Episode 14: Armor of God (Breastplate of Righteousness) Righteousness isnʼt About Perfection, Itʼs About Protection

Hey hey hey, Battle Ready Girls!

Welcome back to the podcast where we’re learning how to stand strong in God’s armor, live with purpose, and walk in confidence—while keeping it cute, of course! I’m your host, Kaase Levell, and today, girl, we are talking about one of the fiercest, most protective pieces in God’s spiritual armor—the Breastplate of Righteousness.

Ooooh, yea. Let’s go.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “Breastplate?” That sounds like something from a medieval video game or a knight-in-shining-armor movie. But trust me, it’s real, it’s powerful, and it’s something every girl who loves Jesus needs to understand—especially if you want to win in this thing called spiritual warfare.

Before we dive into that, let’s rewind for just a sec. Remember last week we talked about the Belt of Truth? That one comes first for a reason. 

Because let’s be real—if we don’t know what’s true, how are we ever supposed to know what’s right? 

You can’t live righteously if you’re confused about what the truth even is. Truth gives us the standard. It’s like the instructions on a recipe or the GPS for your road trip. Without truth, you’re just out here guessing—and girl, we do not have time for guessing games when it comes to our spiritual health.

So now let’s talk about this word righteousness. What is that, really?

Here’s the tea: Righteousness is simply doing what is right in God’s eyes. 

It’s not about being perfect or earning God’s approval—because spoiler alert: you already have that through Jesus. 

But righteousness means we are living according to God’s standard, not just what feels right in the moment, not what everyone else is doing, but what God has defined as right, through His Word.

And here’s where it gets real. 

Righteousness is not just about knowing what’s right—it’s about doing it. It’s the way truth gets applied to your everyday life. 

It's how you talk, how you think, how you treat people, and even how you respond when no one’s watching. It’s truth in motion. And when we walk in righteousness, our hearts—our spiritual hearts—are protected.

Let me paint a picture. 

Imagine you have trash in your room. And I mean, like, real trash—dirty clothes, leftover snacks, maybe a moldy sandwich under the bed. Just gross. Now, the trash itself? Yeah, it stinks. But it also invites other things. Like bugs. Roaches. Flies. Ew, right?

The same thing happens spiritually. 

When we let sin sit in our lives—when we’re disobedient, dishonest, or just ignoring what we know is right—it’s like we’re leaving spiritual trash all over the place. And that trash doesn’t just sit there. It actually becomes an invitation for the enemy—yep, I’m talking demons—to come in and make themselves at home. 

Demons function or thrive in, what in wrong, and when we live in unrighteousness, we’re literally giving them the guest key to our heart.

And here’s the dangerous part: the longer the trash sits, the more it stinks—and the easier it is to believe the lie that you have to stay in that mess. 

Satan loves that. 

He doesn’t even need to keep accusing you once you start doing it to yourself.

But babe, THIS is not God’s plan for you.

See, when you gave your heart to Jesus, something powerful happened. 

God deposited His righteousness into you. 

It’s like a heavenly direct deposit—BOOM—right into your spiritual bank account. 

That means no matter what, your righteous standing before God is secure. Satan cannot touch it. He can’t take it away.

But—and this is big BUT—he can try to keep you from walking in it.

So how does he do that? 

Well, he does it through sin. 

Through shame. 

Through guilt. 

Through that voice in your head that says, “Why even try? You’ve already messed up.” 

He tries to keep you stuck, because if he can keep you in your shame, you’ll stop showing up in your armor. And when your breastplate is off, YOU HEART IS EXPOSED.

But girl, here’s what God wants you to know: you don’t have to stay in the funk. 

Jesus has already made a way for you to come clean. 

All you have to do is confess. Let me say that again. All you have to do is CONFESS!

Lay the mess down at His feet. 

Let Him come in and do some real cleaning—not surface-level, stuff-it-in-the-closet cleaning—but the deep kind that transforms you from the inside out.

And listen—this is important—you can’t make yourself righteous. Guys, did you hear me?

You CANNOT MAKE YOURSELF RIGHTEOUS. 

You can’t earn it. 

You can’t fake it. 

The only way to be righteous is through Jesus. So when you put on the breastplate of righteousness, what you’re really doing is agreeing with God about what’s true, and then — living like it’s true.

That’s what protects your heart. 

And girl, your heart matters—because as Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Literally everything. Your thoughts. Your choices. Your relationships. Your very identity.

So let’s make it real for a second. I want you to think about this with me:

Are there any areas in your life where you’ve been letting the trash pile up?

