Putting Out the “Not Welcome” Mat

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit with Jordan Rubin, author of the best-selling health book The Maker’s Diet, as we shared a cab on the way to appear on the same television program. I thought I might be able to glean some valuable (and free) advice from Jordan as we zoomed along the Atlanta freeway. I asked Jordan what I might do to prevent the colds I catch every winter, which quickly became bronchial infections resulting in the loss of my voice. During the winter months, well-meaning but disease-infected congregants feel the need to communicate both their warm feelings and germs to me via a handshake. It is almost impossible to avoid responding to an outstretched hand, even when it is attached to a watery-eyed, mucus-dripping member.  

Even though I try to disinfect my hands right away, I’m not always successful. Jordan listened to my dilemma and then shared a helpful insight. In our world, we cannot avoid germs unless we want to isolate ourselves from everyone and everything. However, we can create an environment in our bodies that is inhospitable to germs so that they feel unwelcome and flee to a more friendly place to set up shop. By protecting our diet, exercise, and hygiene habits, we can prevent many of the illnesses that occur when germs are allowed to establish residence in our bodies.  

Jordan’s advice is also applicable to protecting our spiritual health. Perhaps you become a little discouraged when you contemplate the subject of spiritual warfare. How could you ever prevent a powerful adversary like Satan from targeting you and your family for destruction? Even if the adversary left you alone, doesn’t the fact that you are “hardwired” to think and act rebelliously against God make spiritual defeat as inevitable as my winter colds?  

Although we cannot always prevent the spiritual and emotional attacks that emanate from either our enemy or from our own fallen nature, it is possible for us to create an environment in our lives that is inhospitable to those assaults. Rather than allowing those temptations to linger and incubate into a full-blown case of disobedience, we can encourage them to vacate the premises.  The more Satan realizes that he has little chance of success with you, the less often he will come knocking on the door of your mind and heart. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7b). 

What is the secret to living in a way that makes disobedience to God—and its resulting misery—the exception rather than the rule for our lives? We must learn how to put out the “Not Welcome” mat at the entrance of our heart to discourage the Enemy’s advance into our lives.  The apostle Paul calls it putting on the “breastplate of righteousness.”  

In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul was under arrest in Rome. As he was chained to a different Roman guard every six hours, he noticed that the same equipment that those soldiers utilized in battle was available to every Christian to use in his battle against Satan.

1. Understanding the Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)

For the Roman soldier, the breastplate was essential for battle. This large piece of molded metal covered the entire torso of the soldier, protecting vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and bowels from enemy attack.  

Before we discover how we “put on” this protective covering, we need to understand what Paul means by “righteousness.” The Bible uses the term “righteousness” in three distinct ways.

• Self-righteousness (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 4:1-5)

One reason we can’t be saved through self-righteousness is that our righteousness is not “good enough” and is therefore incapable of earning God’s forgiveness. But a second reason God refuses to allow us to be saved through self-righteousness is this: God’s forgiveness is a gift from God, not a reward.  

• Imputed righteousness  (2 Corinthians 5:21; Luke 18:9-14)

While imputed righteousness assures us of escaping an eternity in hell, it does not exempt us from the attacks of Satan. If Paul had in mind “imputed righteousness” when he wrote about the “breastplate of righteousness,” then he would be saying that our one-time decision to become a Christian is sufficient to protect us against our adversary. But we know that is not the case. Obviously, Paul had another kind of righteousness in mind.

• Practiced righteousness (Matthew 7:17-19; 1 John 3:10; Revelation 22:11)

The term “righteousness” can be a synonym for “goodness” or “obedience.” Unlike self-righteousness, which unbelievers practice to earn salvation, “practiced righteousness” is a believer’s obedience to God’s will that is the supernatural result of our salvation or “imputed righteousness.” Jesus used the imagery of fruit to describe this kind of “practiced righteousness.”

Even those of us who have been made spiritually alive through God’s grace still have to work at producing spiritual fruit. Let’s be honest. It takes a great deal of effort to …

• Love your mate unconditionally. 
• Hold your tongue when you have a juicy piece of gossip to share.
• Restrain your anger when you are mistreated. 
• Summon the courage to share your faith with a friend or family member. 
• Maintain a consistent time for Bible study and prayer.

Think about this. Birds don’t have to be told to practice flying, fish don’t have to be admonished to practice swimming, babies don’t have to be urged to practice crying, and apple trees don’t have to be encouraged to produce apples. These things happen naturally. But even though God has given Christians both the power and the desire to live obediently, we still face the stiff headwinds of opposition from the remnant of our old nature that lingers within us and the powerful temptations from our adversary. That is why God’s Word continually admonishes us to “practice righteousness.”

Exert effort to obey God in every area of life. Simply stated, putting on the “breastplate of righteousness” is continually exerting the necessary effort to obey God’s will in every area of life.