The Breastplate of Righteousness

Paul argues in Romans, Thessalonians, Corinthians, here in Ephesians, and in just about everywhere in every epistle where he addresses sin in the church, he essentially says that if Christ has imputed His righteousness to your account, and has accomplished the miracle of the new birth in you, then the principle of sin, the spirit of the old man, has been broken, and you're no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness, with a new spirit. Your slavery to righteousness means you will walk in the good works that the Father has ordained for you. Those good works are needful and necessary to your brothers and sisters in Christ and your fellow soldiers of The Cross. These things determine your present usefulness, and your present effectiveness in the fight this side of eternity; on this side of heaven. Consider King David, who once removed his breastplate of righteousness when, in seeming peace at home, he sinned with Bathsheba. It was there that Satan landed a hit no Philistine ever did. As we saw, the damaging effects were far-reaching.