We’ve been looking at the Apostle Paul’s teaching about the struggles that all of us face in life. What Paul has been teaching us is that these struggles find their source in the spiritual struggle that’s going on around us. We’re in a spiritual battle against Satan and his forces that are working to lead us away from God and to destroy us. Paul has been telling us that the only way to be strong in this struggle is to completely trust in Jesus as the source of our strength and to stand firm in our faith in Him and His victory over Satan through His death and resurrection.

Last Sunday we came to the illustration that Paul gives to explain - in a very practical way - what we need to do to live standing firm - trusting in Jesus as our strength. The illustration that Paul gives is the Armor of God.

Look with me at Ephesians 6 - starting at verse 14 - so that we can get the whole illustration - the image of this armor in our minds and then we’ll come back and look specifically at the Breastplate of Righteousness - which is our focus today.

Paul writes - verse 14: Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

When Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesian church Paul was imprisoned in Rome waiting for a hearing before the Emperor Nero. It’s not hard to imagine that as Paul being was dragged around the Roman Empire under guard he’d had a chance to view Roman armor close up. His readers in Ephesus - in Asia Minor - would have been very familiar with what a Roman Soldier looked like.

With the Armor of God - Paul is writing figuratively - symbolically - about something more real than belts and shields and swords. Behind the illustration is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the armor of God - who He is and what He’s prepared to do in and through our lives. When Paul writes about the different pieces of the armor he’s writing about Jesus and how we can put Him on - live in His strength - and be defended against Satan and his attacks.

Paul writes this in Romans 13:14, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ…” It’s important that we study this armor and learn how to “put on” Jesus Christ in a practical way.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:14: “Stand firm…having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

A soldier’s breastplate was a chain metal shirt that covered his upper body - both front and back - from the neck down to the waist. The whole purpose was to guard - to protect - his vital organs. Paul’s point is that, as the soldier’s breastplate guarded his vital organs, so righteousness guards the core of who we are from the assaults of Satan. (Isaiah 59:17; Romans 6:13,14; 14:17)

In order for us to understand this - how righteousness guards our lives - there are two truths that we need to notice from verse 14.

The first truth is that RIGHTEOUSNESS IS GOD’S ACCEPTANCE OF US.

When we Armenians go to a restaurant one of the most crucial decisions is about who pays the bill. There are different techniques to make sure this happens. One technique is “three tries and its mine.” Have you seen this?

When the waitress comes with the bill there’s a contest to see who can grab the bill first. Whoever was too slow says with great indignation, “That’s mine. Let me get that.” To which the proper reply is something like, “No, I’ve got it. Thank you.” That’s one.

Then the second try: “Oh no, I was intending to pay that. I wanted to treat you.”

“No, you’re my guest.”

The third attempt is more intense. “I invited you. You drove all this way. I chose the restaurant.” The reply is something like, “Well, you can get it next time.”

It has been said that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. It’s also easier. It’s so hard for us to be indebted to anyone. Even God.

All of us live with a death sentence hanging over us. We’re born into sin. We live in sin. We’re condemned by our sin. The penalty for our sin is death - eternal separation from God. And, there’s nothing you or I can do about it. That’s unrighteousness - a life completely separated from God.

In God’s courtroom where we’re judged for our sins - we stand before God - who alone is worthy to pronounce judgment on us. Jesus enters and takes our penalty for us - dying on the cross in our place. His life for ours. So that we’re not longer condemned. We’re made right before God. That’s righteousness - a right relationship with God - which only God can do for us.

Righteousness is something that each of us is indebted to God for. God’s acceptance of us requires that we let go of our pride and our efforts at living rightly before God - and simply receive what He’s already done for us. That’s what Paul means when he writes, “Put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Put it on. Accept what God has done for you in Jesus Christ.

If we could earn God’s acceptance of us - a right - righteous - relationship with Him by rolling a pea with our nose down I5 to L.A. - or some other almost impossible task. We’d all be on I5 scraping our noses on the pavement.

Its so tempting for us to come and present our righteousness to God. We live morally upright. There are no mass murderers here - at least none that we know of. We’re decent - just people. We’re a little rough around the edges - some are more rough than others. But, we’re okay. We come to church. We serve. We give. We’re good parents.

But in the struggles of life - in the spiritual battle - when Satan comes and asks, “Who are you?” In those times when we’re more aware of our shortcomings - our failures - when we feel unworthy - doubtful - guilty - fearful - disillusioned - when our faith is tested - when we feel that God is angry with us - or distant - far off someplace - rejecting us. What good is our righteousness then? How do we defend against these attacks?

