The Belt of Truth

The Whole Armor of God - Message 5 - The Belt of Truth - Ephesians 6:14. The first piece of armor is really not viewed as armor, that is, it does not offer protection. It is a belt. Paul would have been referencing the familiar armor of a Roman soldier to illustrate a spiritual truth and we learn that the physical and spiritual reality are amazingly similar. For the soldier, who wore a loose fitting outer tunic, when it came time to fight, those loose ends and the flowing material of this garment would be a hindrance or even give the enemy something to exploit and grab a hold of in battle. So the tunic was pulled up and tucked into the belt. In fact most every other piece was linked to the belt in some way. Spiritually speaking we are told in 1 Peter 1:13 to “gird up the loins of your mind”, that is, to pull in all the loose ends of our thinking, to reign in a wandering mind so that we might be ready and able to think clearly and discern wisely as we make decisions. It is a willful removal of those things that would otherwise confuse and confound us so that we might think what we ought to think. So what is this belt? It is called the belt of truth. More than just true content or facts, this refers to truthfulness. We gird up our minds with truthfulness. It is an attitude of being true and an action of seeking out and holding to truth. It is at the same time a rejection of lies and dishonesty. The belt of truth must be worn, used, and relied upon if we are to fight and overcome.