Now open up your Bible to Ephesians 6.
So we're coming back to our series on the armor of God.
! I hope to finish it before I go on holiday.
If you missed the first two sermons,
it might be worth just having a listen to those sermons.
Send the church office an email and they can send you the call-ins.
There's a really interesting incident in Acts 19,
if you know that chapter, where Paul is referred to as a man who's known in hell.
There's an evil spirit that has conquered the Jewish exorcist.
And he refers to the fact of this evil spirit.
He says, I don't know who you are.
Who are you anyway?
He says, I know who Jesus is and I know who Paul is,
but I don't know who you are.
There's a little bit of humor in that incident, really.
And somebody commenting on that incident has described the Apostle Paul as a man known in hell.
A man known in hell.
A marked man, in other words.
And that should be every single one of us who is a Christian this evening.
Who is in Christ.
If we've been saved, if we have been rescued from Satan's clenches,
if we've been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light,
then we're marked men and women, boys and girls.
As long as we're unbelieving, as long as we're outside of Christ,
as long as we're in Satan's kingdom,
well, he doesn't bother about us too much.
Do you remember the illustration that Jesus talks about?
He says the good, the armed man, the strong man,
he keeps his goods in peace.
The devil is not bothered by us as long as we're not believing in Christ.
As long as we're in his kingdom.
But the moment we're rescued, the moment that we are saved from his power,
we become important to him.
We become marked men on his witness.
To be a wanted man or a wanted woman,
to be on a death list, it's a horrible thing, isn't it?
We know, don't we, people who are on a wanted list,
or they're on a death list,
they have to take the appropriate security arrangements.
And we are on a Satan's list list.
And so we are to be on our guard.
And we are to make full provision
of all the security arrangements that God has made.
Think of a policeman in Northern Ireland,
during the troubles.
I remember being in Northern Ireland,
my sister went to university in Belfast,
and we stayed at a policeman's house,
and every day he would go out,
and before he got into his car,
he'd have to check in his car,
under his car,
to see whether there was some device under it.
He'd have to go over different things with a device,
because he was on a wanted list,
because he was on a hit list.
He had to take care
to follow all the security arrangements.
And so do we.
And so that's what we're looking at, aren't we,
in this series.
Can you see that again?
A little verse 11.
Put on the whole armour of God,
that we may be able to stand.
Verse 13.
Therefore take up the whole armour of God,
again, same thing,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,
and having done all to stand firm,
stand therefore,
having fastened on the belt of truth
that we looked at last time,
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.
And so this is the kind of second piece of equipment
that God has provided for us,
for our protection,
the breastplate of righteousness.
As an introduction,
I really want to stress to you the importance
of this piece of equipment.
It's really the centrepiece of Christian armour.
We know, don't we,
of bulletproof vests.
Our police, in the mess,
they sometimes wear staff vests.
That is the modern equivalent of a breastplate.
And that bulletproof vest will provide protection,
and for what we call the vital organs of the body.
And so,
a soldier,
at least when they might get hit in the leg,
or the arm,
and they'll survive.
But if they get hit in the region
covered by the bulletproof vest,
or the breastplate,
well, they're unlikely to survive.
The breastplate covers, doesn't it?
The vital region,
the vital organs of the body.
And that's why it's so important.
That we are covered by the breastplate of righteousness.
Let me put it to you,
like this,
all the references I'm going to use,
there's quite a few of them,
are on the sheets that you were given when you came in.
Proverbs 4.23,
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flows the springs of life.
And the NIV, I think more helpfully puts it,
it says,
Guard your heart above all else.
Whatever else you do,
or whatever other armour you've got on,
whatever other protection you avail yourself of,
guard your heart above all else,
because it's the well-spring of life.
Because out of your heart are the issues of life.
And when the Bible speaks about the heart,
it's not speaking about a physical organ
that pumps blood around our bodies.
When the Bible speaks of the heart of men and women,
it's talking about the centre of our personality.
The heart is,
according to the Bible,
it's the seat of our affections,
it's the real you,
it's the centre of your thought processes,
it's the home of your conscience,
it's the spring of all our motives,
it's the source of all our desires,
it's the fountain of all activities,
it's the focus of our personal lives.