We defend by remembering that God accepts us - has made what was unrighteous to be righteous. When we come to God through Jesus Christ we quit trying to “be righteous” on our own. In other words, we don’t stand in our righteousness. We never could. But, we stand covered in His righteousness.

That’s what Paul writes in Romans 8:1: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” All these lies that Satan confounds us with have no basis. The only one who’s worthy to judge us has already died for us in our place.

In understanding how to “put on the breastplate of righteousness” we need to first know and accept that righteousness is God’s acceptance of us. The second truth that we need to notice in verse 14 is that RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE LIFE WE LIVE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY GOD.

Paul writes - in Ephesians 6:14: “Stand firm…having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” “Having put on” - since we’ve already put on Jesus - we’re living in His righteousness - now live “standing firm” - live righteously.

It’s like getting into the shallow end of a swimming pool. When we get in it’s like accepting what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We come into His righteousness. But, we need to become swimmers. We need to learn how to move about - to live - in His righteousness - to move on into the deeper and the wonderful things and strength of living the Christian life.

Of all the foods our ladies have been preparing for the Bazaar it’s no secret that my favorite is soubourag. I could take one of those trays of soubourag and just eat from one end to the other. Forget that my arteries would be clogged half way through.

Making soubourag is a complicated process. Making most Armenian foods is a complicated process. We can almost imagine our foremothers in the old country trying to out do each other with new and more complicated ways to make food.

With soubourag - first the dough is prepared and made into little balls. Then it has to sit. Then “kavazanov” it’s rolled out into flat sheets of dough. It’s boiled to cook it. Then quickly put into ice water - to stop it from cooking. And on and on. There’s no way to make soubourag without going through the process.

So it is with us and righteousness. Living righteously is a process. Being a member of a church or claiming to be a Christian - trying to live the righteousness of Jesus in our lives on our own - doesn’t produce in us a life of righteousness. A true Christian - someone who really knows Jesus as their Savior - lives righteously because of the process of Jesus’ righteousness being produced daily in them. It’s how we live.

In thinking this through in a practical way that we can understand and apply to our lives I’ve been thinking about the words of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. Do you remember what Jesus said about righteousness?

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)

Our bodies were designed by God to function in such a way that we grow hungry periodically and - hopefully - eat a healthy meal that helps us to live healthy vigorous lives - spending energy in activity leads to hunger again.

As we hunger and thirst for righteousness - God gives us all the good that comes with righteousness. That in turn leads to a life of service and obedience to God - a life worth living - that “righteous exercise” leads us to hunger again for righteousness - for God’s filling of our lives - and so on - a continuing process. The one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be satisfied.

In 1908, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions - along with four horses to carry their load - Sir Ernest Shackleton set off to reach the South Pole. They came within 97 nautical miles of the pole before they had turn back. Their horses dead - their rations almost exhausted - staggering through the snow - suffering from dysentery - not knowing if they would survive - they struggled for 127 days to reach safety.

In his book, “The Heart of the Antarctic,” Sir Ernest records that they spent each hour of this odyssey in hunger - talking about food - imagining elaborate feasts - mentally preparing gourmet meals - discussing sumptuous menus. They moved forward focused - passionate - consumed by the thought of food.

That’s what Jesus is talking about - to be consumed - passionate with the pursuit of righteousness.

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ on His cross; so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me.”

That’s passion - desire for God’s righteousness. That’s the point we need to get to in our own lives - the point where nothing else matters to us - complete surrender - openness - to the God who makes us to be righteous and desires to produce His life of righteousness in us.

That life of righteousness cannot be destroyed by Satan because it’s lived solely in the strength of the Lord.

Warren Wiersbe put it this way, “Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks, or makes it easier for him to defeat us.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-10)

Watch those who are here on Sunday - Sunday after Sunday - who come early to prepare themselves - who come with expectation - to worship God and to hear from Him - not joking or talking - but to seek filling from God. Pay attention to those who are dedicated to Bible study and prayer. Observe the homes that are focused on serving God. Follow the example of those who are dedicated to sharing the Gospel with others. Individuals and families who desire to be molded by God - whose insatiable passionate desire is the righteousness of God. And these are the people - who regardless of the circumstances of their lives - are living in God’s strength.

Each of us has a question that we need to answer - between ourselves and God. Here’s the question: “Am I living the life that enables me to stand in the strength of the Lord?” Have you accepted Jesus as my personal Savior - God’s gift of righteousness? Do you have an insatiable desire for righteousness - to live right with God - to wholly do God’s will from your heart?