Spiritual Warfare - Part 3: The Breastplate of Righteousness

0:27 I started preaching a few weeks ago about spiritual warfare. And today we continue. This is part three of spiritual warfare. Part three. Ephesians chapter six is our scripture. Ephesians six, beginning at verse number 10. Ephesians six, verse 10 says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

1:19 Therefore, verse 13, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, verse 14, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Today's part three, and I want to talk about the breastplate of righteousness. I want to talk about putting on the breastplate of righteousness. We already talked about the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness. We've talked about standing and withstanding. We've talked about the belt of truth. Last time we discussed and dialogued about the lies that the devil wants you to believe and embrace. And in fact, God wants us to hold on to truth. I gave you basically the seven truths that God wants us to believe.

2:16 Today, I want to talk about the breastplate of righteousness. What does that mean? I'm glad you asked the question. A breastplate. It is the part of the armor that covers the most vital organs of a soldier. It covers his heart, his lungs, his stomach, his kidneys, his liver. All of those vital organs. And when Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, as a matter of fact, Paul's writing to them from jail. He's in prison. And he's writing to them and he says to them, put on the breastplate of righteousness. When he talks about that, he's telling them basically make sure that you protect the most vital elements of your Christian walk. And what might those be? I'm going to tell you in a few moments. What are the most vital organs? The enemy wants to attack you and cause you not to walk in a relationship with God.

3:15 That's what he wants. He wants you to question God, doubt God. He wants to weaken your relationship with God. And that's what I want to talk to you about. I want to challenge you today to know how to protect your walk with God. How many understand having a walk with God is essential and important in your life? Amen. When you have a relationship with God, you know what I love about the Lord? When you have a walk with God and a relationship with God, he answers prayers even before you ask him what you want to ask him. Anybody know what I'm talking about? That have God fight battles and work situations out and give you deliverance and give you breakthroughs and send you answers to your prayers and you haven't even asked him for it. We serve a God that has the capacity and the ability and the willingness to do that. And so he says right here, and this today is very important. All of them are important. But this one here is very important that you got to get a hold of.

4:09 He says, I want you to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Now, the breastplate, as I've already said, covers the vital parts of a soldier. And in your walk with God, it covers the vital elements, the vital elements of your spiritual walk with God. That's number one. I want you to get that. And he said, he calls it this, the breastplate of righteousness. He could have called it a lot of things, but he calls it the breastplate of righteousness. Why does he call it righteousness? Because the word righteousness means right standing with God. That's what righteousness means. It means that you are in a proper standing with God. So he says, I want you to protect that. I want you to be in a place and a posture where you are protecting your ability to communicate with God, to know God, to have a relationship with God. He says, I want you to be in the right standing.

5:04 Now, the devil will do everything in his power to get you not to have a right standing with God. Go on and preach, Pastor. I'm just doing the best that I can. And the devil wants to make you not have a relationship with God. That is his plan, is to frustrate you and get you frustrated. So how do I put on this breastplate, and how do I stay in right standing with God? I'm glad you asked the question. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 8. Just jot it down because you ain't going to never find it. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 8.

5:39 And here's what it says. Matter of fact, he tells us what the two elements are that make us have, that empowers us to have the breastplate of righteousness. Here's what he says. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 8. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love. Stick a pin. Stop right there. There it is. Those are the two elements. Faith and love. Say that back at me. Say faith and love. Look at your neighbor. Say make sure you got faith. Turn to the other side. Say make sure you got love.

6:21 Faith and love. Those are the two essential elements to being in right standing with God. And he says I want you to protect yourself. Protect your faith and protect your love, your ability to love. Those are two critical and essential things. Let me spend a moment and make sure you understand how important faith is to your journey with God. The devil wants you to question God, doubt God, don't believe God. Some of you have gone through some experiences in your life where the devil wants you to think God doesn't exist. God doesn't care about you. God doesn't love you. matter of fact he wants you to think that God doesn't even exist but here's what I've learned in the course of my life slow down pastor slow down I'm so excited about this I'm rushing myself I'm rushing I'm rushing but I need to slow down because I might leave some of y'all if I don't slow down I gotta slow down I have enough history with God that I've seen God solve problems and fight my battles. And here's what Hebrews 11.6 says. This is important. Hebrews 11.6 says, it says, without faith, but without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. That's important.

7:53 that if you want to please God, you got to believe that he is. You got to know that he is a way maker. You got to know he's a problem solver. You got to know he's a healer and a deliverer. You got to have faith and know that God does exist. And you have to have faith to know that he's a way maker. Tell your neighbor, he is a way maker. You got to believe it. You got to know it. And so he says that he who comes to God must first believe that he is. And here's what I like. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after him. You know the thing that's great about God? You seek after God and he will let you find him. I wish I had somebody say amen. You pursue God. You ask God. You cry out to God. You call on his name. He will make himself known to you. Faith.

