“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
The belt of truth is the first piece of the “full armor of God” to be listed in Ephesians 6:10–17. The passage begins with the admonition from the apostle Paul to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” This is the key to understanding the armor of God. All the pieces of the armor belong to Him and come from Him. Truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation—all are gifts of God to His people for their defense. All except “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (verse 17) are defensive in nature. All are designed to help us “stand against the schemes of the devil” (verse 11). The belt of truth is the first part of the armor listed because, without truth, we are lost, and the schemes of the devil will surely overpower us.
In referring to the whole armor of God, Paul invokes the image of a soldier ready for battle. The belt of a Roman soldier in Paul’s day was not a simple leather strap such as we wear today. It was a thick, heavy leather and metal band with a protective piece hanging down from the front of it. The belt held the soldier’s sword and other weapons. The belt of truth of the spiritual armor holds the sword of the Spirit, linking truth and the Word of God (John 17:17). The Word of God is truth.
“Every other piece of the full armor of God is attached to the belt of truth. If you don’t begin with truth, you’ll never defeat the enemy. And Jesus said God’s Word is true (John 17:17).”
“Buy the truth and do not sell it, wisdom, instruction and insight as well.” (Proverbs 23:23)
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” (Ephesians 6:14)
My waist is to be girded with the faithfulness of God. My waist represents the center of the body. My life is to be centered around truth and directed by truth. The truth of God’s word enables me to remain balanced.
Without truth, there is no righteousness. Without truth, sin reigns. Without truth, there is no justice. Without truth, there is no salvation. Jesus said clearly in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Only through Him that we can come to the Father. Only through Him can we be saved from our sins and an eternity apart from God. Like the Roman soldier’s belt, our belt of truth sets us apart. It identifies us as children of God and followers of Jesus. Truth is foundational to our identity in Christ.
How Do We Use the Belt of Truth?
1. We Can Learn Who God Is
Satan really likes to attack the idea of God and how God operates in our world. Sprinkle just a little falsity in there, and the devil will try to convince us God is not all-good, all-powerful, or all-knowing.
The belt of truth reminds us about the nature of our Creator and about his plan for our lives.
2. We Can Secure Other Pieces of Our Armor
The belt of truth secures the other elements of the armor of God. How do we have peace? Because we know the truth about the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). How do we have the assurance of salvation that we don’t fight and believe in vain? Because we know Scripture assures us of salvation (John 5:24).
Satan loves to employ half-truths because he knows if our belts go crooked, the rest of the armor will either be useless or less effective.
3. We Can Remind Other Christians of the Truth in Love
Soldiers should warn other soldiers if their armor is not on correctly. Before we head to the battle, we should help other soldiers adjust their armor if it’s gone awry. In the same way, we should expect other Christians to correct us if our belts go crooked as well.
Whenever we do so, we have to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). In other words, we should direct each other to the correct way of thinking but do so in a kind way. We are all prone to making errors of judgment and truth from time to time.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, the truth will set us free. I pray that you remind me of your truth, when the devil prowls every day, seeking to devour believers and unbelievers with half-truths and deceptions. I pray that you remind me of who you are and the truth of you and of your plan for our lives and world, when the world tries to convince me otherwise. Help me to redirect other believers back to the truth, in love, and to accept their direction when they try to help me when I stumble away from the truth. Please help keep the belt of truth fastened around my waist today, so I may be prepared for whatever attacks the devil has for me on the battlefield. Amen.
Scripture Reference
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.