“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)
You may be familiar with the passage in Ephesians 6 where Paul calls us to put on the armor of God. Perhaps you have read through this passage before, but there is so much to be learned when we take a closer look and study it in-depth.
How can we put on the armor of God in today’s world? This passage can be applied to our lives in the same way it was during the time it was written, even though we may not be familiar with putting on armor for battle like a Roman soldier.
The armor of God represents the defense we must take in our spiritual lives. The Bible tells us that we are fighting a war against Satan, who seeks to destroy us. Therefore, we must take action and put on God’s armor.
As Christians, it is important for us to understand the severity of this battle. As it is often something we cannot physically see, it is easy to lose sight of the impact it can have. However, it can be very dangerous when we forget to equip ourselves with the armor of God and allow the enemy to take control in our lives.
The first piece of armor Paul discusses is the belt of truth. In Ephesians 6:14, he says, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” Of all of the pieces of the armor of God, you may be wondering why Paul started with the belt. However, the belt plays a much more important role than we may think.
The belt is where Roman soldiers stored their weapon – without a belt, they could not carry a weapon! So, why does Paul associate the belt of a soldier with truth? For Christians, God’s Word is truth, and it serves as our foundation.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” If our beliefs are not rooted in God’s Word, we cannot expect to fight battles for Christ.
Just as a belt is worn close to the body, we should hold God’s truth close to us and allow it to surround us. When we remain in His Word, we can distinguish what is true from what is untrue.
With this being said, I encourage you to apply the concept of the belt of truth to your life and hold onto God’s truth. In the end, by remaining in His Word, you will be equipped for spiritual battles that may come your way.
Y'all stay blessed and keep advancing the Kingdom!