Belt of Truth (Part II)...

May 14, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“BELT OF TRUTH BUCKLED AROUND YOUR WAIST”

“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, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:13-18.

The first piece of armor you are to put on is the Belt of Truth. Notice that in this scripture is it already “buckled” around your waist. You are not standing there with your belt undone. The buckle is fastened.

In this scripture, the Apostle Paul is describing a soldier. Think of a Roman solider. The belt is holding his armor in place. It is the place where he hangs his sword. The belt is a sign of readiness. It is the last item you put on after your clothing. It keeps the tunic (or shirt) of the solider tucked in and out of his way while he is fighting.

What is the belt of truth?

First, it is God’s word. God’s word in scripture is absolutely essential for you to go into battle. Would you fight for a country without understanding what the country’s beliefs and values are about? Would you fight without knowing what you were fighting against or for? Think of the American soldiers in World War II. Do you think they did not understand who Hitler was or what a concentration camp was? Did those soldiers go to war thinking they were fighting for Hitler?

You are to seek God’s word actively. This does not mean you will memorize the entire Bible but you have to be engaged in seeking it. If God wants to point you to a specific scripture to answer your prayer, how will you see it unless you are actively seeking it by reading the Bible?

Know that God is truth, and all good things come from Him. “Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me." John 8:14-18.

Second, it is your confidence. “Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.” Isaiah 11:5. It is your faithfulness to God and ability to stand up to Satan’s lies. God’s word is truth. Satan’s words are lies. “Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:42-44.

Remember to know your enemy. The way to know what your enemy is about and how he will attack you is to read God’s battle plan: His word. He has told you how to succeed in battle. Take the time to read it. If you tell yourself that you will not understand God’s word, that it is misleading or confusing without even seeking it first, you are buying into Satan’s lies. The most deceitful trick he has to play on you is to convince you that he is not lying to you because he does not really exist, and only God exists. He is a skilled liar and the “father of all lies”.

If you have your belt of truth buckled around your waist, then you are able to recognize Satan’s attempts to fool you with lies. You know the truth because you are wearing it, and can tell the difference. When the hard-to-tell moments come where Satan is appearing as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you will not buy into what he says because you are in line with God’s truth. You have absolute, concrete proof of what the truth really is, and nothing can fool you.

Third, it is evidence of your willingness to serve in God’s army. You are not only seeking the truth and putting the belt on, but you have it buckled, which means you are following through on what the truth says. Put simply, you are practicing what God tells you to do. Memorizing the battle plan is one step, putting it into action through practicing is another. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27.

Putting it into action means you are ready for battle, seeking God, and keeping watch on your enemy. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.” Luke 12:35-36.

Fourth, it is the keeper of the sword. In the scripture regarding God’s armor, we are told to have the “sword of the spirit”. The belt is where that sword is attached. You have the Holy Spirit within you as a Christ follower. When Satan tries to fool you, and you need to lean on the Holy Spirit for guidance, you need to have God’s truth in you so He can talk to you. If you know God’s truth you are both speaking the same language, and you can understand Him. If not then it may be hard to understand what He is telling you. The difference in knowing truth and not knowing it when talking to Him is the equivalent of two people who speak English having a conversation and two people having a conversation where only one knows English and the other Spanish.

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. Jesus told His disciples that, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17.

He is your counselor, teacher, reminder, and guide. He guides you in God’s truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:13-15. Embrace Him by learning the same language.