Dear Amy,
What is the breastplate of righteousness, exactly?
Stand firm then … with the breastplate of righteousness in place …
― Ephesians 6:14
Obviously the function of the breastplate is to protect the torso, the heart and lungs, those vital organs without which we cannot live. But what is the nature of this righteousness without which we cannot live before the Lord? It is interesting to see how writers disagree about this, because there are two possible answers.
In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.
― Romans 1:17
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
― Romans 3:22
The first view is that the breastplate is Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, a free gift of grace received entirely through faith. We can stand firm irrespective of our own wretchedness and sin and failure because of this righteousness from God.
There is profound truth in this. But there is another view.
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
― Romans 6:17-18
Jesus said,
“Very truly I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
― John 8:51
Being slaves to righteousness and living in total surrender and complete obedience to God is about our sanctification, and ultimately our works, as we are transformed into the likeness of Christ and live lives that reflect that. Faith or works? Are these contradictory? Jim Packer has a helpful explanation.
Final judgment, as we saw, will be according to our works⸺that is, our doings, our whole course of life. The relevance of our ‘doings’ is not that they ever merit an award from the court⸺they are too far short of perfection to do that⸺but that they provide an index of what is in the heart.
It is not that one way of acting was meritorious while the other was not, but that from these actions one can tell whether there was love to Christ, the love that springs from faith, in the heart.
― J.I. Packer, Knowing God, Chapter 14
James takes up this very idea.
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
― James 2:18
And now we can see it clearly. The righteousness is Christ’s alone, freely given and received through faith by us who believe, and initiating in us an ongoing transformation into slaves to righteousness. Through this we live ever more radically changed lives, and through this we have assurance of salvation. The merit is all Christ’s and so is the glory. Praise him!
Stand firm in the battle, Amy, wholly depending on Christ’s righteousness imputed to you, and have assurance of that by the evidence of your own transformed life! 🙏