The Belt of Truth
Welcome back to part II of our series on the “Whole Armour of God”.
Please take a few moments and read Ephesians 6:8-10 to get started.
As Christians, we are engaged in a constant battle against spiritual powers that seek to deceive, destroy, and rob us of the knowledge of God. This week's goal is to fortify our understanding of spiritual warfare and learn about the first piece of the armour of God, The Belt of Truth.
The Battle is for Hearts and Minds:
There are some common pitfalls in understanding spiritual warfare. One pitfall is viewing the battle as somewhere “out there”. When discussing spiritual warfare, Christians often think of a hot-button social or political issue and think that is where the battle occurs. The frontline of the battle is in one's heart and mind first, and then it is for the hearts and minds of the people around us.
Another common pitfall in understanding spiritual warfare is viewing the battle as something dramatic when that is rarely the case. The real battle takes place in the many simple decisions we make daily. Decisions to love your wife or respect your husband. Decisions on how you parent. Decisions on what websites you visit. The decision as to whether or not you will attend church this week.
It’s in the seemingly mundane decisions that the devil attempts to employ his schemes. Don’t be fooled. Your decisions matter. The decisions you make today are shaping who you will be tomorrow. That’s why it is imperative that we stand firm in the Lord and put on the whole armour of God.
The Belt of Truth:
The first piece of the whole armour of God is the Belt of Truth. The Belt of Truth is a metaphor for readiness based in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the foundation upon which the entire set of armour rests. The Belt of Truth secures the other pieces of armour, allowing freedom and mobility and keeping us from tripping over ourselves.
When we talk about the belt of truth, what “truth” are we talking about? Is it objective truth? Telling the truth? The Gospel truth? Yes, I believe all those are important in the battles of spiritual warfare. However, the foundational truth upon which our faith is built is the truth of the Gospel.
Paul dealt with false teachers in several places in the New Testament. When Paul deals with false teachers, his discourse is always centred around the Gospel, the good news that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again three days later, according to the scriptures. When Paul deals with false teachers, he is dealing with anyone who attempts to change, twist, subvert or pervert the message of the Gospel in any way.
While there may be different interpretations of scripture among Christians, and I don’t consider those things arbitrary, the foundational doctrine that determines whether or not someone is a saved believer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is the Foundation upon which the Christian faith is built. Our hope is not built on our personal dogma. Our knowledge and practice are of no minor importance, but we don’t come to God the Father by doing well on a bible quiz or by our own religious behaviour. We come to the Father through the Person of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. The belt of truth is the foundation upon which the rest of the armour is settled, it holds the other pieces in place. The Gospel allows us to stand firm in the Lord and the power of His might.
Living in Obedience:
Putting on the whole armour of God begins with the belt of truth and involves prayer and obedience to Christ. It is in obedience that we fight the battle. It is in obedience that we win or lose the battle. Make no mistake, Living in obedience to Christ is synonymous with living as an adversary of Satan.
If you have no interest in obedience to Christ, the enemy has no interest in you, as you already serve his purpose. Obedience to Chris is manifest in every day seemingly simple, even dull decisions.
That is why we are encouraged in the Bible to “Gird up The Loins of Our Mind” and “Put on the belt of Truth”. The battle requires constant discipline and alertness. Emotion, hype, or personal motivation will not maintain long-term battle readiness. Those things may sometimes be present and helpful, but they don’t last.
We must tighten the belt of truth, be disciplined, be alert, be prayerful and stand firm in the Lord and the power of His might.
Conclusion:
Spiritual warfare is not a physical battle. It’s not against other people, but rather a battle against spiritual powers of darkness that seek to deceive, destroy and rob people of the knowledge of God.
Christians must put on the whole armour of God through prayer and obedience to resist the devil's schemes. We must first win the battle in our own hearts and minds before attempting to win the battle for the hearts and minds of others. The Gospel is the foundational truth that holds everything else in place, it is the belt of truth. Living in obedience to Christ is synonymous with living as an adversary of Satan. There is no compromise.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS A BATTLE AGAINST SPIRITUAL POWERS OF DARKNESS THAT SEEK TO DECEIVE, DESTROY AND ROB PEOPLE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. ________________________________________________________________________
TAKE ACTION:
1. Pray: Pray for strength and guidance in the battle against the spiritual powers of darkness. Pray for wisdom in making daily decisions that honour God. Pray with your family. Pray with a friend.
2. Study the Gospel: Take time to read, study and better understand the Gospel. It is the foundation upon which Christian belief and practice are built. It is the truth that holds everything else in place. Here are a few verses to help you get started: Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, 1 Timothy 1:15, Revelation 5:9
3. Live in obedience: Living in obedience to Christ is the key to winning the battle of spiritual warfare. Obedience is daily and ongoing. Be alert and stay mindful of the decisions you make. Take the time to write about an area that needs improvement. Build a plan to take steps that will help you make the needed changes and discipline yourself to carry out the necessary changes.
