Stand With The Belt of Truth

"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.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist........" Ephesians 6:13 & 14

 Today's Bible study is part 2 in a series on "Becoming A Christian Soldier." - Now, I have to be very clear - I am NOT talking about becoming a physical soldier and I am NOT saying that you should go out and physically fight (although I appreciate and respect anybody who has served or is serving in our army, navy or air force) - what I'm talking about in this series is on a spiritual level.

Our God is all powerful, all knowing, He is our Protector and Provider - He would never throw us into a battle without fully equipping us first.  Today we will start learning about the "full armor of God" and specifically "the belt of truth." 

Let's look at the verses above:  we need to put on the full armor so that "you may be able to stand your ground".  Notice that we are required to "STAND" - not to run away and not to go forward on the attack - we need to Stand our ground.  Now, "standing your ground" might mean protecting yourself or defending those around you - eventually some action is required on your part.

 

It sometimes helps to look up simple words in the dictionary: 

Stand - to rise to an upright position on the feet,

          - to remain stable, upright and intact

          - to remain valid, effective or unaltered

          - to take up or maintain a specific position, attitude or course

It is interesting to me that there is an order in these verses - first we must prepare, train and draw from God's power ( "after you have done everything" ) and then we must STAND.  It's not all about the preparing, eventually we must "do" or "act" - we must implement what we learned in our training.

Then we go even further - we must "stand firm" like a boulder that cannot be moved - none of this wishy washy teetering on the fence attitude - we must be solid in attitude and in action.

Now onto "the belt of truth" - What is the purpose of a belt? - I can think of 2 important reasons to wear a belt:  1.  To keep our clothing tightly around our waist so that it doesn't fall down to the ground.  2.  To keep our belly from billowing over - to keep our body intact or in place.  I know that feeling when the band on my pants starts getting tighter - this actually stops me from overeating - keeping me in check - keeping me on the right path to healthy living. 
(the third purpose is fashion and that in my opinion is not valid when talking about our spiritual wardrobe).

"Truth" or Honesty does the same thing in our Christian spiritual lives as a belt does to our physical being - it keeps us in check, it keeps us all together and keeps us on the right pathway.  Knowing and living by the Truth of Jesus' saving blood keeps every aspect of our live in order according to God's master plan.  Also, being held accountable for our actions and being honest about what we did or didn't do keeps us strong and growing in God's power.

"A truthful witness saves lives, ....." Proverbs 14:25

It might be difficult at times to be honest but honesty benefits others as well as ourself.

Keep that "Belt of Truth" buckled tightly around the waist of your life!



Part 1 - "Be Strong In The Lord"
Part 3 - "The Breastplate of Righteousness"
Part 4 - "Feet Fitted With the Gospel of Peace"
Part 5 - "The Shield of Faith"
Part 6 - "The Helmet of Salvation"
Part 7 - "The Sword of the Spirit"
Part 8 - "The Ultimate Spiritual Weapon - PRAYER"

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