Devotional For Men

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness.

Ephesians 6:14, NLT

Signs of various sizes dot our highways these days, urging us to buckle up. We put on seat belts, not to prevent accidents but in recognition that accidents happen. A seat belt may prevent some of the deadly results of an accident. Belts hold things together. They keep you in your seat; they keep your pants up; and they minimize the effects of an expanding waistline . . . putting on a belt is a moment of truth. When the apostle Paul described God's armor for spiritual warfare he began with the belt. When a Roman soldier put on his gear, there were three items for constant wear: the shoes, the body armor, and the cinch belt. Other items (sword, helmet, shield) were worn as needed but not always. The first three were uniform; the last three were weaponry. The belt held the undergarments in place and provided a point of attachment for the body armor and sword. When he buckled up, a soldier began to get ready for battle. That was a moment of truth. In that action he deliberately added to his outfit as a citizen the uniform of a warrior. He picked up his helmet, sword, and shield on the way out the door. Paul calls the first item of God's armor the "belt of truth." This is not the first time he has mentioned "truth" in this short letter. In 1:13 he says, "And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you." He describes the footwear of a Christian soldier as "the peace that comes from the Good News" (6:15). We apply the Good News to our lives as a belt, and we spread it as peace to others wherever we walk. The truth of the gospel has to change us before we can expect it to affect others through us. In chapter four, Paul mentions "truth" four times (vv. 14, 15, 21, 25). He is describing the way believers should treat each other within Christ's body, speaking and acting out of truth and honesty. Honesty with Christ and with our fellow soldiers in his service becomes the essential first action we take each day in recognition that we don't belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ. We follow his orders. We serve him. And we dress for the battle, deliberately cinching truth around us again.