The Armor of God-The Belt of Truth

July 19, 2023

The Armor of God-The Belt of Truth

What is the Armor of God?

Whether you want to believe it or not, we are fighting a spiritual battle against spiritual forces of evil daily! Regardless if you are a believer or a non-believer it doesn’t exempt you from the warfare. The Apostle Paul exposes exactly what kind of enemy we are facing when he states, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” Ephesians 6:12. We are fighting an opponent that we cannot see with the naked eye.

Our battle is against a very militant and highly organized demonic kingdom led by Satan himself. He is a very powerful adversary and in our own power we are no match for him. In the spiritual realm there are two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. They are consistently at odds with each other but they both have the same goal in mind, to win your soul.

The Lord’s Kingdom promises us eternal life with Him in heaven and life on Earth in abundance, John 10:10. The kingdom of darkness promises us eternal damnation and in complete separation from God. The enemy will make you think that you don’t have to live your life fully surrendered to Christ. He wants you to think that it is okay to live for Jesus and live in sin. That is one of his ultimate schemes. His mission is to take as many people to hell with him as he can.

Our problem is that we don’t take the time to learn our adversary. Life is completely spiritual and the first step to understanding the spiritual realm is acknowledging that it exists in the first place. One of the greatest deceptions that the devil uses over and over again on Christians is making us think that he isn’t real. If you don’t know that you are fighting a real and potent enemy, you’ve already lost the battle.

That is why the Apostle Paul makes it clear on the importance of putting on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-17 lists all six pieces of spiritual armor when Paul states, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Even though Paul is describing physical armor he is referring to spiritual pieces of protective covering. We can never forget that spiritual warfare is an everyday reality and we are fighting the schemes of the devil daily. Just like any warrior going into combat, they need special attire so that they can be fully protected. God is providing us with His Armor because He knows that it is the only way that we will be able to stand a chance against our adversary the devil.

Make no mistake about it, he is strong and powerful and within our own strength we are not resilient enough to overcome him. However, with the Lord’s Armor properly fitted without any cracks in it, Satan doesn’t stand a chance against us! The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of what every piece in the whole armor of God is and how to accurately put on and keep on each piece.

In this article I am going to go over the first piece of armor that Paul mentions in the book of Ephesians 6:14, the belt of Truth.

The Belt of Truth

The Apostle Paul is using the physical example of a belt that people wore back in his day. Roman soldiers wore tunics (a long robe) and so when they had to work or battle it would get in the way if it wasn’t properly secured. So what they would do is put on a belt so that they could properly safeguard their tunic which would allow them to be prepared for work or battle. This Roman soldier’s belt would bring order to their attire and hold things in place.

Now let’s break down what Paul was talking about when it comes to the spiritual armor. In order for us to truly understand what is meant by the belt of truth let’s take a look at what God’s Word says about it. Ephesians 6:14 states “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

The word girded in this passage is the Greek word “perizōnnymi” which means to equip oneself with knowledge of the truth and using truth as a girdle. The belt of truth is an essential part of the spiritual armor that the Lord provides us with. It may seem unnecessary but it is the very first piece of equipment that we must put on.

The word truth used in this verse of Scripture is the Greek word “alētheia” which means: truth as a personal excellence; that candor of mind which is free from affectation, pretense, simulation, falsehood, and deceit. It is directly correlated with integrity and character through the way that you think and act according to the Word of God.

In other words how is your character and truthfulness? Do you come through on your word when you tell someone that you are going to do something? Can people rely on you? Do you live a life of honesty and humility? These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself when you think of the word truth used regarding this piece of armor.

Your true identity is exposed when nobody is around. It is the person that you are behind closed doors. As you live your Christian life, do the people that are around you know that you are a Christian without you having to disclose it to them? As followers of Jesus Christ we are His representatives here on Earth and the people that you come in contact with need to see His light shining through you!

Take a moment to analyze your own character; your number one reference should be God’s Word. When you align your frame of mind to the Holy Scriptures, you will naturally prevent any open doors that the enemy can come in through to wreak havoc in your life. We can never forget that the battle is always going to be in your mind. So, when you develop you mind to be like the mind of Christ it will be very difficult for Satan’s lies to penetrate your armor.

Make no mistake about it, the enemy will consistently throw fiery darts in your direction in the hopes that he can cause you to get out of character. You have to know who you are in Christ which requires you to know God’s Word. That way when those flaming darts head your direction, it won’t faze you one bit. Your belt (firm foundation) will be so secure that nothing will move it out of place.

One thing that you never want to forget is that we are fighting against a defeated foe. We need to come against him from a place of victory as the Lord Jesus Christ has already defeated him at the cross of Calvary. The devil will try to make you think that he has power over you, but he is the father of lies. The Word of God tells us in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

We have all authority over the devil’s schemes and the more that you understand how to use the whole armor of God, the more equipped you will be for the battle at hand. Living your life in absolute truth is one of the best ways that you can cripple the enemy’s tactics against you.

Let’s take a look at some of the definitions of the descriptions used for truth:

Mind free from:

Affectation– behavior, speech, or writing that is artificial and designed to impress.
Pretense– an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true.

Character representing:

Sincerity– the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy
Integrity- the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

These are some of the definitions out of the dictionary that describe the words used for truth. When you are walking uprightly and living your life according to how God’s Truth states we should live it, you can never go wrong. Living your life free from pretense and artificial behavior will allow others to trust you at your word. Living a life of humility, integrity, sincerity, and obedient to the Lord’s Word is what God means by having your loins girded with the belt of truth!

The idea of girding up your loins is also mentioned in another verse of Scripture by the Apostle Peter. 1 Peter 1:13 states, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” What Peter is trying to convey through the leading of the Holy Spirit is the significance of keeping a renewed frame of mind.

Living your life submitted to the Word of God is how one would gird up the loins of their mind and remain sober minded and vigilant. Being ready so that you don’t have to get ready is what is going to allow you to remain a step ahead of the devil’s tactics. If you set your mind on the things of the world, the enemy will catch you unprepared when you least expect it.

The words “gird up” in the verse of Scripture mentioned above is the Greek word “anazōnnymi” which means prepared. It signifies your mind being in control and free from mental or spiritual strongholds. It has to do with being prepared at all times without letting your guard down no matter the circumstance.

The Apostle Peter then goes on to state in 1 Peter 1:14, “as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance.” When your frame of mind is focused on the things of God and not of the world, you won’t want to live the way that you used to. Why would you want to go back into bondage after being set free? It doesn’t make any sense.

Fastening your belt of truth is what is going to prevent you from developing characteristics that are going to distance you from your Heavenly Father. The bottom line is that nothing is worth you hindering your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The Lord provides us with His spiritual armor because we need it. If we could just sit back and do nothing then the Lord wouldn’t tell us to “stand therefore” or to “take up” the armor of God. Just because the battle has already been won by the Lord Jesus Christ we still have to show up for the fight!

The first part of the armor of God is the belt of truth. It is essential for every soldier in the army of Jesus Christ. It has to do with being in a state of readiness at all times no matter what. Those lackadaisical moments are the moments that the enemy will come into your life and create complete chaos!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Importance of Reading Your Bible-Shows Us How to Love

The Importance of Reading Your Bible-It Renews Your Mind

The Importance of Reading your Bible-fights the enemy

The Importance of Reading your Bible-has the ability to heal

The Importance of Reading your Bible-Builds Your Faith