8:46 Somebody say faith. Faith. You got to believe God. You cannot believe, you cannot please God without faith. The devil wants you to doubt God and question God, but he says you got to have faith. Turn to Romans chapter 4, and I'm going to read verse 3 and verse 5. Romans chapter 4, verse 3 and verse 5. Here's what verse 3 says. For what, here's verse 3 of chapter 4. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God. Let me back up. Let me back up. Let me back up. I need to read this again. What does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Y'all missed a great spot to say amen. Why is that important? Because here's what this means. The scripture says Abraham was considered righteous simply because he believed.

9:44 it was accounted to him for righteousness it put him in right standing with god it put him in a place where god was pleased with him god it put him in right a right standing with god just because he believed god look at your neighbor say you got to believe god say believe god yeah is this god it's not god it's gourd say gourd you got to believe god you got to know he's a way maker. You got to believe he's a problem solver. You got to know he loves you. You got to know he cares about you. You got to know he's looking out for your behalf. You got to know deep in your heart. I know the devil wants you to question God and think God doesn't care about you and God don't love you. The devil wants you to think all of that stuff, but you got to know deep in your heart of hearts, God loves me. God has a future for me. God has a destiny for me. God has a purpose for me. God has an assignment for me. God has a call for me. God knows my name.

10:45 Somebody say, God knows my name. Somebody better be glad to know that God knows my name. You might not know my name. You might not care anything about me, but God knows my name. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And then slide down to verse 5. I'm in Romans 4. Here's verse 5. Verse 5. But to him who does not work but believes on him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Let me read that again. I got to break that down to you. But to him, that's you, who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. In other words, for that person who's not trying to work their way in, some of y'all are trying to work your way in. You don't get in good favor with God by working.

11:43 We don't serve and do the things in our church to get God's favor. We don't work to get saved. We work because we are saved. When you have a walk with God, it does something in your heart that makes you want to help other people, to help you want to serve other people. We don't do this to get God's favor. We do it because God has loved us. And here's what I like about this verse. Let me read it one more time. But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly. Look, this is a shout. Leave that on the screen. Don't take it down. He justifies the ungodly. Whether you know it or not, you is an ungodly person. Look at that person next to him telling you, nasty, you mean, you wicked. Come on, y'all might as well tell the truth. You done done some things you had no business doing, thinking some stuff you shouldn't have thought, went some places you shouldn't have gone, wanted some stuff you shouldn't have had no.

12:38 But guess what? When you believe God, he justifies the ungodly. Somebody ought to give God a shout right there. Amen. He justifies us. He makes us right with God. Now, that's the complete opposite of what the devil wants you to think. The devil wants you to think that when you mess up or when you fail or when you fall down or you do something you ain't supposed to do, that God can't justify you. But the scripture says right here, if you just believe God, he justifies you. Somebody ought to shout right now. Who am I preaching to that's grateful that God looked beyond your faults and saw your need? Look beyond your failures. look beyond the stuff you did you shouldn't have done and justified you I feel a shout down in my soul because when I look back over my life and some of the things I've done and some of the places I've been and some of the stuff I wanted I thank God he did not give me what I deserve Somebody ought to give God a shout right there.

13:43 He did not give me what I deserve. All because I believe God. I believe God. He didn't do it because I'm singing on the choir. He didn't do it because I'm an ursher. You know, there's a difference between an ursher and an usher.

14:13 He didn't do it because I'm a deacon or a preacher. He did it just because I believe God. So he said put on the breastplate so don't let anybody make you question God. don't let the enemy convince you that God doesn't exist or that God doesn't love you or doesn't care about you he doesn't care about you that's the work of the devil believe God through thick and thin through when all hell break loose in your life you know what you got to tell yourself I don't like where I'm at I don't appreciate the situation I am in but I know one thing for sure that if God permitted it something good is going to come out on the other side of this Thank you. Tell your neighbor, something good going to come out of this hell that I'm in right now. I don't like where I am.

15:12 I don't like my circumstances. I don't like my situation. But when I get on the other side, something's going to come out of it. I know the God that I serve has something in mind. He has a plan for me. Preach on, Purge to Jenkins. I'm doing the best that I can. I'm trying to boost your faith. I'm trying to get you to a place of understanding that God got your back and God knows your circumstance and God knows your journey. I'm just trying to get you to believe God has got your back. Somebody says it's the breastplate of faith. And what was the other thing? It's two things, faith and love. It's the breastplate of love. That's what the breastplate of righteousness is, a breastplate of faith. And number two, it's a breastplate of love. Now, this is an important point, too.

16:08 It's both of those things. He's telling us, he wants us to comprehend that what's important to God is that you love other people. Oh, I hit something right there. Y'all got quiet. I can tell when I hit something right there. The devil wants you to hate people. And when you allow hatred in your heart, you've opened up the door for the enemy to come in and mess it up. When you start disliking, hating people, you have opened the door for the enemy.

