Tempe Nazarene Church
June 24, 2007
Pastor Brian Delbridge


“The Breastplate of Righteousness”

Armor of God Series—Part 3
Ephesians 6:10–14 (NIV)

  1. Introduction
    1. God has given us 3 directives to ensure victory in this spiritual war in which we are engaged:
      1. Be strong in the Lord.
      2. Be strong in His mighty power.
      3. Put on the full armor of God.
  2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
    1. It’s purpose is to protect.
    2. Righteousness is living right.
    3. Our righteousness is never good enough!

      4. (Philippians 3:4a–9)
      4…though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
      If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:
      5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;
      6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
      7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
      8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
      9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

      (Romans 3:10–12)
      10As it is written:
      “There is no one righteous, not even one;
      11there is no one who understands,
      no one who seeks God.
      12All have turned away,
      they have together become worthless;
      there is no one who does good,
      not even one.”

      (Isaiah 64:6)
      6All of us have become like one who is unclean,
      and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
      we all shrivel up like a leaf,
      and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

    4. What can we do?
      1. We put on Jesus’ righteousness.
      2. It is an imputed righteousness.

        3. (II Corinthians 5:21)
        21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

        (Philippians 3:9)
        … 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

      3. A perfect righteousness is credited to my account.
      4. It is an imparted righteousness.
    5. Satan will try to misuse:
      1. Our feelings
      2. Our experiences
      3. Discouragement
      4. Spiritual depression

        5. (II Corinthians 4:7–10)
        7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
        8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
        9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
        10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

      5. Unanswered prayers
  3. Conclusion

© 2007 Dr. Brian Delbridge, all rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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