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Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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 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,
We need our fully equipment for the battle we are fighting in. If you don’t have the right equipment God cannot use you, or you get wounded and need healing back in the tents.
But what is righteousness? Righteousness is applied holiness which means to be separated from sin. God wants us to be holy, through our actions in our life. God gives us the righteousness through Jesus Christ. Only God can give us righteousness, because we don not have any righteousness in ourselves.
Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags. Filthy is a translation from the word menstrual. This means in the Jewish culture a unclean woman because of her monthly period. In those days the woman where separated from the community even several days after there monthly period. Because you where unclean before God and man.
What is the breastplate in our life?
I Thessalonians 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
What is now the breastplate is it faith and love or is it righteousness? Answer: it is the same.
Galatians 5:5-6 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. If faith is expressing itself throe love it is righteousness.
How can we activate the breastplate? Just go to battle, because it’s there.
I Thessalonians 5:8 be self-controlled is apposition to the breastplate of faith and love
We have to practice self-control. The King James uses another word for self-control, it uses the word sober which is in Greek nepal which means do not be drunk. In the Greek culture this word describe our thought life. The actual word meant: one who is in control of their thought processes and not involved of irrational thinking.
The breastplate of righteousness is about using our mind in the way God intended us to use our minds. But is my mind not in my head?, so why a breastplate and not the helmet of salvation? What protects the breastplate? The heart!! What has the heart to do with my mind, with my thoughts?
The thoughts comes from the heart!
Examples:
Matthew 9:4 Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?
Mark 2:6 (King James) But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Matthew 22:37 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (heart, soul and mind are the same synonyms)
Be self-controlled in your thought-life, because also the language comes from the heart out of your mouth.
Matthew 12:34-35 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
Matthew 15:18-19 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
How do you know what is in your heart? Simple hit your thumb with a hammer and the first word that comes out comes directly from the heart. If it is swearing, you have to clean that up, if it is a sex word, maybe you have sexual problems. Everything what comes out without thinking comes from the heart.
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Do you want to see God? Only those who have a pure heart will see God, so clean up your mind and be holy.
Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
What happen, if you go to battle and suddenly hell brakes lose and you don’t see God?
Acts 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen looked up and sees Jesus, he did not care what the people around him did. He just went….cool…there is Jesus up their!!! Why because his heart is pure.
An old computer saying is bad input is bad output. So if you fill your mind and heart with good input you also will have good output. Be careful with movies, music and which places you’re going to because everything you do, your mind and heart is absorbing it. Fill your mind with good things, holy things from God.
Colossians 3:1-2 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
