BATMAN’S BELT
SERIES: EPHESIANS 6 (ARMOR OF GOD: BELT OF TRUTH)
INTRO: Batman is one of the most loved superheroes of all time in the United States. And one of the interesting things that people find out about him while studying his past and present predicament, is that Batman is one of the only superheroes to be completely void of any type of superpower. Instead, he makes up for this shortcoming with a giant host of technical weapons from cars to helicopters to his belt.
So, when I looked up details about the Batman Utility Belt, I kind of have to admit that I was shocked to find out that Wikipedia has it’s own page dedicated to this tool. Following is a list of the gadget items that have appeared in this super-belt:
BATMAN’S UTILITY BELT (as listed in wikipedia):
▪ Batarangs:[9] Perhaps the most famous piece of equipment used by Batman, it is a customized throwing weapon used by Batman. Interpretations of the weapon have varied from the boomerang to the shuriken.[10] Recent interpretations have shown a large array of different types and sizes for different effects (i.e. blunt impact, edged, slashing).
▪ Bat-lasso:[11] Thrown around the feet of Batman's enemies to tie them with a composite-nylon cord. Often causes an escaping opponent to trip. With the push of a button in Batman's glove it can deliver an electric shock.
▪ Bat-cuffs:[12] Bat shaped handcuffs, resembling the kind used by Special Forces units. These restraints are made of a lightweight diamond-impregnated nylon overlaying a banded steel core. Using a one-piece design, they slide closed and have to be cut off. Batman has given a special tool with a diamond-edged cutting implement to the Gotham PD for removal.
▪ Bat-monitor
▪ Bat-Tracer:[13] Used to track enemies Batman cannot follow closely.
▪ Communications device:[14] Often an earbug housed in an ear of Batman's cowl, but sometimes handheld.
▪ Bat Line: A device that shoots out a steel line in both directions making a zip line. In the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum it is called the Line Launcher.
▪ Bat-Darts:[15] Tipped with tranquillizers
▪ Bat first aid kit:[16][17]
▪ Cryo Capsules:[16][17] Small capsules that release a cryonic acid upon the breaking of the shell.
▪ Bat Goo gun:[18] A handheld foam projector that fires an adhesive-like substance to incapacitate opponents.
▪ Grapple gun:[19][20][21] Used to fire a bat-shaped hook attached to a high-tensile wire line in order to scale sheer surfaces and/or swing across gaps.
▪ Night vision bat-goggles:[22] Using Starlite infrared lenses to see thermal output in low light or non-lit situations. Currently built-in to Batman's cowl.
▪ Batlight: A simple but powerful flashlight. Batman uses it in numerous episodes of the animated series, usually when looking for clues, or through private files in the dark. Sometimes replaced by an infrared version that provides illumination viewable only through special eyepieces in Batman's cowl, which allows him to see in the dark without becoming visible himself.
▪ Flamethower: a miniature flamethower that was used on BatBane in the "Ghosts of Batman arc"
▪ Kryptonite Bat ring: Stored in a lead box, it is reserved for emergency use against a rogue Superman and/or other Kryptonians.[23]
▪ Batcetylene torch:[24] A strong miniaturized laser used as a cutting tool.
▪ Line gun: (Grapnel Gun)[25][26][27] Similar to a grappling hook, the line gun uses a strong clamp attached to a high-tensile wire for scaling surfaces and/or traversing gaps. It can be recovered by releasing the clamp and rewinding the cable. It was based from one that is designed as compact climbing gear for commando units.
▪ Bat pick: Sometimes kept in the gloves instead.
▪ Bat Marbles: Rolled down stairs to imitate footsteps. Depicted as a magnetic metal ball in the "Hush" storyline arc.
▪ Micro bat-camera[28]: A miniature camera
▪ Bat smoke grenades[29]Grenades can contain smoke or any other noxious gas such as anesthesia
▪ Miniaturized bat-toolkit[30]
▪ Bat Breather:[31] Allows Batman to breathe underwater or in vacuum. Depending on the writer and/or artist, it may also be incorporated with the gas mask.
▪ A Master Bat-Key (sometimes mistakenly called a skeleton key) is perhaps the simplest tool in Batman's utility belt.
▪ Bat pellets:[32] Often used to quickly provide cover for Batman's stealthly exits and entries. Knock-out gas pellets are used as well for non-lethally incapacitating opponents. Lachrymatory and regurgitant agents are deployed by throwing or breaking open the small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules.
