“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”
– Ephesians 6:14a NIV
Have you ever seen a picture of ancient Roman soldiers? They put on steel helmets and shields, coupled with full-body armour. The armour is meant to prevent attacks from the enemy and make the soldiers impenetrable to swords and arrows.
The same thing applies to us. The armour of God represents the defence we must take in our spiritual lives as believers. Let’s take a look at each piece of armour and how we can use them in our defence.
The first piece Apostle Paul mentioned was “the belt of truth.” The belt is where Roman soldiers stored their weapons. Without it, they could not carry a weapon!
So, why does Paul associate the belt of a soldier with the truth? For Christians, God’s Word is truth, and it serves as our foundation.
Jesus said in a prayer for His disciples, and us believers by extension, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 NIV
The arrows and spears by which the devil attacks are not as obvious as we would expect. Arrows are flying by day and terrors by night (Psalm 91:5). These are invisible dangers because the battlefield is not physical but in our minds most times. So how do we defend ourselves? By the word!
The word is our defence. It’s how we stop the attacks of the devil. From God’s word, we receive assurance of salvation, and we understand that you have received the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). Our faith is built when we spend time dwelling on God’s word. That’s why it’s the ‘belt’ that holds our weapons and armour together.
Therefore, “put” on the armour! It’s an action we have to take. We have to spend time studying and declaring God’s word, which is the truth, over our lives. It’s our responsibility!
Bible Reading Plan:
John 6:16-24, 1 Peter 3:1-7, Song of Songs 4:1-7, Jeremiah 50