16:45 And some of you, your walk with God has been hampered and hindered because you've allowed the enemy to make you hate somebody. Can I tell you something? as much as I might not like some stuff that people do, I am persuaded and I am convicted and I am convinced that you are not worth me messing up my relationship with God. Did y'all hear what I said? Tell the person what I just said. They didn't hear. They were asleep. Their eyes was closed. Tell them. Tell them, you ain't worth it. You ain't worth me missing out on God fighting my battles. You're not me getting upset with you. You ain't worth me missing out on the miracles that God's going to work out on me. You're not worth me messing up my relationship with God because I got upset with you. You ain't worth it. In 2003, the President of the United States came to our church. 2003.

17:46 People got mail with me. People wrote me letters, called me. The newspaper had my name in the paper. They were just magazines. People just was talking about me bad. Because I let the President of the United States. Here's what they thought, Reverend Skip, I should have done. They said I should have not welcomed him to our church. Because he had taken a position that's the opposite of what a lot of those people's positions were. I don't even remember what the topic was. But they said I shouldn't have let him come in. Can I tell you something? I let drunkards come to our church. I let liars come to our church. I let fornicators, adulterers. liars, cheaters, thieves.

18:38 And if the truth be told, fornicators, adulterers, liars, cheaters, still come to our church. Matter of fact, if I didn't let those kind of people come to church, we wouldn't have no church. The church is a hospital for sick people, not a social club for people who have it all together. And people got mad at me and talked about me, and I refused to let them draw and drag me down because of what they said about me.

19:19 I just kept loving the hell right out of them. Come on, somebody, love the hell out of them. That's what I'm saying to you. Don't let anybody put you in a posture of you missing out on your walk with God because of stuff that people do or say. It ain't worth it. You are not worth me missing out on what God has for my future. Some of y'all are going to miss out on God because you let somebody do something. You allowed them to put some hatred, dislike in your heart. And that, whether you know it or not, it affects your ability to have a relationship with God. I am preaching and teaching today.

20:11 Let me read Matthew 5, 46. I got three verses, then I'll be finished. Matthew 5, 46. Here's what it says. If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Jesus said, sinners do that. Love the people who love you. That's what the sinners do. but we are greater than that. We are not just sinners. We are, ooh, we're children of the most high God.

20:40 We're saints of the most high God. Here's what John 13, 35 says. Jot that down. John 13, 35. Here's what it says. For if you love, I'm sorry, by this, by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Here's the sign that you are a child of God that we love each other. I know I'm a child of God. Because I love you even though you get on my nerves. Amen.

21:11 That's John 13, 35. By this, all will know that you are my disciples. I know I'm his disciple because I love other people. Here's 1 John 4. 1 John 4, 20 and 21. Let me read this to you then. And then I will be finished. 1 John 4, 20 says, If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar.

21:36 Go ahead, look around your section. there's a liar somewhere on your row in your section. I didn't call you a liar. The scripture said you're a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. Wow.

22:06 Let me put that down. I want y'all to go ahead and make a list of all of the people that's on your I do not like list. Go ahead. Write it down. Because today God's going to give you deliverance from that hatred in your heart. Today, because you want God's favor in your life. You want God's power in your life. You want God's anointing in your life. Go ahead. Write their name down. And we're going to say, Lord, I'm going to surrender this person to you. And you know what I discovered? I don't have to pay a person back. Here's what Romans says. I don't, ooh, ooh, ooh. Here's what Romans says, that God says, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says God. Amen. You go ahead and leave it in God's hand to pay them back for whatever they've done to you. Your assignment is just to love them. Somebody say love them. Some years ago, we had a member of our church, didn't like me, disliked me. He left the church, tried to get the deacons to fire me and tried to get people to stop coming to the church.

23:05 created a website against me. The man devoted money to make a website to fight against me. but if he walked through those doors right now I would still show him the love of God and love him in my heart I can tell the claps are getting lower and lower and softer and softer. All I'm trying to do is to help you get to a place where you can have God's miracles working in your life and God's favor in your life and God's provisions in your life. You cannot have God's blessings and favor on your life while you open your heart to hatred, while you harbor hatred, while you harbor dislike and hatred for people. By the way, amen. So you say, well, Pastor, they did so-and-so to me. Guess what? You did some stuff to some other people yourself.

23:57 Amen. I wish I had people saying, let me come back here. I think this section right here is who I need to be talking to. Do y'all hear what I'm saying to you today? Did you write the name down? Have y'all written the names down? Have you made note of who it is you need? I'm asking y'all, did y'all write the name down? Go ahead. Say, I forgive them. Tell them I forgive them. Ain't worth me missing out what God has for me because of them. They're not worth it. See how the claps get lower. Don't clap now. Don't be trying to pick it up now. I'm trying to help you move forward. He said put on the breastplate of righteousness. And the breastplate of righteousness is the breastplate of love.