RIGHTEOUSNESS: The Full Armor of God Series (Part 2)

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

Yesterday, I wrote to you about TRUTH and why it is so important to thoroughly know and accept God's Word as absolute and unchanging truth. With the Belt of Truth secured around us, we can refuse the lies that Satan tries to deceive us with because we have complete certainty in our Master's promises and intentions. If we know who our Lord is, and who we are in Him, we are able to stand our ground when Satan attempts to deceive and misguide us.

Now, let's talk about RIGHTEOUSNESS...

When Chuck and I used to drive together to our office, we'd pass a middle school in our community. On average, the school generated a large amount of morning and afternoon traffic. With so many school buses, parents stopping and dropping, and the regular flow of commuters going about their day, our county assigned a police officer to direct the comings and goings of vehicles that drive in front of the school. Usually the police officer stood in the middle of the road - acting as a human stop light while directing when vehicles may or may not pass. It was inevitable that our car was always the one the police officer choose to waive down to a complete STOP so that the yellow parade of school buses could easily deliver their pubescent cargo without hassle.

Now, imagine if one day Chuck had decided to outright disregard the authority of that police officer and ignore his direction for us to STOP. Pretend that we willfully decided to pay no attention to his uniform, his badge, and the laws that he was upholding as a representative of our community. Instead, suppose we chose too blatantly drive through, putting others at risk and jeopardizing the flow of traffic. What would happen?

I am certain that down the road we would quickly be reminded of the power that police officer had backing him. We would likely be pursued and surrounded by the flashing lights of several police cars and be held accountable for our crime before a judge at a later date.

Now think of the Breastplate of Righteousness mentioned in Ephesians 6. This is our uniform, our badge of power and authority. If we were just some random person trying to direct traffic in the street, it is likely that many commuters would ignore our direction and just drive on by. However, once we put on the police uniform our claim to authority changes. Why? Because now we are displaying a power and authority that is bigger than our own. The same is true against Satan. Without God's authority backing us, Satan will run over people like a semi-truck. However, for those of us who believe in Jesus and have accepted Him as Savior, we can dress ourselves in the authority and power that He holds. We wear the uniform that is covered by the Blood of the Lamb... the standard for all that is holy and upright. Since we have chosen to live under His authority, we are protected by His authority.

It is very important to understand that our commitment for righteousness must be modeled after Christ. It is a daily sacrifice and ongoing devotion to seek out and follow Jesus' example in striving to live a sinless and holy life. To do this, we must daily put aside our selfish desires and instead clothe ourselves with His power and authority. We must not overlook that the breastplate is intended to protect our vital organs while in battle. With the protective boundaries it provides, our hearts are able to enjoy our Almighty Father's love without fear of being wounded. Our lungs are able to breathe in our Comforter's peace without gasping or being suffocated. Our stomachs are able to digest God's Word without the gall of being exasperated.

The Bible says in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

Ladies, we must hunger and thirst for righteousness the same way we look for food to nourish our bodies every day. It must be a regular part of our daily routine to seek out Christ and follow His example. To be full, and to hold authority against the devil, we must clothe ourselves in the righteous and purifying blood of Jesus! We must represent Him and not ourselves.

In Christ, we represent the authority of God Almighty. By His Holy Name we are covered!!!

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson