The Belt of Truth (Eph. 6:14)

The first action of a soldier when preparing to put on his armour was to use a belt or girdle to hold his clothes in place and also to where he could attach his sword when not using it. He did this to prevent his clothes from hindering his movements in a battle and to prevent him from being able to use pieces of armour such as the shield or the sword. Paul was aware of this requirement for a soldier, and he saw it as an illustration of the fact that a Christian soldier can only fight if he knows the truth and is governed by the truth. This obviously means that we have to be convinced about truth.

 

Right away we can see an issue with our society. In today’s world, there is not one truth, but many truths. Indeed, the concept of truth has been reduced to individual preferences. It is common to hear the expression, ‘But that is only your opinion.’ Relativism is the atmosphere in which we live. From the Bible’s point of view, there is truth and anything that differs from it is a lie. The enemy of our souls uses the tactic of lies, and that tactic can be used in numerous ways. 

 

The problem we face is the need for a standard of truth. Obviously, Paul believes that there is such a standard, otherwise his instruction to wear the belt is meaningless. 

 

Discovering the truth

Jesus said in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth and the life. If he is not the truth, then he is telling a lie when he makes that claim. No Christian would say that, because it would destroy everything about their faith. Jesus is saying in that verse that he is the ultimate truth even as he is the only way and the sole source of life.

Jesus also said to some potential followers: ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31-32). The Saviour there states very clearly that his teachings are truth and liberating. His instructions are constant truth and sufficient truth. This does not mean that he spoke about every possible subject, but it does mean that what he spoke about is correct in its details and totally true. 

 

When Jesus prayed to his Father about his disciples on the night of his arrest, he said: ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth’ (John 17:17). Where is the word of the Father located, since it is essential for sanctification in the Christian life? It is the Bible, which is the Word of God.

 

Jesus also promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to help them. On several occasions he called him ‘the Spirit of truth’. The Holy Spirit would guide them into the truth that would be needed, and one outcome of his activity was the completion of the Holy Scriptures. He would also enlighten readers about the meaning of those writings. The Spirit enlightened people in the past and still does today.

 

So we can know the truth. We as Christians cannot use the spiritual armour if we do not live by God’s revealed truth and are uncertain about it. The authenticity of the truthfulness of God in our experience is connected to our recognising the Bible as the Word of God.

 

Putting on the belt

What ideas come to mind from the illustration of putting on truth? What kind of person can do so? It is obvious from the words of the apostle that he is writing to everyone in the church in Ephesus, commanding them on behalf of his Master to put on the armour. What should such a person look like as he picks up the belt and wraps it round his waist?

 

An obvious feature of him or her should be integrity. A description of such a person is given in Psalm 15:2: ‘He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.’ When David describes that person as speaking truth in his heart, who is that person speaking to? There are only two options – he is speaking to himself, or else he is speaking to the God he loves and serves. Proverbs tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. It is out of the heart that everything comes. The man of integrity in the psalm knows why he says what he speaks because he has either meditated on God’s words (speaking to himself about divine instructions) or prayed to God about his Word (asking for divine instruction). He knows what the truth is because it has changed him.

 

One thing that was required of a soldier was that he had to be careful about his clothes before he put on his armour. I don’t think it is difficult to see that carefulness is not as strong as it used to be. Perhaps the point can be understood through a familiar story. A titled lady wanted to employ a suitable driver for her coach. On the road to her house was a spot where the road passed a steep drop into a ravine. She asked each applicant how close they could go to the edge safely. One man said he could safely go to within a foot of the edge, another said he could safely go to within a yard. A third man said he would drive as far as possible away from the edge. He was given the job by the lady. Carefulness means that we will keep as far away from sin as possible, because if we are not careful the devil might get us before we put the armour on. 

 

The inevitable outcome of a careful life is consistency. When a believer speaks in his heart to God about daily life, when he reflects on what would be appropriate for him to do, when he takes into account the need to be careful of spiritual danger, the inevitable outcome is consistency of character. This has nothing to do with social class or his intellectual abilities. Such a character belongs to spiritual attainment. 

 

Another aspect of the significance of wearing the belt of truth can be easily deduced from the three mentioned above. How will others react to a person marked by integrity, carefulness and consistency? They will regard him as reliable and dependable. None of this is rocket science, but they are biblical expectations, evidences that we possess the character of suitable soldiers.

 

A fifth feature of the kind of person who puts on the belt is resoluteness. After all, why does he want to put it on? He wants to put it on because he wants to defend the position that God has given to him as a member of his family and as his representative where he lives. Resoluteness does not mean offensiveness, but it does mean determination. Determination to see the truth remain and prevail dominates his thinking. 

 

Conclusion

One writer says that the requirement illustrated by the belt is doctrinal truth and consistency of living, or, as he calls it, dealing with the dangers of heresy and hypocrisy. Peter uses the same illustration of the need of a belt when he urges his readers to gird up the loins of their minds. His application of the belt points to the right use of one’s understanding. We need to know what we believe, and we need to know how to behave. When we think about it, how can we fight for the kingdom if we are ignorant of either requirement?