Jun 16 2008
Bible Study Week 16: Spiritual Warfare - The Breastplate of Righteousness
Purpose of This Lesson
Last week we began examining the SIX types of armor that a Christian is supposed to wear and fight with in spiritual warfare. We examined the role that the Belt of Truth plays in ensuring that the Christian does not fall prey to the deceptions of the enemy. We saw that the Belt holds everything together and it was mostly used to hold the soldier’s sword safely in place; every Christian must therefore have the Truth.
Lesson Objective:
This lesson will guide the participants to:
- Understand what is thebreastplate of righteousness
- Understand the function of the breastplate of righteousness
- Understand why we need the breastplate of righteousness
Introduction
Paul lived at a time when the Roman soldiers were seen everywhere and he therefore uses the breastplate to illustrate to his audience in Ephesians 6:14Ephesians 6:14
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
for them to grasp this truth easily. He seems to be saying to them “can you imagine a soldier going to war without a breastplate?” It would be very easy for an enemy to attack and kill him because the enemy could easily thrust a spear straight to his heart! And it is the same with Christians today, because without the breastplate of righteousness, we are “dead meat”! The breastplate of righteousness is the only armor that can protect our hearts.
Today’s Lesson
Read Eph 6:14Eph 6:14
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
, 2 Sam 11:1-272 Sam 11:1-27
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
11
1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David send and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her ; and she returned unto her house.
5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6 And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess [of food] from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?
11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
19 and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,
20 it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.
24 And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.
27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Jehovah.
, Psalm 51: 10-11Psalm 51: 10-11
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me.
and Matt 15:10-20Matt 15:10-20
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.
12 Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
15 And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable.
16 And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?
17 Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
Guard Your Heart
A story is told of a drunken man who fell into the hands of robbers as he was going back home. They beat him and stole from him and left him for dead near a petrol (service) station. When the man woke up it was very dark and he could only read four letters of the blinking signboard of the petrol station because the first letter was missing. The words that he saw were written in red and read: HELL.
He immediately sobered up and started crying and repenting his sins and the kind of life he had led, because he thought he was dead and now in HELL! One of the guards at the petrol station ran to him and asked him” what is the problem sir?” and he replied “I am in hell! Are you an angel? Please ask God to give me a second chance” shocked and bewildered, the security guard quickly corrected him “no sir, you are not dead and I am not an angel, and you are not in hell, you are at a SHELL petrol station”. Just like this drunkard, many people wait until it is too late to start living a righteous life. The Bible says, “. . . the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5: 81 Peter 5: 8
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
8 Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,
) we must therefore live a righteous life, and not the sinful ways of those who do not know Jesus Christ as the drunkard man in the SHELL Petrol station, and also carefully guard the righteousness that we have received from God through the death of His son on the cross because “our own righteousness is like filth rags” in God’s sight (Isa 64:6Isa 64:6
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
).
In the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ taught the multitudes saying: “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8Matt 5:8
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
). Warning: There is no unrighteous person who shall see God, and hence the need for us to stay pure in heart by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. When it comes to matters of the heart, let us confess our sins and pray like David did in Psalms 51: 10Psalms 51: 10
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.
” Create in me a clean heart, oh God. . .”
Bible Study Questions For Discussion - Week 16
- How do you think the heart is related to our actions according to Matt 15:19Matt 15:19
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: ? Please explain……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- How can you wear the Breastplate of Righteousness as a Christian? Please use 2 Corinthians 5:212 Corinthians 5:21
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
21 Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him. to explain……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- What is your understanding of the words by King David “Create in me a clean heart” in Psalms 51: 10Psalms 51: 10
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. ? Please explain……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- Why do you think King David tried to cover up his sin against Uriah? Please explain
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- Give an example of how can you continue in righteousness as a Christian today in a sinful world. Please use 2 Corinthians 6:14 -182 Corinthians 6:14 -18
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. , 2 Cor 7:12 Cor 7:1
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
7 1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. to explain.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- Do you think it is possible for a Christian to live with covered sin? What happens when sin is confessed? Please explain
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- In light of the recent post-election clashes, mention two things that you think a Christian may need to guard his or her heart against. Please explain
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- Do you think the Breastplate of Righteousness is relevant to you as a Christian today? i.e. do you really need it? Please explain using examples
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Reflection: Isaiah 1:18Isaiah 1:18
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
: The Price of Righteousness: A Bleeding Cross
“. . . Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .”
Thank you Lord for showing me the truth about myself–that on my own I could never be good enough to live in your presence. Thank you for taking my sins to the cross and offering me your righteous life. Lord, show me any sin that I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with your Spirit.
Thank you for forgiving me and for filling me with your righteous life.
Amen
Tags: Bible study, breastplate righteousness, guide, spiritual warfare
