Ephesians 6:14a

"Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins..."Ephesians 6:14a

Roman soldiers wore a heavy belt made of connected bronze plates and leather with a buckle. This belt had one function... it served as the foundation on which the sword, dagger and metal apron were attached. All through history soldiers have worn a similar belt, and do so to this very day. Centrally located, it is fixed securely and makes ready to use whatever combatants may be attached.

For the soldier of God to stand therefore, what does Paul say is the combatant that's on our belt... The Truth! Well, what is the truth? SINCE EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW "ANYTHING" ABOUT - WAS CREATED BY GOD... THEN THE TRUTH CAN ONLY BE WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT EVERYTHING. Please think carefully about those bold words. The bible, contains all that we know God has said about Himself and everything He created, but is the bible itself the truth? Something very important written in the bible, says...

"In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. John 1:1-3

FROM THESE VERSES, THEN, WE SEE THAT GOD SAYS, "JESUS, HIMSELF IS THE TRUTH... THEREFORE, WHILE THE BIBLE MAY CONTAIN THE TRUTH... WITH "IT" ALONE, YOU WILL NOT POSSESS ALL THE TRUTH WITHOUT CHRIST! Christ is the embodiment of truth. So, in relation to WAR-FARE, how is the truth a weapon? Let's look at one thing Jesus says about our enemy... the devil and then we'll see how THE TRUTH will be our weapon. Jesus says to someone controlled by the devil...

"You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false." John 8:44

The enemy, Jesus says, is a liar... it is his natural language. So, what we are fighting against is really boiled down to, or simplified as LIES. So, you see, WE ARE FIGHTING FALSE COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT OUR WORLD AND OURSELVES... AND WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS THAT WE FIGHT AGAINST THE LIES WITH THE TRUTH... FOUND WITHIN GOD'S WORD (the bible) AND ALL THAT IS IN CHRIST (truth, power, love, peace, authority, just to name a few of His attributes). Not only will we fight with what God says to be the truth, then... but we will also fight only when lead by, and in the authority of, and in a spirit of, in the peace of, and all of the other attributes of being IN CHRIST. Very Important! Our weapon... THE WRITTEN WORD (THE BIBLE) and THE LIVING WORD (CHRIST).

Finally, we should notice Paul says that this belt is "tightened". I'll never forget the yelling and spitting my Drill Sergeant gave one of my fellow soldiers for wearing his belt loosely over his shoulder one day. He demonstrated the importance of keeping what would save our life tightly secured and properly placed where we could get to it it that "evil day". Paul's reference to the mid-section of the belt is because that is literally where the soldier could quickly grab his weapon and use is... but the place for this spiritual weapon of truth is in the heart and mind. First, you must have The Truth - CHRIST in your heart, and stay familiar with The Truth - The Bible, in order to fight the enemy!

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 6:14b next time.

I love you.