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(The purpose of these pages is to provide tools for spiritual warfare from
Biblical principles.)
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<FONT size=+1><A href="CDS.html">(This information is now available on audio
CD!)</A></FONT>
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<B><FONT size=+2>“Having Put on the Breastplate of
Righteousness”</FONT></B>
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<FONT size=+1>Putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness protects me from
two avenues of Satanic attack.</FONT>
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<A NAME="pride"></A><B><FONT size=+2>Protection from Pride</FONT></B>
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<FONT size=+1>On the one hand, we can get so focused on our authority in
Christ, that we go to an unbiblical extreme that is really nothing more than
sinful pride and arrogance. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness protects
me from spiritual cockiness and arrogance, esteeming myself better than others,
from <I>self</I>-confidence (rather than <I>Christ</I>-confidence), and from
self-righteousness. Satan is extremely clever at slipping in this deception
on believers. Some are especially susceptible to it. And often, when we have
been drawn into it, we don’t recognize it in ourselves. We may think
that we are being “spiritual” when we are really only being arrogant!
If Satan can deceive us here, we are greatly hindered in our effectiveness
for the Lord.</FONT>
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<A NAME="condemnation"></A><B><FONT size=+2>Protection from
Condemnation</FONT></B>
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<FONT size=+1>The Breastplate of Righteousness also protects me from overwhelming
vague feelings of condemnation and guilt (as a result of past sins). Without
the breastplate of righteousness we can be paralyzed by feelings of unworthiness,
worthlessness, hopelessness, and discouragement because of past failures.
Without it we can feel so undeserving that we don’t expect anything
from the Lord. Again, Satan knows that many Christians are susceptible to
defeat at this point. It’s easy to make them feel so guilty and unworthy
that they feel they can be of no use to the Lord. Great damage has been done
by the enemy with this weapon on God’s people.</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>The Breastplate of Righteousness keeps the effective spiritual
warrior balanced between these two ungodly extremes.</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>You might want to pray along these lines:</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"Father, I confess that my own righteousness is as filthy rags.
I confess that my good deeds are powerless to protect me from Satan and that
I have failed often and deserve hell. My rightousness is weak, feeble,
short-lived, and inconsistent." <I>(“But we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”—Isaiah
64:6)</I>.</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"I also confess that You, Father, are Jehovah-Tsidkenu, my
Eternal Righteousness." <I>(“In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, The
Lord Our Righteousness [Hebrew: Jehovah-Tsidkenu].” —Jeremiah
23:6)</I>.</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"I confess that now You have made me righteous, Father, in
Christ Jesus." <I>(“For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” —2
Corinthians 5:21)</I></FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"I confess that there is now no condemnation for me because
I am in Christ Jesus." <I>(“There is therefore now no condemnation to
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit.” —Romans 8:1)</I></FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"I receive Your <I>imputed</I> righteousness, therefore I can
come boldly to the Throne of Grace." <I>(“Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16)</I></FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>"I receive Your <I>imparted</I> righteousness, therefore I
am enabled to practice righteousness by obedience. <I>(“Little children,
let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as
He is righteous.” —1 John 3:7).</I></FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>The point is, of course, that we have all blown it, and blown
it badly. Even those who don’t think they have blown it badly, have
blown it badly! So we must not ever think that we are “good enough”
to do significant things for God.</FONT>
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<FONT size=+1>But, by His grace, we have been forgiven, cleansed, and declared
“righteous” in Jesus Christ. So we must not ever think that we
are “not good enough” go do significant things for God!</FONT>
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Steve Hall <BR>
1997 <BR>
<A href="mailto:steve@aboundingjoy.com">steve@aboundingjoy.com</A>
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<FONT size=-2>© 2000 Steve Hall. Permission is hereby granted to quote
from these web pages, in part or in full, as long as the following statement
is included: "© 2000 Steve Hall (steve@aboundingjoy.com). Quoted by
Permission."</FONT>
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