The Belt of Truth

BY Yana Conner

A Roman soldier’s belt was used to support the sword and breastplate and provided a place for bronze plates to hang. The belt was always worn, whether or not the other pieces of armor were put on that day. Similar to how the belt was daily worn, believers are called to meditate on both God’s truth and personal integrity every day to counter the enemy’s deceit.

I’ve heard so many sermons on the armor of God that Ephesians 6:10–20 has lost value for me. Maybe it was the sword and shield the preacher got from Party City to illustrate his sermon points or the overemphasis on why truth was a belt and faith was a shield that ruined it for me. I’m not really sure. But whatever the reason, every time I’ve read Paul’s closing words to the church at Ephesus, it’s always felt like an underwhelming ending to a movie that had such a captivating beginning. 

I know it’s not particularly “Christian” to admit not finding value in something written in the Bible. But, since we’re talking about truth today, I thought I would start with some truth of my own. Especially since admitting this truth to the Lord opened the door to find an immense amount of value in today’s reading.

For the first time, after reading Ephesians 6:10–20, I asked questions like, “How does truth enable us to stand against the schemes of the devil? How does putting on the truths of God’s Word give us the ability to resist temptation? And, how does putting on lies or half-truths cause me to stumble?” 

One particular lie that has caused me to stumble is that humans are primarily sexual beings, the lie that we have these uncontrollable urges that must be fulfilled. So imagine my surprise when I read Paul’s instruction to not let even a hint of sexual immorality exist among you (Ephesians 5:3). Like Eve, I was tempted not to trust the entirety of God’s Word and take this command to be hyperbole. 

The danger of asking, “Did God really say _______?” once is that you will ask it again and again. You start calling every command in the Bible an exaggeration, asking, Did God really say to love your enemies? Did He really say forgive seventy times seven? Does God really care if I tell a little bitty lie to get out of coffee with this girl from my small group?

This slippery slope isn’t just the questioning of a list of commands but of the One who gave them. When we second guess God’s commands, we also second guess Him. We put not only His words but also His character on trial. To say God’s commands are unreasonable is also to say that He is an unreasonable and harsh Father with unfair and unrealistic expectations. 

The link between God and His words is unbreakable. To trust His words entirely is to trust Him entirely. Him. His person. His character. He is the truth we need to put on. It’s the trustworthiness of His character that enables us to stand against the devil’s schemes. When we trust all of His intentions towards us are good and all of His commands are for our good, we won’t ask, “Did God really say?” We will know the answer because we have wrapped our lives with the truth of His character.