Belt of Truth

¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 

Ephesians 6:13-15

In case you missed yesterday’s post, we’re going to spend a couple of weeks learning about the armor of God, how to put it on, and how to use it to stand against our only real enemy, the devil.

As we examine Ephesians 6:10-20, we see that the first piece of armor discussed is the belt of truth (v.14). Every piece of the armor of God is critical to our defense against the devil and his schemes, but in a day when everyone has their own “truth”, it seems to me that the belt of truth is absolutely the place to begin.

Maybe this is why God lists it first – He knows that we struggle to define truth.

A quick internet search of the definition of “truth” reveals:

• the quality or state of being true
• that which is in accordance with fact or reality
• a fact or belief that is accepted as true
• sincerity in action, character, or speech

And friends, it’s that third bullet that gets us – “that is accepted as true”. When anyone can publish anything at any time electronically, it’s not long before statements are floating around that are accepted as truth, but are not entirely true. Like misheard song lyrics and movie quotes, mis-told events make their way into our daily conversations, posts, and shares and are soon passed around as if they were gospel truth.

And that leads us to another source for the definition of truth, the Gospel. A search of the Bible for “truth” reveals these verses and many, many more:

• For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. – John 1:17
• Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” – John 14:6
• So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32.

Dear heart, when lots of truths are shopped around, it’s critical that we go to the Source of absolute truth – Jesus, Who is the very Word of God (John 1:1; 1:14). Because of Christ, we are able to know the truth. By belting on Christ, His attitude, His manner of speaking, His love of the Father and of others, and all that He is, we are able to stand firm and withstand the evil day.

Today, let us reflect on what it means to wear the belt of truth, to belt on Christ if you will and walk as He walked, talk as He talked, think as He thought. Tomorrow, we’ll explore how to use the belt of truth to defend ourselves against the schemes of the devil.

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