Putting On the Belt of Truth

Welcome to our series on the armor of God, where we’re giving you practical tips on how to use each piece of the armor of God!

In case you missed it, here’s a link to the introduction, in which I talk about why we need the armor of God and what it is. In this post, we’ll be unpacking the part of the featured scripture about the belt of truth.

And here’s that scripture as a reminder of exactly what we’re talking about here.

“Therfore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

Ephesians 6:14-17

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

The Armor of God – The Belt of Truth

Satan’s main strategy is pretty simple. He makes truth look like lies and lies look like truth. This is why he is called the Father of Lies. But here’s the thing; he doesn’t just want us to believe his lies ourselves. Oh no, that’s just the beginning. His ultimate goal is to get us to live out the lies in our own lives and tell them to others so they can start living and spreading the lies themselves.

If we look at the very first time the devil used his tricky schemes to cause someone to sin, in the story of Adam and Eve, we can see 3 specific ways he does his work. If you have a moment, turn to Genesis 3 and read the story.

First, Satan asks a question to plant seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind. “Did God really say…?” In this way, the devil makes us question God’s Word and commands. We are especially susceptible to this if we aren’t regularly spending time in His Word. After all, if we don’t know God’s Word, we can’t know exactly what it is He said.

Second, Satan flat out denies God’s Truth. “You won’t die,” he says. But, if we turn back a bit further in Genesis, we see that God actually did say they would die.

“But the Lord God warned him, ‘You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.'”

Genesis 2:16-17

Third, the devil tells Eve, “…you will be like God…” Ooooh, he’s smart, he is. What he’s doing here is playing on the human desire for power and control. In essence, he’s getting us to displace God in His place of honor over our lives and place ourselves in charge of our lives instead. We make ourselves an idol, and we strive to please ourselves instead of looking to do what pleases God.

Then, he’s got us. He has accomplished several things. We no longer trust God or that He has our best interests at heart. And, all of a sudden, in our own minds, it’s ok to act on our fleshy impulses and desires, which most often equates to sinning against God. Then, we’re doing what Satan set out for us to do…we’re living the lies. Not only that, we’re showing the world that it’s ok to live the lies. And if those around you know you’re a “Christian,” what message are you spreading then?

Putting on the Armor of God – The Belt of Truth

So, now that we see how important it is to wear the armor of God, you might be asking, “How do I put on the armor of God?” Speaking specifically of the belt of truth, what do we do literally to metaphorically put on the belt of truth? We look in God’s Word and discover:

• the truth about who God is.
• the truth about who we are.
• how to speak the truth in love.

I’ll be doing detailed posts about all of these things, but for now, here’s a brief list to get you started today. If you have a chance, read the references; God’s Word is so powerful, much more so than my words! Otherwise, stay tuned for when I unpack all this further in future posts! You can stay up-to-date on current posts by following our Facebook Page.

Truth – Who is God?

• God is loving (John 3:16)
• God is merciful (Luke 6:36)
• God is our protector (Proverbs 2:8, Psalms 140:7)
• God is generous (2 Cor. 9:8)
• God is holy (Psalms 99:9)
• God is omniscient (Psalms 94:11)
• God is sovereign (Ephesians 1:22-23, Ezekiel 34:15, and many others)
• God is powerful (Ephesians 1:18-21)

Truth – Who am I?

• I am an overcomer (1 John 5:4-5)
• I am chosen, royalty, God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9)
• I am a masterpiece (Eph. 2:10)
• I am loved (1 John 4:9, Rom. 8:38-39)
• I am God’s image-bearer (Gen. 1:26-27)
• I am strong (Psalm 18:32)
• I am forgiven (John 2:12)
• I am never alone (Hebrews 13:5)
• I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)

Speaking Truth in Love

Ephesians 4:14-15 says that instead of “being infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming,” we should “speak the truth in love to grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Throughout the rest of Ephesians 4, we see that speaking the truth in love looks like:

1. Humility
2. Gentleness
3. Patience
4. Unity and peace
5. Building one another up
6. Respecting members of the body of Christ
7. Kindness
8. Compassion
9. Forgiveness

So, as the old adage goes, if you can’t say something nice (and in a nice way), don’t say anything at all. Instead, pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing with peace and love and compassion, then wait to talk until you can say what you want to say in a kind and gentle way. And when we do, we all grow in our faith and become more mature and Christ-like.

Once we understand who God is, who we are in Christ, and how to speak the truth in love, we are fully equipped to stop that lying SOB, the devil, in his tracks. We simply repeat these truths to Satan, to people, and to God, in our prayers.

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Truth Drift

Something to watch out for while focusing on all this truth is what my pastor calls “truth drift.” If you look at all the stories of the Israelites in the Old Testament, you’ll notice that they often find themselves in seasons of idol worship and promiscuity. This is when God usually sends prophets in to warn them about their behavior and His jealous temper before ultimately disciplining them for forsaking Him and his commandments. How did they manage to get themselves there over and over again? Truth drift.

Every time God’s people ended up in a new place, they would stand strong on God’s Truth for a while. Then, they started to allow the behaviors and customs of the pagan or gentile communities around them to slowly undermine their own morals. It didn’t happen overnight; it happened one thought, one world, one poor choice at a time, causing the Israelites to drift away from the Truth of God.

Think of it like a compass. If you are using a compass to get somewhere, you have to make sure that the needle is always pointed exactly where you want to go, not drifting even one degree in either direction. If you don’t make sure to use the compass exactly as it is meant to be used, you gradually veer off your intended path until, before you know it, you are miles away from where you should be.

The same thing happens when we allow the world to taint the truth upon which we base our lives, our beliefs, and our decisions. If we veer off course even slightly, the “truth” we are standing on is no longer God’s truth, but a truth that has been diluted and twisted by sinful thoughts, pursuits, desires, etc.

The Belt of Truth Wrap-up

I don’t think it is a coincidence that Paul listed the belt of truth first in the list of the pieces of God’s armor that we must put on in order to be effective soldiers in His army. If you research the armor that the Roman soldiers wore in Bible times, you will find that the belt was a very important piece. Not only did it help support the substantial weight of the rest of the body armor, much like today’s weight belts, but it also held many weapons used in battle. It was also considered a symbol of importance; only soldiers could wear the belt.

In describing the belt of truth first, Paul sets us up for success with the rest of the pieces of armor. Once wearing the belt of truth, the rest of the heavy armor is much easier to carry and keep at the ready. Not only that, it shows that we are, indeed, warriors in the Lord’s army!

Catch ya’ later!

PS Warning: The posts in this series are all just as long as (or longer than) this one. If you don’t have time to read all of them, and I understand if you don’t, consider downloading the cheat sheet for a one-page rundown of exactly how to put on each piece of God’s armor!

This post/series is inspired/informed by the amazing pastors at Woodland Hills Family Church. Thanks, guys! Click here to hear the original sermons.

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