On the back of my closet door are a row of hooks. They function as a catch-all of the things Jim and I like to conveniently lay our hands on quickly. Stuff like hats, warm-up jackets to take the dogs outside, and an array of belts. I occasionally grab a belt to go with my outfit, while Jim wears a belt every day. Belts in the modern day have these 2 functions, accessorize or hold up our pants. But in their original design, their purpose was to hold tools, weapons, and rations and to hold soldiers’ battle gear together. For instance, in the Roman army, the belt held the lower armor in place. Without it, a man would be vulnerable to a blow that would render him immobilized or dead long before he could lay hold of the bow and arrow off his back.
Furthermore, there would be no place to keep a sword and dagger in a functional position. In those days, soldiers dressed for battle. I am sure Roman soldiers in full armor made a striking appearance, but a centurion of them was far more than a fashion parade. They were a group of fully polished, prepared people who kept their primary purpose at the forefront. To protect and defend their country’s cause and people at a moment’s notice. For sure, no good soldier left his belt hanging on the hook on the back of the door when he left for work. It was essential in the daily.
When Paul instructs us to put on the full armor, the first piece he mentions is the belt of truth and advises us to fasten it securely around our waist. Without the belt, the rest of the armor won’t stay in place. For me, a believer, without the truth of God, I am never ready for battle. Being unsettled about the truth means, first of all, I can never stand firm. I will constantly be off balance and will live out daily life in a constant state of unsettledness. This will manifest itself like feeling lost and without purpose, unsure of God’s faithfulness. I will experience feelings of hopelessness and fear as I stand on what feels like ground made of shifting sands. Cinching up the belt of truth can be uncomfortable in my life. It will reveal where I have become too comfortable wearing what I call the world’s PJs. The world’s PJ version of the truth is loose and casual, great for lounging around but certainly not adequate for warfare. Isn’t it great to wear soft clothes like pajamas and sweatpants? The older I get, the more I feel elastic waistbands are my friend. If you wear loose clothes too long, putting on a belt feels confining and restrictive. So can the belt of God’s truth. His truthful words and ways can feel this way when I have allowed my thinking to stray away and become unyielding about what God says is true and what is not. Wearing the belt of truth is a commitment to God alone, and fastening the belt of truth securely reveals I have taken the time to surrender my will to Him. Wearing the belt of truth is a public testimony that I agree with God and His Word and settled that it is the only valid truth. God’s truth is foundational and holds everything else together. Prayer, peace, discernment, joy, service, and redeeming love are all borne out of truth.
Wearing the belt of truth ensures that I will have a place to hang my weapons when I don the rest of my armor. Only the naive think there is no battle to fight that we don’t invite. Plenty of references are made in scripture about the offensive enemies we face. Even in Ephesians 6, Paul lays out why armor is needed. That is why He says” Finally” or “because of all this” (making reference to evil rulers and forces, spiritual wickedness in high places in verse 12). The reality of this life is that I will face conflict and battle. But sitting far above the level of power the enemy has to thrust at me sits the supreme sovereign God who rules over all. He has prepared and delighted me in depending on Him to overcome and experience victory. If I believe my opponent doesn’t know how I should be dressed, I only deceive myself.
I can’t help but think of all the pitiful apathetic times I have charged across the battlefield of life’s conflicts, trying to keep my garments from falling off or down, unable to access weapons, clutching whatever I could grab hold of to defend myself with. No wonder I have experienced so many wounds and haven’t tasted the joy of victory The Lord offers. I left the belt behind.
Give me the strength to cinch up your belt of truth, Lord. Make me mindful that every day is not an accessory but essential to living out the daily life you have blessed me with and called me to. Jesus, if I don’t know your truth, help me to learn it. If I don’t understand it, give me wisdom. If I don’t believe it, give me conviction. Remind me your truth holds everything together, including me.
Come on back and see where next time, the 5 o’clock worker opens the door of the closet in the vineyard and pulls out the breastplate of righteousness when the series “The Wardrobe” from Ephesians 6 continues.
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