Series: The Armor Of God [#1]
THE BELT OF TRUTH
Ephesians 6:14
Introduction:
I am starting a new Wednesday Night series while we are still in the Book of Ephesians on Sunday Morning. Last week, we looked at the controversy of Spiritual Warfare. We looked at the question, “Should Christians take the fight to the Devil”? We agreed that we are not supposed to take the fight to the Devil; but wait on God and stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10-14a (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.
We are told that after we have put on the full armor of God that we are to stand firm. Then, the armor is explained 1 piece at a time. Tonight, we are going to start with the belt of truth.
1. The belt of truth.
I always find this passage so interesting. You would think that this list would have started with the shield or the sword; not a belt. A belt just seems to be such a common piece of clothing; but obviously, it is important. Please do not forget that we are talking about spiritual armor to fend off the enemies’ attack.
It is truth that makes up the belt. The truth comes from God and should be the language of the Christian. We know that the language of the Devil is lying. Which language do you speak?
2. The purpose of the belt of truth.
What is the purpose of wearing a belt?
The belt…
? Holds up your pants.
Now, you must understand the most basic purpose of wearing a belt is to keep your pants from falling down. This may sound crazy; but imagine going into battle having to hold up your pants with 1 hand. That means that the soldier now has to put the sword away or put down the shield.
Spiritually speaking, if you are not wrapped in the truth of God, your belt is weak. This belt has to be strong all the way around the body. Lack of the truth in a Christian’s life exposes the body to damage.
The belt…
? Holds the scabbard for the sword.
Now, most of the time, I believe that the soldier is holding the sword in their hand; but when the army is marching and moving, they can place the sword in the scabbard. Without the belt, there is no place to put the sword; which could result in fatigue.
Spiritually speaking, the Sword of the Spirit is where the truth of God comes from. It needs to be close to our side at all times. That only happens if the scabbard is there holding the sword.
The belt…
? Secures all of the other pieces of armor.
All of the armor is held together and secure by the belt. The belt keeps everything in place. Spiritually, the truth of God is what hold everything together in a Christian’s life.
3. The proper use of the belt of truth.
You may be thinking, “This is pretty obvious”; but it is important for me to speak on this. Many people wear belts that are for fashion appearance and not to hold up their pants. These types of belts look nice; but are usually flimsy and won’t hold anything up.
The belt must be worn around the waist. I have seen people secure the built really low, which does not fulfill its purpose. I have seen people throw the belt over their shoulder. Again, this does not fulfill the purpose of wearing a belt.
Spiritually, we must be wrapped in the truth. If your belt of truth is just for show, you may fool people; but you are not going to fool the enemy. A false appearance of a person living and walking in truth will be their downfall during battle.
Conclusion:
The spiritual battle is going to happen whether you are ready or not. That is why you need to put on the full armor of God and stand firm. Christian, you must be wrapped and secured in the truths of God.
