The Believers Boot Camp Series
The Armor Explained: The Belt of Truth
Ephesians 6: 13-14a
Illustration: Do you know and love the author?
The story was told about a young college woman who read a book that she found to be extremely boring. Reading each page of the book was cumbersome and difficult. Yet, because reading the book was required for her education, she forced herself to move through its pages and finally finish the book.
A few years later, while working in her field of study, she met a young professor and quickly fell head over heels in love with him and became engaged to be married.
One evening, while visiting her home, he saw the “boring and cumbersome” book tucked away, collecting dust on her book shelf.
Pulling the book from the book shelf, he quickly informed her that he had written the book under an assumed name as was requested by the publisher. Later that night, the young lady picked up the book and began reading it. All night long she sat up and now, to her surprise, the book seemed to be the most interesting book she had ever read. It was not dull at all. She found the book fascinating and intriguing.
What made the difference?
That which made the difference was the fact that now; she knew the author and loved him!
Application:
When we become a Christian something similar occurs in our life. The Bible, which was formerly a book that may have seemed to be boring, cumbersome, or dull becomes and exciting, intriguing, and fascinating book because we now know and love the author.
Scripture tells us that the Bible becomes something we want to put on the inside of us. Like milk to the newborn baby, when we are born again, we find crave the milk of God’s Word.
But in Ephesians 6, scripture tells us that the Bible is also likened unto something we can put on the outside of us. Ephesians 6 says it’s like a belt. Here the Bible is called, “the belt of truth.”
Transition:
As we discuss spiritual warfare, we must see what God wants us to “put on” for spiritual battle.
As we discuss these articles of armor, we read in verse 14, “Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth.
Transitional Sentence: How important is learning from and reading the Bible? Today we will answer this question by understanding:
I. The Bible’s Position
vs. 14- “Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth...”
Explanation
When you become a follower of Christ, you will soon discover that you have made a new enemy; that is, the devil.
With relentless consistency, Satan will bombard any Christian with temptations, trials, and sometimes, persecutions. In short, our enemy declares war on each of us.
Knowing this with military inflection God has prepared us for the battle as He says,“ Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (vs. 11)
As we dissect verse 11 we heard God say:
a) “Put on”- (enduo)- Is a military “aorist
imperative” command that means to “be endowed” or
“completely endued” Because it is in Aorist Tense,
this tells us that our outfit is not something
that we have to purchase. Instead, it was an
outfit that was bought on the cross and laid out
for you to put on the day you were saved. The
problem today is not that we do not have
the resources to fight the confrontations our
enemy brings our way, the problem is that
we often do not use the resources God has already
given us. For this reason we are
commanded to “put on” the armor of God or to get
dressed for success!
b) “The whole armor”- The word “whole” (panoplia)
means to “not leave off one piece.” Let
me ask you, if you left off one article of your
clothing this morning would you have noticed
it?
Just think if you left off your socks this
morning or shoes. Sure you would, because you
would not be completely dressed.
d) “ Able”- (dunamai)- The explosive power of God.
e) “Stand”-(stenai)- So that you might be able to
stand eye ball to eye ball against the enemy.
(Palastrians).
As we receive this command to “put on” the armor of God, God immediately begins unveiling the wardrobe of armor. Interesting enough, the first article that God points out is “ a belt.... the belt of truth.”
Now, let me ask you a question, in the morning when you rise to get dressed, does your mind immediately and intentionally move to thoughts about “a belt’?
For me, my belt is the “last” article that I put on and sometime I get in a hurry and forget it. Don’t you?
But for the Roman Soldier, the belt was the most important item. You see, for the Roman Soldier depended on the belt because the loin belt:
1. Held the breastplate in place.- If it sagged vital
organs like the heart and lungs were exposed.
2. Had a clip on which the shield rested.
3. Had a clip on which the soldier hung his sword.
Therefore, when Paul says that God’s truth is like a belt, he is saying, that truth is foundational in your life and without it, the enemy has an advantage over you.
Illustration: TV Guide and the Bible
One of Satan’s strategies in our life is to sweep away the Bible and its importance out of our
lives.
A poet once wrote about the tendency to get into a slump allowing our commitment to God’s Word to wilt away as he writes:
“They lie on the table side by side; the Holy Bible and the TV Guide,
One is well worn and cherished with pride, not the Bible, but the TV Guide,
One is used daily to help folks decide, no, not the Bible but the TV Guide,
As pages are turned, what shall they see, oh what does it matter, just turn on the TV,
Then confusion reigns, oh, they can not agree, on what they should watch on the old TV,
So they open the book, in which they confide, no, not the Bible but the TV guide,
The Word of God is seldom read, maybe a verse or two before they fall into bed,
Exhausted and sleepy, as tired as can be, not from reading the Bible, but from watching TV,
So then back to the table side by side, lie the Holy Bible and the TV guide,
No time for prayer, no time for the Word, the plan of Salvation is seldom heard,
But forgiveness of sin, so full and free, is found in the Bible, not on the TV. (Unknown)
Application:
In this passage, God says that the truth should be found in the position of “a belt.”
Why was the belt so important to a Roman soldier? Simply stated, “The belt held everything else together.”
In the same way the “truth of God” is the stabilizing and securing hinge of our life that “holds us together” when we seem to be falling apart.
Therefore, in explaining the need for God’s Word, God commands us to daily make give it a central place and a dominant role in our lives. This is its rightful position, and by it’s placement as the loin belt in Ephesians 6, this truth is reaffirmed in our life once again.
Transition: Also, let’s consider:
II. The Bible’s Peculiarities
vs. 14- “Stand therefore, having girded your
waist with truth..”
