What is the Christian's "Breastplate of Righteousness" described in Ephesians 6? We are often told the believer's armor is to be compared to that of a Roman soldier. Is this accurate? Study this lesson, and if possible, listen on FaceBook or YouTube by typing my name and the title or text of this study.

2. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might. 11
Put on the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. 12 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.

3. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore,
having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of
righteousness,

5. Deuteronomy 20:2–4
2 So it shall be, when you are on the
verge of battle, that the priest shall
approach and speak to the people. 3
And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O
Israel: Today you are on the verge of
battle with your enemies. Do not let
your heart faint, do not be afraid, and
do not tremble or be terrified because
of them; 4 for the LORD your God is He
who goes with you, to fight for you
against your enemies, to save you.’

6. Hebrews 4:14–16
14 Seeing then that we have a great
High Priest who has passed through
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let
us hold fast our confession. 15 For we
do not have a High Priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but
was in all points tempted as we are,
yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need.

7. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
Ø “Be Strong in the Lord
Ø “Put on the whole armor of God”
This Attic vase painting (490
B.C.) depicts Odysseus giving
the armor of his father Achilles
to Neoptolemos.

8. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
Ø “Put on the whole armor of God”
1) “having girded your loins with truth”
2) “having put on the breastplate of righteousness”
3) “having shod your feet with the gospel of peace”
4) “taking the shield of faith”
5) “take the helmet of salvation”
6) “(take) the sword of the Spirit”

9. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
Ø “Be Strong in the Lord
Ø “Put on the whole armor of God”
Ø “Stand” (ἵσταμαι – histamai)
Ø “Withstand” (ἀνθίστημι – anthistēmi)
HOLD YOUR
POSITION
NEVER
RETREAT

10. Elements: white linen +
3 colors
Size: 2¼” wide, 48’ long
Function: Service
Indicated: Readiness Truth
According to the Talmud, Rabbinic literature
(B. Zevachim 88b) and Maimonides

11. “breastplate” θώραξ (thōrax) = corset
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having
girded your waist with truth, having put
on the breastplate of righteousness,
“having put on” (aorist participle)

12. “Under the Roman republic all the
legionaries wore a bronze cuirass
consisting of a breast and back plate with
a border of pendent leather straps
defending the lower part of the body.”
(The Encyclopedia Americana, 1903)
A. To a Roman Soldier:

13. A. To a Roman Soldier:
1. Its Design:

14. A. To a Roman Soldier:
2. Its Function:
Protect the heart and lungs

15. A. To a Roman Soldier:
2. Its Function:
Protect the
Soldier

16. B. To the High Priest:

17. B. To the High Priest:
1. Its Design:

18. Isaiah 59:16–17 He saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor; therefore, His own arm
brought salvation for Him; and His own
righteousness, it sustained Him. 17 For He
put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on His head; He
put on the garments of vengeance for
clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

19. Isaiah 59:16–17 He saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor; therefore, His own arm
brought salvation for Him; and His own
righteousness, it sustained Him. 17 For He
put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on His head; He
put on the garments of vengeance for
clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

20. Isaiah 59:16–17 He saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was no
intercessor; therefore, His own arm
brought salvation for Him; and His own
righteousness, it sustained Him. 17 For He
put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on His head; He
put on the garments of vengeance for
clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

21. B. To the High Priest:
2. Its Function:
• Hebrew: ‫ח‬
ֹ
‫שׁ‬
ֶ
‫ן‬ (ẖošen) = the sacred
breastplate was worn only by the High
Priest of the Israelites
• Occasionally called the breastplate of
judgment (Ex. 28:15-30), because
the Urim and Thummim were placed
within it.

22. URIM: “lights” = an
emblem of complete
LIGHT
THYMMIM: “perfections”
= an emblem of compete
TRUTH

23. B. To the High Priest:
2. Its Function:
Protect the
People

25. • Helpless
• Hopeless

26. False
Evidence
Appearing
Real.

27. False
Evidence
Appearing
Real.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has
not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and
of a sound mind.

28. δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) =
‫צ‬
‫ד‬
‫י‬
‫ק‬ (tṣǎd·dîq) = righteousness, justice
describes
conduct in relation to others, especially
with regards to the rights of others in
business, in legal matters, and beginning
with relationship to God. It is contrasted
with wickedness, the conduct of the one
who, out of gross self-centeredness,
neither reveres God nor respects man.

29. ‫צ‬
‫ד‬
‫י‬
‫ק‬ (tṣǎd·dîq) = righteousness,
justice
1 Corinthians 1:30 But of Him
you are in Christ Jesus, who
became for us wisdom from
God—and righteousness and
sanctification and
redemption—

30. A. Self-Righteousness:
Matthew 5:20 For I say to you,
that unless your righteousness
exceeds the righteousness of
the scribes and Pharisees, you
will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven.

31. A. Self-Righteousness:
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like
an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are like filthy
rags; we all fade as a leaf, and
our iniquities, like the wind,
have taken us away.

32. B. Christ’s Righteousness:
Isaiah 59:16–17 16b His own arm
brought salvation for Him; and His
own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a
breastplate, and a helmet of salvation
on His head; He put on the garments
of vengeance for clothing and was
clad with zeal as a cloak.

33. B. Christ’s Righteousness:
Isaiah 59:16–17 16b His own arm
brought salvation for Him; and His
own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a
breastplate, and a helmet of salvation
on His head; He put on the garments
of vengeance for clothing and was
clad with zeal as a cloak.

34. Isaiah 53:11–12 By His knowledge,
My righteous Servant shall justify many,
for He shall bear their iniquities. 12...He
poured out His soul unto death, and He
was numbered with the transgressors,
and He bore the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.
B. Christ’s Righteousness:

35. B. Christ’s Righteousness:
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him
who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God
in Him.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,

36. 1 John 2:1–2 My little children, these things I
write to you, so that you may not sin. And if
anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He
Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not
for ours only but also for the whole world.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit.

37. Ephesians 4:22–24 that you put off,
concerning your former conduct, the old
man which grows corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the
spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on
the new man which was created according
to God, in true righteousness and
holiness.

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