The Belt of Truth pt. 1

The importance of truth

Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth...”

1st piece of armor mentioned by Paul

1st piece of armor put on by the Roman soldiers. Worn at all times except resting.

Connected to other pieces of their combat gear.

Breatstplate snapped onto the belt to hold it in place. Without the belt, the breastplate would be lose and move about. Ephesians 4:14 “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,”

Roman Soldiers wore a baldric that is a leather belt strap that connected with the man belt, but was worn as a shoulder harness. Their weapons could be sheathed here. The dagger was usually sheathed on the side of the belt.

Arrows were often attached to the belt as well.

The soldier’s money bag was also on his belt.

The Roman soldier’s belt signified identity. Only a soldier carried this kind of belt. If a soldier was dishonorably discharged, the soldier lost his belt.

The soldier would decorate their belt with certain things to identify who they were.

girded, take, fasten, buckle, gird loins

Gird loins- Tuck your tunic into your belt. Get rid of things that would hinder you in a fight

Proverbs 31:17 “She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.” Strengthens = amats RAK CHAZAK AMATS - Godly, Holy Spirit empowered courage!

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

Luke 12:35-40

Luke 12:35–40 NKJV

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

The belt and girding up your loins then refers to preparation and readiness for battle. To not be caught off guard. You cannot be ready to fight in the spiritual battle if you are not clothed in the truth.

What is truth?

John 18:33–38 NKJV

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”

The Greek word for “truth” is aletheia, which literally means to “un-hide” or “hiding nothing.” It conveys the thought that truth is always there, always open and available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured. The Hebrew word for “truth” is emeth, which means “firmness,” “constancy” and “duration.” Such a definition implies an everlasting substance and something that can be relied upon.

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Deconstructing-

Reconstructing-

Story of woman who had to read book for a class…boring and dry. Marries a man who she later finds out wrote that book under a different name. She stayed up all night reading that book again and found it fascinating and wonderful. The difference? She was in love with the author.

We will only find truth when we are in love with the author!