Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
For the next few days, I will be referencing this same passage. I think it is important to repeat it so it will help us commit it to memory as we work through understanding the different pieces of armor God has equipped us with. As I have mentioned before, words that are all caps symbolize meaning that comes from the Old Testament. The reference here is from Isaiah 11:5, 5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist. This is actually an excerpt from a long passage that explains a branch coming from the “Root of Jesse” that will be Jesus Christ.
At first, when I read this I was a little confused because I was like, “wait a minute, they are talking about Jesus here, not us.” Lest we forget, the same Spirit that indwelled Him, now indwells us. Even more, we are to pursue Christ-likeness and have been given The Spirit as our guide and counsel. Also notice that the things that are being discussed here aren’t physical (although they are given physical attributes to paint a clear picture) but rather spiritual elements. So, as Christ walked the earth and demonstrated these elements for us, we now are similarly equipped.
The belt of truth is mentioned first because it holds things together. It holds our pants up, it gives us a place to hang things (such as our sword sheath), and is essential as the centerpiece to our armor. We know that the enemy is referred to as the father of lies. Jesus, on the other hand, is the truth, the way, and the life. As we center ourselves on the truth, we will be able to know the difference between it and the lies. The truth holds it all together, just like our belts do. We hang things on the truth, just like we hang things on our belts. In John 8, we see a group of Jews questioning Christ’s teachings and he tells them, 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The truth is in His teachings, which today we find in the bible. We are set free because of His truth. We read just a few sentences after that, 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The belt of truth then, becomes a symbol of our freedom from this world. It is not just a utility to hold things together or as an anchor for other items, but also as a symbol of our freedom in truth. When I was in the military, we had two types of belts. We had a utility belt that was used for attaching things like a canteen, magazines, a handgun, etc. We also had belts for our dress uniforms that weren’t there for doing anything than “looking nice.” Furthermore, depending on your rank, your belt was a little different. It became a symbol of who we were. God’s belt of truth encompasses both purposes. It holds things together and it symbolizes who we are in Him.
If we forget to adorn our belts, we might be “caught with our pants down” and the enemy will have a jump on us. I don’t think this is favorable to anyone. Sometimes, by neglecting to put on the belt of truth, we forget who we are in Christ. As a symbol of our freedom in His Truth, it is a constant reminder of who we are, more specifically who we are because of Him. It helps us remain on guard against the lies of the enemy and gives us the discernment to “hold it together” and remember the Truth.
I try to put on my belt of truth by reading His word first thing every morning. It is why I write this devotional. What do you do every day to adorn the belt of truth? What do you do with it once it is on? Do you untuck your shirt to hide it, afraid of what others might say or do you keep it polished, letting it reflect the Son and showing everyone the Truth in all its brilliance?
2 thoughts on “The Belt of Truth”