Putting on the Breastplate
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:14
Originally preached March 25, 1962
Scripture
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Sermon Description
In the Christian life, one must fight a daily battle against the accusations of the devil. How then do they fight against these accusations and respond by living in the truth of the Bible? When Satan tries to distract and condemn them with their imperfections, failures, and unworthiness, how do they respond in a way that keeps their focus on God and not themselves? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:14 titled “Putting on the Breastplate,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how the breastplate of righteousness protects the Christian from these accusations by reminding them of who they are in Christ Jesus. When the devil whispers to the Christian that they are not worthy enough to pray or enter into the presence of a holy God, the breastplate of righteousness reminds them that they have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus through faith. When Satan points to the failures and mistakes of one’s past, making forgiveness feel impossible, the breastplate of righteousness reminds them that they have been forgiven of their sins and God’s holy righteousness covers them. The devil tries to put the Christian in a state of condemnation, while the breastplate of righteousness keeps them from guilt and shame by showing that they are a new creation in Christ Jesus the Lord.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon is focused on Ephesians 6:14 which talks about the breastplate of righteousness.
- The breastplate protects vital areas like the heart, emotions, conscience, desires and will. It provides confidence and assurance.
- The breastplate refers to the righteousness of Christ, not our own righteousness. It refers to justification by faith and sanctification.
- The breastplate protects us from the devil's accusations when we pray. We can answer the devil by quoting Romans 5:1-2 and Hebrews 4:14-16.
- The breastplate protects us from the devil's accusations when we sin. We can answer the devil by quoting 1 John 1:6-2:2 and Romans 8:1.
- The breastplate protects us from the devil's accusations as we die. We can answer the devil by quoting John 5:24 and Romans 8:31-39.
- We must always rely on the breastplate of righteousness and never depart from it.
- The hymn 'Jesus, Thy Robe of Righteousness' sums up the message of relying on Christ's righteousness.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.