Belt of Truth

In chapter 6 of the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about the armor of God. If we want to have an even if faith (a faith that endures no matter what our circumstances may be-click here to read the first post on that topic), then we need to not only be intentional about strengthening our faith, but also about guarding it. In the last post, I explained that this is why it is important to clothe ourselves with the full suit of God’s armor. These next few posts will highlight a piece of the armor and explain how we can use it to guard our faith. 

      The first piece of armor Paul writes about is the belt. In verse 14 (NIV) he writes, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist...” The belt may sound insignificant, but it served a purpose. In David Guzik’s “Study Guide for Ephesians 6”, he quotes Salmond as saying, “His belt...was no mere adornment of the soldier, but an essential part of his equipment...it was of especial use in keeping other parts in place, and in securing the proper soldierly attitude and freedom of movement” (accessed under the text commentaries section of blueletterbible.org on 3/7/19). 

      Paul wanted believers to know that clothing themselves with truth is an essential part of their walk as Christians. We cannot neglect putting on this piece. But what truth should we be putting on? As I thought about this, the answer went from being what to being Who. In ‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭(NLT) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Jesus Himself is the Truth we are to clothe ourselves with. But, what does that mean?

      In Romans 13:12b and 14‬ (NLT‬‬), Paul wrote, “So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living....Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.” An important aspect of putting on the belt is first knowing the Truth. We need to know Jesus (Who He is and how He thinks). But, just as having a belt isn’t enough, simply knowing isn’t enough. We need to use the truth that we know to guide what we think and do. 

      In his Gospel, John tells us, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’”(John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Clothing ourselves with the Truth doesn’t simply mean continually reminding ourselves of what we know, but putting on the very nature of Christ. We have to put it into practice every day. Doing so helps us keep all the things in our lives, our thoughts, and our attitudes in the place they belong. We filter it all through what we know about Him. This gives us the freedom and confidence to keep going forward when we face trials. 

      Trials stretch (or break) our faith because they cause us to re-examine what we believe. It is normal to, whether consciously or subconsciously, evaluate whether what we believe about God is true based on our circumstances. When we wear the belt of truth, however, it anchors us. First, it helps us to see our situations from the truth we know about God. We allow the truth to shape our reaction to the circumstances and the things we don’t yet understand by reminding ourselves of Who God is. 

      Second, when we clothe ourselves in Truth, we behave as Christ did in the midst of trials. We take on His attitude and character. Let’s look at Jesus. Rather than moving away from God or distrusting Him during trials, Jesus sought to be closer to Him and rely less on His own emotions. The scene at the Garden of Gethsemane shows this perfectly (see Matthew 26:36-46). Jesus was in agony over the thought of what He was about to endure, yet instead of running or turning away from God, Jesus leaned into Him. He prayed and in His time of prayer, gave His will over to God. He was afraid of what lie ahead, but He chose to cling to the Father rather than to the things He could not control.

      The belt of truth is instrumental to guarding our faith. We cannot allow our circumstances to define God, but instead must allow the truth of God to define our circumstances. We need to walk in it day by day. If we know that God is all powerful, then we need to live like He is. If we know that He will never leave us, then we need to lean into Him. If we know that God will ultimately be victorious and that Heaven is in our future, then we have to stand firm and trust in His process. Remind yourself daily of the truth. Don’t just have it near or have access to it, wear it. Be saturated in it and put that truth into practice.