It's us.
And the Bible says you have to guard your heart.
And it's vital that you guard your heart,
because out of the heart are the issues of life.
And that is the target that the devil aims at most of all.
That's where the battle will be fought and won.
It's not out there somewhere,
but in our hearts.
It's in the realm, isn't it,
of our affections,
what we want,
and love,
of our thoughts,
it's in the realms of our conscience,
it's in the realm of our motives and our desires.
That's where the battle is fought with Satan.
And that is where we most need God's protection.
Let's look at it a little bit more closely,
you'll see that it's described for us there,
isn't it,
as the breastplate of righteousness.
Put on the breastplate of righteousness.
God's protection for our hearts
in the battle against the devil
is righteousness.
What do we mean by that?
Well, first thing is this.
It can't mean our own righteousness.
It can't mean our own righteous acts,
our own right standing before God.
When it talks about
the breastplate of righteousness,
it cannot possibly mean
that we put on our own righteousness,
because for the very simple reason,
we don't have any righteousness.
We don't have any righteousness
inherently in God's sight.
Do you remember how Romans tells you
there is none righteous,
no,
not one,
not in God's sight.
I don't mean by this
that we're as bad as
we could be,
that's obviously not true.
There are good things
in human nature.
And every single one of us
has got our good points,
but it's all comparative,
isn't it?
And when we bring our goodness
into the light of God's holiness,
it looks very tarnished indeed
and quite shabby.
And the Bible tells us actually,
doesn't it,
alarmingly,
that our goodness
is not goodness at all
in God's sight.
That actually,
as we see our goodness
in God's sight,
we know that it's full of
false motives
and pride
and vanity
and things which
other people might say,
well,
that's really good
that you've done that
on the outside.
We know that on
the inside,
if we hunt,
there's selfishness
and pride.
And we don't do things
to please God
and that's the only motive
for goodness.
There is none really good
in this world
by nature.
There is none righteous.
No, not one,
says the Apostle.
Isaiah says that
our righteous acts,
they're like filthy rags.
And so if we try
to stand before Satan
in our own righteousness,
it's like standing
before him in a
in a string vest
full of holes.
And to think that
you can stand
against the devil
trusting in your own
inherent goodness
is utter madness.
There's no protection
in your goodness.
And that's crucially important
because if you haven't
seen this,
if you've not seen that,
then you're not
really even in the battle.
if you haven't
come to understand
that your own
righteousness
is useless
when it comes
to your acceptance
of God
with God
that you dare
not rely it.
If you haven't been
brought to that point
to understand that,
well,
the really alarming
truth is tonight
you're not in
God's kingdom.
And you're really
still in Satan's kingdom.
Paul says
you've been blinded
by him
under his control.
Doesn't mean
you're as bad
as you could be
but it does mean
that you're not
in the battle at all
and that's
crucially important.
Listen to how
the Apostle Paul
puts it,
he gives his testimony
in Philippians 3
it's on the sheet
and he says
in verse 9
he says
there was a time
when I really
thought that
I was pretty secure
in my own
righteousness.
And he describes
his own
righteousness
earlier on in the chapter.
He talks about
having confidence
in the flesh
doesn't he
right at the start
of verse 4.
And he says
if anyone thinks
that they can have
confidence
before God
in the flesh
well I can outdo them
and he goes on
to list the various
things that he
once trusted in
you'll see them there
and he relied upon
them to put him
right with God.
And so verse 5
he says
I was circumcised
on the eighth day
I was of the people
of Israel
of the tribe of Benjamin
a Hebrew of Hebrews
as to the law
of Pharisee
as the zeal
well I praise
the people of the church
as to righteousness
under the law
blameless.
And then he says
verse 9
not having a righteousness
of my own
that comes from the law
but that which comes
through faith in Christ
the righteousness
from God
that depends on faith.
So he describes
his goodness
his background
his upbringing
his religious
duties
his decency
his honesty
his morality
and having described
all that
he comes to say
all that is useless.
All that is useless.
He says
these things
I thought they were
gained to me
verse 7
but actually
they are not.
