Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… (Ephesians 6:14 NIV)
When Paul wrote this verse, he was chained to a Roman soldier. The word picture he used was obvious and would have connected well with his readers. We don’t live in the first century and our soldiers are equipped with totally different armor and weapons. We can still easily understand what Paul is trying to describe.
No one would advise you to, “Put on the belt of falsehood.” Why would Paul instruct us to put on the belt of truth if that was the natural thing to do? It isn’t natural. Paul begins his description of our spiritual armor with the belt of truth. For the Roman soldier the belt held everything in place. It held his tunic out of the way and his sword in a place where it was easily accessible.
I think Paul began with truth because it doesn’t make sense to put armor on unless you are in a war and anticipating a battle. One of the first ways Satan attacks believers is to make us comfortable with the deception that all is peaceful.
For several months this past year I wore overalls every day. I wore them because I couldn’t wear pants that required a belt. Overalls don’t require a belt. They helped me forget the truth about my condition, the extent of my injuries, and the size of my waist. They were very comfortable.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)
Satan wants us to put on our overalls, or if that doesn’t sound like comfort to you, whatever is the most comfortable thing for you to wear. He wants us to relax into the deception that all is well, and we are out of the fight. The truth is that the fight does not end until Jesus returns. We are wounded over and over because we seek comfort and are unwilling to acknowledge we’re in a fight. We make incorrect decisions because the information we are using is false and so is our perspective.
This situation will not just go away. We must seek out truth regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us. Save the overalls of comfort for heaven. Right now we need the belt of truth.
For my grandchildren:
Face the truth. There is a war going on. You are a soldier on the front lines.
I don’t think the truth about who He was was comfortable for Jesus. His Gethsemane prayer demonstrated that. We have some teaching around that says everything should feel good for the Christian. We do have many blessings but there is also a price to be paid for living a victorious Christian life.
Dad