Maybe it’s something you’ve been hiding.

Or a habit you know isn’t good.

Or a way of thinking that doesn’t line up with what God says.

Whatever it is, I want you to know: you don’t have to stay stuck in that mess. You can talk to God about it right now. 

Confess it. 

Give it to Him. And then—put your breastplate on, girl.

Because righteousness isn’t about perfection. 

It’s about protection!

Before we close out today, I want to hit on a few high points one more time! 

We put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect our heart. And why does that matter? 

Because your heart is the place where:

• Your identity lives.

  
  

• Your feelings flow from.

  
  

• Your confidence rises or falls.

  
  

So if the enemy wants to take you down, he’s going straight for your heart.

But here’s the good news:God gives us something that protects us and it’s called righteousness.

As we walk away from this series today, I want you to really reflect on 2 Pʼs.

1. Your Position - You need to know that you are ALREADY right with God.

   
   

When you put your faith in Jesus, you don’t have to earn your spot anymore. You're already His. You're already loved. You're already forgiven.

Let that sink in: You don’t need to hustle for God’s approval. You already have it.

So when you mess up — and you will (we all do!) — you don’t have to spiral. You don’t have to “punish” yourself by thinking you’re a bad Christian or a fake. You can literally say:

“Jesus already paid for this. I’m still His girl. I’m still covered.”

That is how righteousness plays out.

It’s like wearing a bulletproof vest over your heart and saying, “Yeah, I fell — but I’m not out. I’m still standing.”

The second P is: 

2. PRACTICE — You need to Live Like You Belong to Him! 

Letʼs recap here a bit - and I know weʼve already sort of talked about this, so Iʼm sorry if I am being repetitive, but I really donʼt want you to miss this!

Just because you're already covered doesn’t mean you live however you want.

Righteousness means you practice choosing what’s right — because your heart’s already been made new.

It’s like how athletes wear jerseys — not to become part of the team, but because they already are.

So how do we wear righteousness in everyday life?

Let’s make it real. Letʼs run through some real-life righteousness scenarios REAL QUICK! 

Scenario 1: A friend tells you she cheated on a test and wants you to keep it a secret.You feel stuck. You don’t want to be “that girl” who rats her out… but you also know it’s wrong.

Righteousness moment: You lovingly tell her you care, but you can’t lie or cover up something that’s not right. And maybe? You even help her own it and talk to the teacher together.

Scenario 2: You mess up. You snap at your mom, say something rude, or post something for attention that you regret. You feel shame. Maybe like, ugh, why do I keep messing up?

Righteousness moment: You confess it. You talk to God. And then — this is important — you let it go. You don’t sit in guilt. You remember your breastplate is still on. You’re still His.

Scenario 3: You’re at a sleepover. Everyone’s watching a show that’s just... not it. Bad language, suggestive stuff — you feel it in your gut.

Righteousness moment: You step away. Or you speak up. Maybe it’s awkward, but you’re protecting your heart. You’re choosing to live like someone who belongs to Jesus.

Alright girl, weʼre wrapping up but let me tell you why this matters more than you think! 

We live in a world that is OBSESSED with self-image, status, and being liked.And sometimes you’ll feel like you’re the only one choosing righteousness — and honestly? That’s hard.

But let me ask you this:

What would your life look like if you stopped living to be “good enough,” and started living like you’re already covered in Christ?

You’d stop chasing approval.

You’d stop comparing.

You’d stop pretending.

And instead, you’d walk through school hallways, group chats, and social media with a peace that says:

“I already know who I am.I already know whose I am.I don’t need the world to tell me I’m enough — because Jesus already has.”

That’s righteousness, baby!

Alright sis, letʼs go out today letting God guard our hearts with His love and His grace.

Hereʼs your challenge for this week. Pick one area of your life where you want to walk in righteousness. 

Maybe it’s being honest when it’s hard. 

Maybe it’s choosing kindness over gossip. 

Maybe it’s spending more time in God’s Word so you know the truth that leads to right choices.

Whatever it is, know this: you are already loved. You are already righteous through Jesus. But now it’s time to put that righteousness on, and wear it like the warrior you are.

All right, girlies—that’s it for today’s episode! 

I hope you’re walking away feeling stronger, wiser, and ready to protect that beautiful heart of yours with the breastplate of righteousness. 

Next week, we’re sliding into the Shoes of Peace—and trust me, this one’s gonna change how you walk through life. So don’t miss it.

Until then, keep showing up, keep shining, and keep standing strong.

Love y’all so much. Byeeeee!