I was counted
on these things
to get me to heaven
I thought
these were the things
that would bring me
right with God
but now I see
that these things
they'll never do that
for me.
So verse 7
but whatever gain
I had
I counted as loss
for the sake of Christ
indeed I count
everything as loss
because of the
surpassing worth
of knowing Christ
Jesus my Lord.
For his sake
I covered the loss
of all things
and covered them
as rubbish
in order that I
may gain Christ
and be found in him
not having a righteousness
of my own
that comes from the law.
not having a
doing yourself religion.
No he says
I know that there's
nothing I can do
to stand me
in good stead at all.
That's all I want.
What I want
he says
is a righteousness
which is of God
which comes through faith.
And that is the righteousness
that I need
and that is the righteousness
that you and I need
if we're going to stand
before the enemy.
It's a bulletproof righteousness.
Your own righteousness
is not bulletproof
it's full of holes.
But the righteousness
he describes here
the righteousness of God
which is in Jesus Christ
and it comes to us
by faith
in Christ
is well
invulnerable
to Satan's accusation.
It's bulletproof
on the evil day.
And as soon as you
be brought to this point
your heart
well it's just wide open
to the devil.
You're still in
enemy territory.
And if you're trusting
in your own righteousness
you're in very dangerous territory.
So this righteousness
that the apostle Paul
is talking about
in the Ephesians 6
it's not our own righteousness.
So what is it?
If this righteousness
is God's provision
for our protection
against Satan
if it's not
our own righteousness
what is it?
Where does it come from?
What Paul tells us
doesn't he?
It is the righteousness
of God
and how does it come?
By faith in Jesus Christ.
There are two things
that I'm going to say
tonight about this righteousness
and I'm going to use
technical terms.
I don't apologise for that.
I think we need to
stop apologising
for theological
technical terms.
We need to explain them.
The message of the gospel
has technical terms.
It's not our business
to dumb them down.
Have you bought a laptop?
When you're going to buy a laptop
do you understand
what the specifications are?
I haven't got the
farthest clue, isn't it?
You haven't got a clue
what they are
and neither are you.
But if you're going to
buy a laptop
and it's a decent laptop
and you're more
diligent than I am
you will go and
you'll research those terms
because those terms
matter.
You take the trouble
to find out
what the spec is.
But we're dealing
with something tonight
that's far more important
than you buying a laptop
or a phone
or whatever it is.
We're dealing with
your eternal destiny.
Your never dying soul.
Your safety.
And so what we're dealing
with tonight
is more to you personally.
It's very, very important indeed.
So I'm not apologising
for using technical terms.
What is this righteousness?
What is this protection
that God provides
for our hearts
against Satan's attack?
It's not ours.
What is it?
It is God's righteousness
provided for us
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it comes to us
by faith.
What is it?
Number one,
it's imputed righteousness.
Imputed righteousness.
Let's go back to the reading
we have from Zechariah 3.
There's a really, really
vivid illustration.
It's a really lovely illustration
tucked away in the Old Testament
in Zechariah.
The prophet recounts
this remarkable vision
that he had.
And in that vision,
he sees Joshua,
Israel's high priest,
standing before the angel of God.
And when told him,
can you see verse 1?
Then he showed him
Joshua, the high priest,
standing before the angel of the Lord
and Satan,
standing at his right hand
to accuse him.
That's a brilliant summary
of what the devil does.
Nothing could describe
more eloquently
what the devil does
to a Christian.
The Bible calls the devil
the accuser of the brethren.
It's one of the titles
that the Bible gives it.
He's an accuser.
And when we, like Joshua,
stand in the presence of God
and we're longing
to know God more,
and to fellowship with God,
the devil comes alongside us
and he points the finger at us
and he accuses us.
And the effect of that
can be devastating, can't it?
He dredges up our past.
He brings before us our sin
and he says,
you,
how can you expect God
to hear your prayers?
And there's many of us
that have stopped praying
and we've stopped reading
our Bibles for a time
precisely because of this,
because the devil
comes alongside us.
And when we open up our Bibles
and when we come to pray,
these thoughts,
how can someone like you
expect to have fellowship
with God?
You're wasting more time.
