Armor of God: Belt of Truth
Beginning at the belt of the armour was no mistake, rather an intentional start to a well purposed charge. This is the first peace of armor that we put on while standing our ground against our enemies. The belt is foundational and instrumental for any soldier in battle, and an ineffective belt makes for ineffective armour.
In Roman armour, they were called cingulum or balteus. The word cingulum means “apron" so as to describe the part of the belt end that tied to the buckle and the leather, metal-decorated strands hanging to cover the lower body. The cingulum covered the lower extremities, while the balteus (belt) was fitted with the scabbard that carried the sword and dagger.
In addition to carrying the soldier’s weapons, the belt also held the other pieces of armor together. This is how the breastplate stays in place and secured in battle. Without the belt, the soldier would be vulnerable to fatal attacks. The lower extremities be vulnerable to a blow to the gut, the abdomen and upper body would be pregnable to direct attack, and there would be no sword to use as defense.
Although seemingly unimportant, belts were a vital part in the Roman soldier’s armor. A missing belt means that the soldier would only have a helmet, a shield, and shoes as armor, leaving their entire body vulnerable to every attack of the enemy.
We need the Truth of God just like we need the belt in the armor. It’s what holds every part of what we know together. Every promise, every Word, every command, every vision… all of it is held together by the Truth. So, what is the truth?
The truth of the Lord is everything we know about the who, what, when, where, how, and why of God — and there’s great emphasis on the who. How and what we believe about who God is and everything about Him effects what we believe about the salvation, righteousness, faith, and peace we’re given as armor. It also affects the Word we’re given as protection. Like I mentioned, the Truth is foundational.
God is good. God is faithful. God is for us.
These are foundational truths that cannot be changed about Him, and we all have learned to say them. We know those three things, yet knowing is only the beginning because knowing is evidence of the retention of information.
God is love. God is just. God is patient. God is kind. God is gracious. God is merciful. God is forgiving. God is meek. God is strong. God is powerful. God is peace. God is righteous. God is holy.
Believing is the next step to knowing. Belief is evidence of wisdom and understanding. It elevates our knowledge through active repetition and the passing of time. Rather than only knowing the information, we’ve now experienced it in our own lives.
God is Creator. God is First. God is Last. Alpha and Omega. A strong tower. A refuge. A banner. Commander of Heaven’s armies. Provider. Healer. Physician. The Good Shepherd. King. Lord of lords. One.
Omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.
These things are all true about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of God. It’s important to know these things, and it’s vital to believe them. We know it because we’re taught to know it, we believe it because the Holy Spirit works in us to help us believe. Through the transformation and renewal of our minds, we’re able to see just how true all of those things are as they apply to our personal relationships with God.
That comes by faith, and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The Word of God is the Truth of God, and we’re only able to understand it through the Holy Spirit. When we read and listen in the Spirit, we’re able to gain and receive the wisdom that tells us who God is, whose we are, and what that means for us.
The belt of truth is fundamental to every other part of the armor of God because it holds each part together while carrying the only weapon we have in its proper place. It’s a protection that’s impenetrable, can withstand any damaging attack from the enemy, and keeps every other part of our armor in its proper place before, during, and after battle. With a strong foundation in the truth, we are able to stand firm against every attack on our peace, joy, confidence, humility, kindness, integrity, and compassion knowing that we are gird about, covered, and protected without a single flaw or fault in our armor.
