹ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

³² Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

³³ Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

³⁴ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus experienced sin for us that you and I might experience His righteousness!

And Can It Be That I Should Gain – Charles Wesley 1707-1788

1. And can it be that I should gain

an interest in the Savior’s blood!

Died he for me? who caused his pain!

For me? who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

2.’Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies!

Who can explore his strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

to sound the depths of love divine.

‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

let angel minds inquire no more.

‘Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

let angel minds inquire no more.

3.He left his Father’s throne above

(so free, so infinite his grace!),

emptied himself of all but love,

and bled for Adam’s helpless race.

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

for O my God, it found out me!

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

for O my God, it found out me!

4.Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

thine eye diffused a quickening ray;

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

my chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

5.No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in him, is mine;

alive in him, my living Head,

and clothed in righteousness divine,

bold I approach th’ eternal throne,

and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,

and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Questions for reflection

1) What keeps you from applying the breastplate of righteousness to your circumstances?

2) Are you looking at yourself or Jesus?

3) Which of the advice given matters most to you right now?

4) Have you received His gift of righteousness?

5) What is your understanding of His gift of righteousness and how to receive it?

6) What do you want to say to Jesus right now?

Check out “Amazing Love” on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ6WPwkwaLo

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti