Jesus is Our Righteousness

...with the breastplate of righteousness in place... Ephesians 6: 14b

Dylan:  "Mama, how much is 8x3?"

Me:       (insert MAJOR silent eye-rolling and deep sigh...)

Dylan:  "I guess it's been a long time since I've been in school, huh?"

Me:       (insert double facepalm that also serves to disguise a chuckle)

Dylan:  "Hey, but did you notice how earlier, I used the word: 'elevate' before? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Me:       (insert head on desk in sign of utter defeat)

It has certainly been a looooong time since kids have been to school...indeed...and for a teen who thinks books are the devil, not being in school is tragic.  However, there's been an interesting turn this summer...Dylan has began to read... I mean, honestly, it's not like a "legit" interest in reading has suddenly awoken into his soul.  Not really. Books ARE still the devil. Dylan's reading efforts are mostly the product of bribery.  Apparently Grant offered to pay him a dollar for every book he reads...the implications and nuances of this arrangement are too complex to discuss in this post...but...regardless...it's working.  Dylan has read a couple of books!  Which is AMAZING! So, once in a while, he would use a word that not normally one would expect Dylan knowing, let alone, using appropriately in the right context within a casual conversation...so he makes sure everyone notices.  And I'm very proud of him for that.

As a non-native speaker of English, I encounter thousands of words and expressions on a daily basis that I am not familiar with...so...I try to pay careful attention, and when the right context comes up, I try to incorporate them as best as I can.  However, often, I need to pause and realize that the potential opportunities for me to incorporate some terms are very slim.  Such is the case with two words in Ephesians 6: 14b... "breastplate" and "righteousness."  

I don't know about you, but neither of these two words populate my conversations on a daily basis.  I'm not entirely sure I know what meaning they actually convey.  So, I had to enlist the help of my good friends Merriam & Webster to clarify.  

The breastplate is is a device that soldiers wear (or used to wear) over the torso to protect from injury.  I guess, the 21st century equivalent would be a bullet proof/kevlar vest that law enforcers wear or should wear (I wish it was available to all, but, unfortunately apparently it is not).  The purpose of this type of device is to guard vital organs in case of an attack.  It mostly protects the heart.

Righteousness...o this word...so misunderstood.  It is simply defined as acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.  Who could ever achieve a perfect state of righteousness?  

As we prepare for the spiritual warfare that we endure each and every day, Paul indicates we most put on the "breastplate of righteousness."  But...even looking up the meaning of these two words, I can't figure out how to apply them!

sigh...

I cannot figure out how to put on this piece of armor?!  I'm not a righteous person.  I am not free from sin.  I am not fully obedient to the divine law...not even a little bit.  How am I supposed to put on righteousness so my heart and other vital organs are not exposed?

The only way to avoid walking into battle with my vital organs completely unprotected is by walking with Jesus.  Paul knows about this.  He wrote Romans and other books where he tells us how Jesus is the ONLY ONE Righteous; and how He inputted, or gave us, or placed His righteousness in us.  Therefore, as we belong to Him, we are covered by His righteousness.  The breastplate that guards our hearts is Jesus Himself!

We have to put on Jesus everyday.  We have to fix our eyes on Him and allow His presence to invade us daily.  We need to remember how, for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 21

We must remember every single day that we belong to Him, and that our righteousness comes from our faith in Him, And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Philippians 3: 9

Therefore, every morning, as we get out of bed, we declare that Jesus is Lord, and that He is the One who places His protection on us as He covers us with His Righteousness so we can go and do what we must.

The sight of Dylan, laying on a couch, reading a book is otherworldly to me.  It helps me believe that he will be OK, after all.  If Dylan can make reading into a habit, so can I make it a habit to proclaim that Jesus is Lord, and to believe that I walk fully protected by His Righteousness, deeply into the heat of the battle.