I.    The Breastplate of Righteousness

A.   What is it?

1.    God’s righteousness through Christ – Philippians 3:7-11

2.    Christ is the righteousness of God

a.     The law was:

1.    our wisdom – Deuteronomy 4:6

2.    our righteousness – Deuteronomy 6:25

NOTE: the law was not perfect

b.    Christ is (or, has become) – I Corinthians 1:26-31

1.    our wisdom

2.    our righteousness

NOTE: Christ is perfect

3.    Faith in Christ reckons the righteousness of God to us (basic issue) – Romans 3:21-26

4.    Putting on the “new man” which is created in righteousness and true holiness – Ephesians 4:22:24

B.   Why do we wear it? To be able to stand in His presence!

1.    the blood of an innocent animal was shed to cover the sin of Adam and Eve – Genesis 3:21

2.    Levitical law required blood from blemish-free animals to cover man’s sin – Leviticus 9:2 (one of many references to such)

NOTE: this sacrifice could not cover sin once for all in that it was not perfect – Hebrews 9:1-10

3.    Christ’s blood (as per the law) was shed to cover man’s sin –     Romans 5:8-11

a.     Christ’s sacrifice covered man’s sin once for all because it was perfect – Hebrews 9:11-12

b.    Christ’s sacrifice did not abolish the law but rather fulfilled the requirement of the law and freed us from it. - Galatians 3:10-13

c.     We may hinder ourselves and our blessings by not doing certain things (i.e. tithing), but we cannot be cursed by not doing them as some are prone to teach.

4.    Putting on Christ – Galatians 3:26-29 allows God to be with us to fight the fight (“wrong house” story).

I. The Helmet of Salvation

A.   The number one part where it all starts:

1.    Work out your salvation – Philippians 2:12

2.    You must believe and you will be saved – Acts 16:31

3.    Whosoever believes will not perish – John 3:16

4.    Whosoever believes – Mark 16:16

B.   The Helmet of Salvation gives us the mind of Christ when worn properly.

1.    Humility – Philippians 2:1-8

2.    Confidence in God – Matthew 7:28-29

3.    Wisdom and Prudence

a.     Matthew 8:1

b.    I Corinthians 10:23-33

4.    Forgiving

a.     Christ’s forgiveness even extended to the very one that nailed him to the cross – Luke 23:34-38, 47

b.    Colossians 3:13

5.    Compassionate

a.     For the harvest – Matthew 9:36-38

b.    Feeding the multitude – Matthew 15:32

c.     To heal

1.    Matthew 9:18, 20:34

2.    Mark 1:41, 5:19

3.    Luke 7:11-15

6.    Unprejudiced – John 4:7-42

C.   How do you wear the helmet?

1.    Prepare the mind – I Peter 3:13-17

a.     Being self-controlled – I Peter 1:13-16

b.    Being alert – I Peter 5:8-9

2.    Know what you believe and why

a.     Handling the Word of God correctly – II Timothy 2:15

b.    Testing all things, keeping the good and trashing the bad

1.    I Thessalonians 5:21

2.    I John 4:1

3.    Filter all things that enter your mind – Philippians 4:8

4.    Being goal oriented with knowledge and learning is the only way to wear the helmet successfully.

a.     Forgetting what is behind and pressing forward –         Philippians 3:13-16

b.    Heavenly wisdom unto salvation rather than worldly wisdom unto death

1.    James 3:13-18

2.    II Timothy 3:14-17

I.               Welcome to the battle.

A.   “The Final Quest” by Rick Joyner shows what the battlefield looks like.

B.   God’s Army

1.    The military we see in the natural is just a shadow of God’s Army in the spiritual.

a.     Hebrews 8:4-5 – tabernacle built as a copy of the heavenly

b.    Hebrews 9:23-24 – Christ entered the original tabernacle

c.     Hebrews 10:1 – law/sacrifices were copies of God’s design in Heaven

2.    Every believer is a soldier in God’s Army and cannot let the “affairs of this life” to affect how they fight. – II Timothy 2:3-4, 7-8, 10-13

3.    To be an effective soldier of Christ, you must understand:

a.     your standing in Christ (to understand ↓)

b.    your identity in Christ (to understand ↓)

c.     your authority in Christ (to understand ↓)

1.)  the twelve commissioned – Matthew 10:5

2.)  the seventy commissioned – Luke 10:1

3.)  all believers commissioned – Matthew 28:18

d.    your ability as a soldier in Christ

→NOTE: THE PROBLEM TODAY IS, CHRISTIANS DON’T KNOW WHO THEY REALLY ARE!!

C.   The Battle

1.    The Enemy

a.     principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness

1.)  Daniel 10:12-13, 20-21

2.)  Daniel 12:1

b.    flesh – Romans 7:22-25

c.     the deception of the day

1.)  last days? Oh yes! – Matthew 24:4-13, 24

2.)  truth tailored – I Timothy 4:1-5

3.)  II Timothy 3:1-13

2.    God has equipped us.

a.     our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God –                      II Corinthians10:3-6

b.    the whole armor of God to stand firm – Ephesians 6:10-18

c.     the Armor of Light – Romans 13:12-14

d.    the Armor of Righteousness - II Corinthians 6:7