Explanation
In studying spiritual warfare you will understand that “the belt of truth” is peculiar.
You see, most of the spiritual weapons that are listed in Ephesians 6 are invisible but truth is different. Think about it:
a) Can anyone visibly see your faith? No, they can
not, but they might see the results of your
faith or shield of faith.
b) Can anyone see your shoes of peace? No, they might
see the results of your peace, yet they
can not visibly see your peace.
c) Can anyone see your breast plate of
righteousness? No, they might see the results of
your righteousness, but they can not visibly see
your righteousness.
Yet, the Greek word for “truth” in this passage is a peculiar word. The word “truth” (alethia) refers to something that has been “laid tangibly and clearly before our eyes.”
Now listen: In the Spiritual life, there are many things that are real that you can not see with fleshly eyes.
For example: God is in this room, I know this is true because God says, “ Where two or three gather in my name, there I am in their midst.” Yet, I can not visibly show Him to you. You may sense his presence. You may be “touched” by His Spirit. But I can not “show” him visibly to you.
Yet, in God’s grace, He chose to do something awesome. In God’s grace He chose to take the
Words of His mouth that are always true and he chose to make them “alethia” or visible.
The Bible is the one spiritual weapon that God has laid out visibly and tangibly before our eyes.
The peculiar thing about the Bible is that it is the only weapon that God permitted to pass through the spiritual realm into the physical realm so that we might use it.
It is a weapon that we can:
a) See with our eyes
b) Hold with our hands
c) Read with our tongues
d) Hide in our hearts
e) Keep as our possession
Folks, that’s peculiar, but it’s significant. If anything this elevates my value for God’s Word. That Bible that you are reading from is no mere book, it is a weapon you can use in the struggles of your life.
Illustration: Birdy, Birdy
One of my favorite memories of my time serving as a youth pastor, was in the mid 1980’s when I took a group of teenagers to a nursing home in Arkadelphia, AR.
While there, we sang songs to the residents, we shared a testimony of how Christ touched our life, and then, a young man in our youth group named “Randy” read a scripture.
After reading the scripture, we began singing another song. Yet, at the back of the room there was an aged man who had obviously suffered a stroke who began to shout loudly, “ Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy.”
Embarrassed for the man, we attempted to go on with the song. Yet, the louder we sang the louder the man shouted, “ Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy.”
Then, the man began moving forward. Dragging one leg and walking slowly he walked toward us, all the time saying louder and louder, “ Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy.”
Still confused, we tried to ask the man what he wanted. Yet, all he could say was, “ Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy.” Finally, after inquiring over and over again. I finally understood him. He was saying, “Wordy, Wordy, Wordy, Wordy.”
Immediately I told Randy, “ Read the Bible Randy! Read it!” Immediately, Randy opened the scripture and began reading the Bible. It was then that we heard the man say with great peace and passion, “ Oh Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy. Oh, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy, Birdy.”
Application:
Through that event I was reminded of how valuable God’s Word is and how rich we are spiritually and physically by having a copy of it in our hands.
There in tangible form…in black and white are the Words…the breath of God!
Transition: Reading the Bible daily is vital to a Christian because....
III. The Bible’s Power
vs. 11- “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth...”
Explanation
From the Bible there are three specific and descriptive words that help us see the power of God’s Word in our life.
1. The first word is the word, “wiles”- (methodos)-
The word “wiles” (vs. 10) is the word from
which we get our English word, “method.”
Literally, God’s word helps us stand strong
against the “methods” of the devil.
Our enemy wants to trick your mind. He is crafty
and subtle. In this spirit, He seeks to place
little thoughts, lies, and little seeds of
deception in our mind. Yet, daily reading of God’s
word reveals Satan’s methods and allows us to
stand against them..
2. The second word is the word “devices” (noemata)-
Which is very similar to the word
“wiles.” The word “devices” is a marriage between
two words that means (1) mind and
intellect (2) confusion. In this word we know
that Satan seeks to “confuse our minds”.
He wants to play mind games with us. He wants to
trick the mind, then confuse it.
3. The third word is the word, “deceive” (planeo)-
Again, the word “deceive” bears a strong
resemblance to the words “wiles” and “devices”.
This word actually means, “to roam around" like
planets.
Planets orbit and roam around the universe.
Literally, Satan doesn’t just want your head
in the clouds spiritually, he wants your mind to
be out in orbit. He wants your mind to
“roam off” in the wrong direction and if so, you
will roam away from the battle field.
II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
This word, “furnished” (exartizo) means, “to fit completely” or more pointedly, “ to be completely geared up” unto all good works. The word picture here provides a picture of a fully armed soldier who is ready for battle. He is dressed to kill, completely outfitted for the war
at hand.
Conclusion: Thirty pints of blood (3/07)
This week I read about two injured and dying Iraqi insurgents who were brought to a U.S. Triage facility in Iraq. One was bleeding to death.
U.S. medical teams descended upon the two men and U.S. military doctors concluded that the one insurgent would not survive unless they could find 30 pints of blood.
A call went out throughout the facility for volunteer donors with the same blood type and dozen’s of our boys in uniform lined up to give blood and the insurgents life was saved.
As I read about that this week I could not help but think of Jesus. Isn’t that what Jesus has done for us? Without truth we were enemies of God yet there was only one blood that could save us and change us from enemies to children of God.
That blood was the blood of Jesus Christ. Through God’s love Jesus gave every drop of his blood to save us.
The very nature of that truth begs the question: Have you received His blood? And furthermore, whose army are you in?
Are you a follower of Christ? Have you received Him and is He your Lord? If not, why not make that life changing decision today?
