2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amp) “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].”

Christ did what none of us ever could – he lived a perfect life before God. That sinless life created in him a righteousness that could not be called into question. Even Satan, the accuser of the brethren, could bring no charges against him. Jesus went to the cross wearing a breastplate of righteousness that was impenetrable and shone brighter than the sun (spiritually speaking). He was untouchable. But when the time came, he shed his righteousness, the safety of his perfect life and took upon himself the sins of mankind. All sin for all time. He went to the cross before the enemy of God armor-less, naked in our sins. It was then, and only then, that Satan could crucify our Lord. But what Satan didn’t realize was that while Jesus was busy paying the price for our sins, he secured for us in place of our pathetic and ‘holey’, sin-damaged armor the righteous breastplate that he had earned! By paying sin’s debt, he literally patched our armor until it became the image of his own righteousness! We now could not only stand approved and acceptable before our Father in heaven, but we can walk onto the battlefield the image of our risen Lord, his righteousness shining before us!

Pray: “Lord Jesus, so great was your love for me that you shed all the protection that was rightfully yours and took upon your naked back and upon a wooden cross everything the enemy could dish out. But while you paid my debt, your righteousness remained unblemished. If that wasn’t enough, you offer me today the gift of your righteousness, that I might come before our Father in heaven approved and accepted and that I might stand before our enemy, not helpless like you went to the cross, but victorious as you were when you rose! Thank you, my Lord, my Savior, with all that is in me…thank you – Amen.”