How can you ever expect
to cross the threshold
into God's presence?
Don't you remember
you did this yesterday?
Don't you remember
you did that
and he accuses us
and he points the finger
at us and we think,
oh, let's just do anything else
other than this.
There is practice.
He is the accuser
with the brethren.
Now, what do you do
in a situation like that?
How do you handle
the accusations
of the devil?
Well, you put on
the breastplate of righteousness.
What does that mean?
We'll look at Zechariah 3.
It's beautiful.
We're told that Satan
stood alongside Joshua
to resist him
and accuse him
before God.
Look at verse 2.
And the Lord said to Satan,
the Lord rebuke you,
O Satan.
The Lord who has chosen
Jerusalem,
rebuke you.
Is not this
a brand
I have plucked
from the burning,
from the fire?
God says to the devil,
I am the one
who has chosen you.
I am the one
who has chosen this man.
I chose to save him
or her.
He or she
is a brand
plucked from the fire.
And then you read
these beautiful words.
Verse 3.
Now Joshua was
standing
before the angel
clothed with filthy garments
and the angel
said to those
who were standing
before him,
remove the filthy garments
from him.
And to him he said,
behold,
I have taken
your iniquity,
your sin,
that which is within you,
which is walked
and always going towards sin.
I have taken that
away from you
and I will close you
with pure vestments,
pure garments.
That's what we mean
by impurity is righteousness.
It's all of this.
It's his righteousness
given to us
in purity to us.
And the moment
we believe in him,
the moment we trust in him,
our filthy garments
are taken away from us
and his perfect,
spotless righteousness
is put on us instead.
That's the heart
of the gospel.
The gospel is more
than that
but that's at the heart of it.
It's what we call
justification by faith.
There's a transaction
that takes place
and it takes place
in the courts of heaven.
It doesn't take place
in our experience.
Justification
is not
an experience.
It is a legal act
that takes place
the moment
we believe on Christ,
the moment
we rely on Christ,
the moment
we lean heavily
upon him,
there is a transfer
and our filthy garments,
the garments
of our sin,
our spotted righteousness
and our filthy garments
they're taken from us
and they're put
to his account.
And he who knew
no sin
was made sin
for us.
That we might be made
to the righteousness
of God
in him.
Upon a life
I did not live.
Upon a death
I did not die.
Another's life,
another's death,
I stake my whole eternity.
That is the breastplate
of righteousness.
And to put it on
is to understand it.
To put on
the breastplate
of righteousness
is to know
that you are
right with God.
That's the only way
you can stand up
to the accusations
of Satan.
When he comes
dreading up your past
and points into your failures
it's the only way
you can meet him.
It's to put on
the breastplate
of righteousness
that is to be saved
from Satan's accusation.
Martin Luther,
the great German
when there was
the Reformation
he said that
this article
this kind of
truth,
this doctrine
it was the article
of a standing
or falling church.
Certainly what
Christians stand
or fall.
It's where the
battle is won
or lost
against the devil.
And do you see
how important
this is?
So many of
the spiritual
problems we have
as Christians
especially problems
of assurance
are due to the fact
we've not put on
the breastplate
of righteousness.
We've not understood
the doctrine
of justification
by faith.
And if you're
a Christian
you are justified
but unless you
understand what
that means
unless you get it
or if you forget
what that means
then you are a
prey to the enemy
and it happens
in lots of
different ways.
So what happens
is Christians
begin to trust
in their feelings.
It's so important
to have feelings.
I want to say
if you've never
felt anything
in your Christianity
there's something
very wrong with that.
I can't understand
how anyone can
come to God
through Jesus Christ
and understand
that they're being
saved from sin
and come into fellowship
with God
and not feel anything.
I don't understand
that.
It's ridiculous.
You're bound
to feel something.
Aren't you?
And feelings
are very important
but feelings
make a really
poor breastplate.
And because
feelings
well they're here
today and they've
gone tomorrow
eh.
And if you rely
on your feelings
this evening
the devil will
really make
short work on you
because before
you go home
tonight you'll
be filled with
doubts and
anxieties
because your
feelings come and
go like mine do
and they change
with the weather.
