FULL ARMOR OF GOD-BELT OF TRUTH

 

Ephesians 6:10-18 is the basis of our discussion.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”   

 

In our last Blog, we discussed why the Bible tells us to put on the Full Armor of God daily.  We are in a constant spiritual battle with principalities, rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness.  We must always be ready to stand against all forms of evil.  Thank God, He supplied us with a way we can become warriors for Him.

 

The first piece of equipment is the Belt of Truth or Girdle of Truth.  Why do you think this piece of equipment is mentioned first in Scripture?  Satan, the enemy of God, always comes at us with lies and deceit!  In John 8:44, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  Having the “truth” keeps us from giving in to the world’s lies and deceit.  We need the “truth” of God’s Word (Holy Bible) to be able to stand against the world and the devil.

 

If we go back and visualize how Roman soldiers were dressed, we will get a better understanding of the importance of the belt of truth.  Roman soldiers typically wore tunics as their primary garments.  The tunics were usually loose and draped over most of their bodies above the knee.  Now since most of the ancient battles were hand-to-hand combat, a loose fitting tunic would have been a hindrance.  To solve this problem, the soldiers would wear a belt around their bodies and tuck their tunics into it.  The belt also held their armor in place.  Having this belt would enable the solider to move around freely.  It was common practice to have this belt not only for soldiers but also for anyone who did hard labor or who had to make a quick escape by running. 

 

For us, having on the belt of truth or girdle of truth, has to encompass our whole life.  The belt or girdle is symbolic for “girding our minds”.  Protect your mind from lies by seeking the truth of God’s Word.  Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”  The only way to “gird your minds” is through reading and studying the Word of God.  This is how you prepare yourself daily to withstand the attacks of the world and the enemy on your mind. 

 

Your day should begin with devotional reading of the Word of God.  You should meditate on that Word throughout the day.  Have your own personal Bible study.  Everyone can find twenty minutes to accomplish this.  Join a church that preaches the unadulterated Word of God.  Attend their weekly corporate Bible study.  Join a small group ministry whose focus is first on the Word of God and then fellowship. 

 

Staying focused on God and His Word, will enable you to surround or encompass your whole life in Him.  If you stay focused on God and His Word throughout the whole day, you will be more equipped to handle people and situations because you will know the “truth” of the situation, the actual facts, the way God sees it.  The “truth” will become a part of every area of your lives, which will enable you to hold it together when you are faced with challenges, lies and deceit.

 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  (Matthew 6:33)  Through utilizing the belt of truth of God’s Word daily, you will receive:

q       freedom from your sins

q       protection from the lies and deceit of the world and the devil

q       victory over your circumstances

q       peace of mind

q       joy in the midst of troubles

q       provision for all of your needs (physical, mental, emotional & spiritual)

q       and sooooooo much more

In a world that is filled with lies, it doesn’t take much to begin wearing the belt of truth daily and to communicate the truth of the Gospel message by becoming salt and light of the earth through living a Godly life.  I want to challenge you to be TRUTHFUL in all areas of your life that you’ve been struggling with.  You can do this first by:

·        trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior

·        repenting of your sins and asking for God’s forgiveness for the misuse of your mind and body

·        joining a Bible-believing church -- been thinking about it long enough -- lay the excuses aside and just do it

 

Next time we will talk about the next piece of armor, the Breastplate of Righteousness.