In Ephesians 6:14 reads, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness [dekiosuna in the Greek].” In previous messages on this subject, the truth is what is true in the matter under consideration. Many Christians want to place everything else as the truth, and there are plenty of other areas with the opportunity to talk about the Gospel, including the next verse. But that’s not what Paul was referring to here in this verse. He was referring to the truth, the matter under consideration, which was spiritual warfare, and there is no better message than the breastplate of righteousness to start this mini-series within this series. This has been a very confused subject throughout history, but by the time I am done, you will hopefully have a better understanding of what type of righteousness God is referring to in these verses.

Righteousness is dekiosuna in the Greek with a very short definition, right with God. We only become right with God through Jesus Christ. It is His righteousness that puts us back on the right path with God and being right with God through Jesus Christ is the only way of even obtaining that type of righteousness. God’s judgment for us was placed on Jesus, which now allows God’s righteousness to flow back to us through the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus we are reconciled back to the Father. There is no other way. That judgment was for us, but Christ stood in for us and God put that judgment on His Son, so now we are reconciled back to the Father. Now His righteousness can flow back to us through the Holy Spirit which puts us in a position of reconciliation with God once again. There is no shortcut and there is no other explanation. That is the only explanation. Go to Philippians 3:7. This is where Paul is counting all gain as loss, meaning all the things that he ever achieved really were worthless to him if he lost Christ. Paul writes,

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 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, [All those material things which the world so values and wants to get their hands on and accumulate are considered dung.] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness….”

Paul spends a lot of time, especially in the Romans’ letter, describing what his own righteousness would be, or our own righteousness if we follow our own way in how we perceive things. In this case, what he was talking about was how we react to, apply, and live out the Mosaic Law, but we can never even come close to living that Mosaic Law; no one ever has except Christ. Only He fulfilled every jot and tittle of it.

Some Jewish scholars say there were 611 commandments; others say there were 613 commandments in the Mosaic Law. Some include the Ten Commandments, some do not. It doesn’t really surprise me, but whatever number they come up with, it is always around 600. Only Christ Jesus fulfilled the law. Of all the 613 laws, 365 have negative restrictions, things that you could not do, and 248 laws had positive commands, things that you should do. There is a new fad in Christian foolishness going around today that we should still try to apply the law. Listen to the most famous Christian broadcasting channel and occasionally they have some of their talking heads saying that the law is not abandoned in the New Testament. My friend, the law is dead. The only law we live now is faith and love, because Christ commanded it in John 15 — it’s about love, about faith, and what our hope is in. Read it for yourself and then try to live by those 613 commandments. I’ll bet if I were to ask, there’s not a single person, including myself, who could recite even 50 of those commandments. Thank God we are no longer commanded to keep the law. I don’t let the devil beat me over the head that I didn’t do this just right or that just right. I say, “Get behind me Satan. I am covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.” When I finish these messages, you will understand that your loins are girded, you will understand the truth that Paul was speaking about was spiritual warfare, and how important this breastplate is as a banner that goes before us as an offensive weapon to send a message.

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In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it reads, “God loveth a cheerful giver.” The Greek word for cheerful is Hilaros which means when someone is prompt to do something, they are ready in mind, with a joyful heart. In the Septuagint it also means to cause to shine. Today I am looking for Hilaros Givers who are ready and full of joy for the opportunity to cause others to shine by hearing, learning, and growing in God’s Word.

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