Maybe you're
trusting in some
past experience
I was in a
meeting recently
where somebody
called a
gypsy
smith
the evangelist
and he used
to say to
people I know
I'm a Christian
because I was
there when it
happened.
And that
sounds spiritual
but it isn't
right.
We know what
it means but
the devil makes
short work of
that.
If you trust in
some past
experience
then the devil
will come to
you and what
will he say?
He'll say to
you well it's
not just
psychological.
He can point
you to any
number of
people who
had a
similar
experience
Christians.
And they
don't even
pretend to be
Christians.
And if you're
trusting in your
experience that
is no
protection.
My hope
is built on
nothing less
than Jesus'
blood and
righteousness.
I dare not
trust the
sweetest frame
but wholly
lean on
Jesus' name.
On Christ
the solid rock
I stand all
by the ground
and the
sinking
side.
That's the
breastplate of
righteousness.
That's what it
means to put on
the breastplate
of righteousness.
I don't trust
in my feelings.
I thank God
for feelings and
I thank God
for experiences
but I don't
trust in them.
They're not my
hope.
My hope is
built on
nothing less
than Jesus'
blood and
righteousness.
When the
devil comes
and he attacks
your conscience
and he will
and Satan
comes to you
and he accuses
you of not
being a Christian
how can you
be a Christian?
And the
devil tempts
you to
despair.
He does.
And so
when Satan
tempts me
to despair
and he tells
me of the
guilt within
and he just
sent me
up where I
look.
That's where
you look.
Up where I
look.
Not inward.
Up where I
look and see
him who made
an end of
all my sin.
Because the
sinless
saviour
died.
My sinful
soul is
counted
free.
For God
the just
is satisfied
to look
on him
and pardon
me.
And when
the devil
comes in
he says
how can
you possibly
call yourself
a Christian?
What do you
say to him?
You say to him
I know I'm a
sinner.
That's what
it's all about.
God knows I'm a
sinner.
So can't
promise me
about that.
You're absolutely
right devil.
I am a
sinner but I've
got a saviour.
And what's
happened is
his perfect
spotless life
has been put
to my
account and
my filthy
life has
been transferred
and put
down to him.
That's the
breastplate of
righteousness.
I'm going to
put it on.
And the
Bible says
it's the
most important
thing of all.
And the
battle against
the devil is
to know that
you're right
with God and
to know why
you're right
with God.
Not just the
hope that you
are.
So many
Christians you
ask them
are you
going to
heaven?
Are you
saved?
I say well
I hope so.
You must
know sir.
You must
know what the
breastplate of
righteousness is
all about.
To know that
you're right
with God.
To have
confidence to
meet the
enemy.
To have
confidence to
go out and
face him.
Because you
know that
the sin
issue in
your life.
The unrighteousness
issue in
your life.
Has been
dealt with
perfectly and
fully forever.
In the
life and
death of
Jesus.
Listen to
how John
puts it in
Revelation 12.
John said
like you had a
loud voice in
heaven saying
now the
salvation and
the power and
the kingdom of
our God and
the authority of
his Christ have
come for the
accuser of our
brothers has
been thrown
down.
Who accuses
them day and
night before
God and they
have conquered
him.
By the
blood of
the Lamb.
And by the
word of their
testimony for
they loved not
their lives even
unto death.
Therefore rejoice
O heavens and
you who dwell
in them but
woe to your
earth and see for
the devil has
come down to
you in great
wrath because he
knows his
time is short.
They overcame
it.
And the
accuser of the
brethren is
cast down.
They overcame
it.
How did they
overcome it?
By the
blood of
the Lamb.
That is the
breastplate of
righteousness.
The
righteousness of
Jesus Christ
puts to our
account the
moment we
believe in
him.
And our
sinfulness
imputed to
him.
So that now
we believe.
the righteousness
that God
provides us in
our fight
against the
devil is not
our own.
We can never
stand up against
the devil's
attack.
And we can
never stand up
to the scrutiny
of a holy
God.
And so this
righteousness,
Christ's
righteousness is
imputed to
us.
Provided for
us in the
life and death
of Jesus.
It becomes
ours by
faith.
Don't believe
it.
