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Did you know that Christians are supposed to be fighters? Well, the truth is—we’re in a daily battle, and we have an expert opponent—Satan.
In Ephesians 6 we’re told to put on the armor of God, the first piece of that armor was the belt of truth. The next one is the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14). This is designed to protect an area of extreme vulnerability, our hearts, our feelings and emotions.
One way Satan attacks our hearts is by telling us that we are total failures, and therefore we can never be worthy or do anything for God. We know from Revelation 12:10 that Satan is our accuser, and many times he succeeds in convincing Christians that they have no value because they have no righteousness of their own. He loves to bring up your past sin and keep you mired in your past, wounded in your heart.
While it’s true that we are unworthy in ourselves, what Satan does not want us to discover is that we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ available to us to wear as our breastplate. That’s the secret: We wear the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not our own.
I’m a big believer in talking back to our enemy, to remind him and ourselves that he is truly powerless over us. If you remember, that’s how Jesus defeated Satan when he was tempted (Luke 4:1-13). So, when the enemy starts to attack you, talk back and use the Word of God. Say, “Wait a minute; you must not know who you’re talking to. I’m a child of God; I have the righteousness of Jesus Christ as my breastplate. Therefore, no matter what you say about me, you’re wrong. I’m a new person and you can no longer defeat me.
Try it. Put on the breastplate of righteousness before you leave home each day, and all through the day remember to talk back to your enemy when he tries to destroy you through accusations.