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.
Ephesians 6:14-17 NIV
Prior to this verse, Paul had just given instructions about standing firm against the real enemy. Not humans, but the evil spiritual forces that are waging war against us. And he then instructed us to put on the full armor of God. Armor that is essential if we are going to prevail in the spiritual warfare waging around us. Armor that was modeled after the Roman guards that were constantly around him.
The Belt of Truth
First, buckle up the belt of truth. If we are serious about our walk with Christ and engaging with the enemy, it is essential that we stand on the side of truth. But what is truth? This was Pilate’s question of Jesus in John 18:38. It is not recorded that Jesus answered him then. But he had previously given us an answer to that question. In John 14:6, Jesus said that he was the truth. If we are going to engage the enemy, it is essential that we be in Jesus, the truth. But I’m not sure that is what Paul is talking about here. After all, Jesus is not something I put on and take off.
I believe instead, Paul is telling us to hold to what is true. The enemy is the father of lies and will seek to deceive us in any way that he can. Even twisting Scripture for his own purpose. In a world that is filled with fake news and appealing sound bytes, it is important not to believe everything you see or hear. And this is true not just in politics and social issues. It is true as well concerning the Scripture. Find out what is true, and hold to that.
Don’t let the enemy deceive and trap you with his lies. Know the truth, and it will set you free to fight against our adversary.