You go to
the pub,
you're leaving
in the pub
with your
friends.
And one of
your friends
sets up a
tab.
It's very
generous.
And so you
go to the
bar and
the barmaid
says that'll
be £20 for
two pints
or whatever
ridiculously it
is.
And she
says that'll
be £25.
And you
say, what
do you
say?
You say,
oh, put it
on the tab.
You put it
on his
tab.
And your
friend, at
the end of
the night, he
picks up the
tab.
Put it to
our
account.
And that's
what Christ
has done.
He has
put us
into his
account.
This perfect
life has been
put to our
account, imputed
righteousness.
But that
righteousness which
is ours in
Christ, and I'll
try and be
brief here, is
also imparted
to us, secondly,
by the Holy
Spirit.
The
righteousness
which is
ours in
Christ, which
is put to
our account, is
also imparted
to us by the
Holy Spirit.
And you
must never
separate those
two things.
You must
never separate
imputed
righteousness and
imparted
righteousness.
They belong
together.
And they're
woven together in
this breastplate.
To put it
doctrinally, you
must never
separate
justification,
that God
declares us
right because of
Christ's
righteousness, with
sanctification,
which is being
set apart and
increasingly set
apart for God.
Where there's
one there, there
has to be the
other.
And so the
person who has
been put right
with God will
begin to live
righteously before
him.
That's part of our
protection too.
And so James, in
his official, he
tells us, can we
see that?
He says, resist
the devil.
He doesn't
incidentally tell
you to rebuke
the devil.
How many
were ever
told that?
And he
says, resist
the devil.
And you may
say, well how
on earth can I
resist the
devil?
We're not
talking about
a comic
strip figure.
He's not a
cartoon character
with horns and
hooves and a
tail.
We're talking
about the one
in the Bible
who's described
as the prince
of the power
of the air,
the spirit
who is now
aware in those
who are
disobedient.
I'm no
man for
him.
Can I
read you?
Well yes
you are,
says James.
Look what it
says.
It says, resist
the devil.
And you can
resist it.
And you can
see him fleeing
from you.
How is that
possible?
Well listen to
this, verse 7
and 8.
Resist the
devil and he
will flee
from you.
Draw near to
God and he
will draw near
to you.
Cleanse
your hands
you sinners
and purify
your hearts
you double
minded.
You see
resistance to
the devil,
it grows
out of
Christian
living.
You see
you will
not see
him run
away from
you unless
you are
living
righteously
before God.
Unless you
are submitting
to God,
unless you're
drawing near
to God.
Unless you're
cleansing your
hearts and
purifying,
cleansing your
hands and
purifying your
hearts.
When Peter
describes the
devil, can
you see it?
He's like a
roaring lion
who wanders
about seeking
whom he may
devour.
And what does
Peter say?
Peter says
resist him.
Stand against
him.
How can I
resist a
roaring lion?
How can I
do that?
I'm no match
for a roaring
lion.
Well yes,
you are,
the Bible
says.
Because look
at that last
verse, it's a
beautiful proverb
isn't it?
The wicked
flee when no
one pursues,
but the
righteous are
as bold as
a lion.
There's guilt
for you,
isn't there?
Let's start
with that verse.
There's guilt
for you.
A man who
is guilty,
a man whose
sin has not
been dealt
with by the
blood of
Christ,
and that
man runs
when no
one is
chasing
him.
He's
always
looking over
his shoulder.
He knows
there's someone
attacking him,
but actually
there's no one
attacking him
at all.
That's how you
recognise guilt.
The wicked
flee when no
one is chasing
them, but the
righteous will
be as bold
as a lion.
And so
those of you
who are in
Christ,
you are more
than a match
for Satan.
And if you
are trusting
in the
righteousness
of Christ,
and if you
are living
that justified
life,
living righteously
before God,
by the Spirit
you can stand.
And you
can resist.
And you
can see the
devil running
away from you.
And so
therefore take
up the
whole armour
of God,
that you
may be able
to stand
in the
evil day,
having done
all to
stand firm,
stand
therefore,
having fastened
on the
belt of
truth,
and having
put on the
breastplate of
righteousness.
Heavenly
Father,
we