The Belt of Truth
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth…” –Ephesians 6:14a NLT
Reflecting back on my youth during the time of growing up in a small town in Louisiana, I am reminded of the time that I had an opportunity to help my dad and other men of the church in the construction of our very first church building. We were a newly formed congregation that met weekly in an old community civic center. God had blessed the church with some land and the finances to begin the construction.
I was around 9 or 10, and- like most boys that age- had the attention span of a butterfly. The only thing that I was able to do, was something that I had learned to be good at- being a “Go-for”; “go for this” and “go for that”. Occasionally, I was able to sneak and grab an unoccupied hammer and drive a few nails. As I watched the men with admiration, I thought to myself: “I sure would like to be a carpenter when I grow up and wear one of those cool tool belts like they wear!” (If you are not familiar with a carpenter’s belt, then you wouldn’t understand the excitement of a 9-year-old boy and his dream.)
A carpenter’s belt is a belt that is used by (just as the name implies) carpenters. It is a special belt that makes the job easier for any carpenter. It provides special compartments that can be filled with an array of items, such as: nails, screws, tape measure, pencil, etc. It has a place designed for hanging a hammer. The whole idea is to be able to carry a “tool box” while leaving your hands free to climb and move around. Without the carpenter’s belt, a carpenter’s job would be more time consuming, more work and effort, and quite frankly, more tiresome.
As we learned last week, the Apostle Paul used the analogy of “full armor of God” in regards to a Christian’s protection in the fight against evil. He broke it down piece by piece and labeled each one accordingly. This week we will learn about the belt of truth.
The Roman soldier wore a belt, known as a cingulum or balteaus, that was imperative to his battle attire, in order to be effective during battle. One could say that the Roman soldier’s belt was his “carpenter’s belt”. It was designed to be able to carry various forms of weaponry, while his hands were free to wield a shield in one hand and weapon of choice in the other. Without his belt, he would have no scabbard (sheath) to carry his sword and daggers. This belt also had strips of leather which dropped down in the lower front and rear of the soldier, for added protection to the lower body. So, as one can see, the soldier’s belt served a far greater purpose than just a fashion statement; it was a fundamental part of the armor. Without it, it would be deemed impossible to last long during a fight. Therefore, Paul started off the list of the Christian’s spiritual armor with the belt of truth. Without the belt of truth girded (tightly secured) around our waist, all other pieces of the armor will be rendered useless.
What is truth? Truth is the inspired (God-breathed) Word of God, which teaches us what is truth and what is false. It teaches us the right and wrong way to live. It corrects us when we are wrong. God uses it to equip us to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). In John 17:17, Jesus prayed for the Father to sanctify us (set apart and make holy) with His truth and to teach us His Word, which is truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Without the Word of God, we will not know truth. Without the Word of God teaching us, we can so easily get caught up in the world’s distorted truth, or go by our own inclinations. However, there is a way that seems right unto a man, but its end is death (Proverbs 14:12).
Why should we gird ourselves with belt of truth? By continuously girding ourselves with the Word of God, our minds will become aligned with the truth and our actions will then ensue. What a person thinks in their heart, they become (Proverbs 23:7). The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). The Word of God will expose our thoughts and desires and convict us unto righteousness (Hebrews 4:12). We should have the Word of God written on the tablets of our hearts and bound around our necks so truth and mercy never forsake us (Proverbs 3:3). Without the belt of truth secured tightly around us, it is impossible to carry the sword of the Spirit and use it effectively. The Word of God is the foundation of all things. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word gave everything life that was created. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-4,14). When everything else passes away, the Word of God will stand forever (Matthew 24:35).
What happens if the Christian doesn't wear the belt of truth? The Russian author Leo Tolstoy once said, "Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold." That is what the Word of God does, exposes every lie by the presentation of truth. Every lie the enemy tells you, the truth of the Word condemns it and tears it down. Everything that exalts itself above the knowledge of God, we shall bring down by His Word and bring into captivity, every wayward thought into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The only way we can counterattack the lies of satan, is by wearing the belt of truth.
As I stated earlier, without the belt of truth, wielding the sword of the Spirit will be ineffective. Let's take, for example, an automobile. An avid driver knows how to open the door, get in, buckle up, and turn the key to crank the automobile. However, if there is no battery or gas, the automobile has nothing to work with. It's ineffective. Likewise, if we do not wear the belt of truth, we may have memorized a few scripture verses but we don't know how to use the sword of the Spirit because we don't understand the truth. In other words, we're empty; like the automobile with no gas or battery. By not understanding and knowing the truth, we will begin to fall for every subtle lie and twisted form of the truth that comes our way. When Jesus was tempted by satan in the wilderness, He always replied to satan's lies with, "It is written..." (Matthew 4:3-11). By aligning our thoughts with the truth, we will not lean unto our own inclinations, but, instead, completely trust and rely on the Lord with all of our hearts and acknowledge Him in all of our ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Jesus said that when He sends the Holy Spirit back, He will lead us into all truth and bring back to remembrance everything He said (John 14:26, 16:13). Wearing the belt of truth means we have hidden the Word of God in our hearts so we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). We must test all things and hold fast to what is good; hold to the truth and get rid of the bad stuff (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We must search the scriptures daily to be able to discern what is truth from false teachings (Acts 17:11). We are living in a time now that "watered-down" teachings and "sweetened" doctrines are being taught. We must know the truth and secure it around us at all times. We must study to show ourselves approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, and explaining the truth the right way (2 Timothy 2:15).
As we can see, we must wear the FULL armor of God, or not wear it at all. If we don't keep our belt of truth on, we will gradually begin to conform back to the world and compromise with its ways. The truth is what makes us free and keeps us out of bondage (John 8:32). In order to be transformed unto righteousness by the renewing of our minds, we must allow the truth to penetrate and circumcise our hearts as the Holy Spirit continues to regenerate us (Romans 12:2, Colossians 2:11-15, Titus 3:5).
I remember an old cartoon in which one of the main characters continuously had misfortune. In one particular scene, his trouser belt broke, thus resulting in his trousers falling, causing him embarrassment and shame. Likewise, if our belt of truth is not properly maintained and has, for whatever reason, become weak, there will come a time of battle in which our belt may fail, leaving us vulnerable and exposing us to shame. Ways that our belt of truth may become weak is: failure to continue in the Word, subtle compromise with the world (a little here and a little there), not using it everyday, and begin to believe the enemy's lies instead of believing God. There is a remedy- allow God to repair your belt of truth by confessing your sins to Him daily (1 John 1:9) and continue in the truth.
Never take off the belt of truth. Continue in it always and deflect the lies of satan. Remember it is the fundamental garment of our armor and without it, we will become a defeated Christian. Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Until next week, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Next week- The Full Armor of God: Breastplate of Righteousness (Part 3)
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