▪ Bat tazer, used by Batman to stun his enemies with an electrical shock to temporarily paralyze them
▪ Bat (Flash-Bang) grenades:[33][34] Emits bright light and loud sound to blind and stun enemies.
▪ Thermite Bat grenades: An incendiary used to burn[35] through obstacles. In Batman: Year One, the thermite charge ignited accidentally and destroyed the utility belt. Although they are identified as Thermite, it is safe to assume that Thermate is used instead. (The former is a World War II technology which has largely been replaced by the latter.) In Judgement on Gotham (1991), Batman is equipped with a phosphor-based incendiary device.
▪ Bat bags: Bags in which to hold evidence.
▪ Collapsible bat-sword seen in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, sharp enough to cut through steel objects such as Clock King's robots. Resembles a Lightsaber.
▪ Bat-Saw used in Batman & Robin to cut through Poison Ivy's vines.
▪ Bat-Heater mini bat shaped tool used to melt ice.
▪ Bat Listening devices: Miniature listening devices or 'Bat bugs', sometimes fired from a modified pistol and used to listen in on criminals' conversations. Used in Batman: The Animated Series.
The Batrope[36] helps Batman slow his descent during rooftop leaps. The Batropes are lightweight and combine the strength of rappelling ropes with the flexibility of a bungee cord. These monofilament de-cel cables tested to 400 lb of support weight. Batarangs are generally thrown to loop around and secure the target.[37] Meanwhile, there's a lanyard attach point[38]
Technically, just about anything ever created could be in the bat-belt, including bat-crucifexes used to ward of vampires caused by the increased power of Count Dracula in the movie Batman vs. Dracula.
*FYI: In an FYI just for batman fans, a retired software designer named Tom Gonzales has made his own personal batcave in an effort to store his rare car collection. The cave stores 40 vehicles and includes a hydraulic lift for an RV that uses 800 gallons of hydraulic fluid every time it goes up or down—that is a cost of $25 per use for those keeping track. When the cave is closed, it features a moveable boulder and pine trees so that no one can see the entrance.
TRANSITION: Today, we are talking about the 2nd element in the Armor of God, the Belt of Truth. And though the Belt of Truth doesn’t have the fancy impact of the one worn by Batman, it’s simplicity makes it one of the finest weapons ever worn by a believer. Let’s first look at the Bible to read about the Belt of Truth in context, then begin our lesson.
BIBLE VERSE: Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
What does wearing the belt accomplish?
When I think of belts, I think of keeping my jeans up and preventing my pants from sagging—which for some reason is still sort of in style despite people singing the pants on the ground theme song for about 4 years now. But, if I went out without my belt, it really wouldn’t matter all that much if we are being honest.
But, to a Roman soldier, the belt did a handful of different things, all of them vital to their battle success:
1. Held the breastplate in place—if it sagged, vital organs were at risk, hearts and lungs were uncovered.
2. Had a clip on it where the shield rested.
3. Had a clip on it where the soldier hung his sword.
4. In some cases, designer belts could also protect the loins of the soldier—something that could be very vital to the soldier if we completely understand this.
So what good does the belt do: THE BELT OF TRUTH (BEING TRUTHFUL) HOLDS EVERYTHING IN PLACE!
What is meant by the word “truth?”
The text of the word truth is “alethia.” It refers to something that “has been laid tangibly and clearly before our eyes.”
So what does that mean? Well, unlike other spiritual gifts, it is one of the few that can visibly be seen. Think about it for a second, can a person really see the shoes of peace? Can a person see a breastplate of righteousness? Maybe. But when someone tells the truth, it is absolutely noticeable in a world full of liars.
What are some of the main reasons people lie?
1. To Be Funny. April Fool’s Day just ended and even our head pastor played a significant joke on our congregation from the pulpit. Though people like us (yes, I admit, I tell tall tales all the time just to get a rise out of people from my many exaggerated stories), do this often times to be entertaining. Technically, when I tell people some war story I had while fighting the Spanish-American War, though I call it obviously exaggerating…it technically is a lie.
2. To Escape Punishment. The natural reaction of a human who is caught doing something wrong is to try to cover up the incident.
3. Deceptive Gain. Often times, there is something to be gained by telling a lie. If you are driving your dad’s convertible and a pretty girl asks you if it is yours, it might be in your best interest to lie and say the car belongs to you. Deceptive absolutely, but to some people it was worth it.
4. A Confused Mind. Have you ever noticed how some people want to be know-it-alls? So if they know anything at all about a topic, they blabber about it and 20 more things they don’t know anything about just to show how intelligent they are. That’s not good, and it is a lie (just cause someone thinks they know something does not mean that they do).
Tough Questions:
So, everyone things they are honest. Okay, I am glad you think that, so do I (having said that, if anyone in the room states that they are a liar and are glad to be one…well…how about working on that huh?).
But here are a series of questions that could lead to some great discussions (leaders, probably most of the time will be here, feel free to use these or create your own).
*NOTE: Try to force our teens to make honest answers here…the possibility exists to come up with the funniest possible responses here. This could be fun, but if every answer is a joke, we’ve lost the point of the lesson in my opinion.
A. If a waitress undercharged you by leaving off the price of the soda, would you correct them?
B. Would you be willing to commit perjury to save your friend from going to prison for 5 years?
C. If you opened up your car door and scratched the car next to yours, would you leave your name and number to pay for the damages?
D. If your friend’s new haircut is appalling, do you tell them you like it when they ask you anyway?
E. Your friend has been caught cheating and hands you the cheat sheet to hide. When the teacher asks you if you have it, do you tell the truth and turn in your friend?
F. A guy at the ballgame drops $100 bill from his wallet and walks off, do you give it back?
G. You want to quit your job because you’ve just been invited to NY for a vacation with a friend, do you give your employer the two weeks notice?
H. The person next to you in class…you simply hate. Do you tell them about Jesus?
Following is a question taken right from gotquestions.org. It answers the question about lying in about the best way I have ever read before. Leaders, I know that there really is no chance you will actually get this far in the lesson, but here it is for our own learning. And who knows…maybe some group decides to focus on this question.
Question: "Is it ever right to lie?"
Answer: The Bible nowhere presents an instance where lying is considered to be the right thing to do. The ninth commandment prohibits bearing false witness (Exodus 20:16). Proverbs 6:16-19 lists “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies” as two of the seven abominations to the Lord. Love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). For other Scriptures that speak negatively of lying, see Psalm 119:29, 163; 120:2; Proverbs 12:22; 13:5; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; and Revelation 21:8. There are many examples of liars in Scripture, from Jacob’s deceit in Genesis 27 to the pretense of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Time after time, we see that falsehood leads to misery, loss, and judgment. There are at least two instances in the Bible where lying produced a favorable result. For example, the lie the Hebrew midwives tell Pharaoh seems to result in the Lord’s blessing on them (Exodus 1:15-21), and it probably saved the lives of many Hebrew babies. Another example is Rahab’s lie to protect the Israelite spies in Joshua 2:5. It is important to note, however, that God never condones these lies. Despite the “positive” outcome of these lies, the Bible nowhere praises the lies themselves. The Bible nowhere states that there are instances where lying is the right thing to do. At the same time, the Bible does not declare that there is no possible instance in which lying is an acceptable option. The question then remains: is there ever a time when lying is the right thing to do? The most common illustration of this dilemma comes from the life of Corrie ten Boom in Nazi-occupied Holland. Essentially, the story is this: Corrie ten Boom is hiding Jews in her home to protect them from the Nazis. Nazi soldiers come to her home and ask her if she knows where any Jews are hiding. What is she to do? Should she tell the truth and allow the Nazis to capture the Jews she was trying to protect? Or, should she lie and deny that she knows anything about them? In an instance such as this, where lying may be the only possible way to prevent a horrible evil, perhaps lying would be an acceptable thing to do. Such an instance would be somewhat similar to the lies of the Hebrew midwives and Rahab. In an evil world, and in a desperate situation, it may be the right thing to commit a lesser evil, lying, in order to prevent a much greater evil. However, it must be noted that such instances are extremely rare. It is highly likely that the vast majority of people in human history have never faced a situation in which lying was the right thing to do.
Sources:
Fowler, J. Perry. The Belt of Truth, Parkway Baptist Church, April 4, 2007.
Gotquestions.org. Keyword: Is It Ever Right to Lie?
Tecca. Real-life Batcave: $6 Million Garage Features an RV Elevator, Y! Tech, April 13, 2012.
Wikipedia.com. Key Word: Batman’s Utility Belt