Dress for Battle

In recent weeks, I have shared a series of messages to remind you: We have giants we need to face and battles we need to fight. Over the next few weeks, I am sharing with you how to fight. Our inspiration comes from Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Many Christians are taking a beating in the battles of life. There is a reason for it. It is called spiritual warfare. We learned last week that the Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. There is a battle to be fought and we are warned in this passage to stand our ground:

> Take your stand (v.11)
> Be able to stand (v.13)
> Stand firm (v.14)
 
Against evil in this world, God expects us to stand firm. No running, no retreating, no surrendering! You are in a Battle! So the Key thought: Prepare to do battle.

But how? The verses explain how—The key is to wear the full armor of God. Paul says you are under attack so “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…” (v. 11). Paul says, “There’s an armor to be worn” and the emphasis is on the full armor that is to be worn… Paul says it in verse 11 and once again in verse 13. So this is important—
 
Here’s why…it only takes a small crack in the dam to bring it down…a tiny leak in a boat to send it to the bottom. That is all Satan needs to do the same to you. So you must be fully dressed for battle—no cutting corners! What are the pieces of armor required for battle? We begin today with the first one—
 
Belt of Truth (v. 14)  
 
This was a wide belt worn by the Roman soldiers for support, and to secure the other pieces of the armor. A soldier would put on first a tunic, a square piece of cloth with holes for his head and arms, covering front and back and tucked underneath the belt. The belt held together the other pieces of the armor (the breastplate and sword were attached to the belt) and thus the belt was essential, fundamental, and foundational.
 
He is saying: The thing that holds things together in our life is truth. Truth, as such, is the word of God. The idea here is of embracing the truth with our life. It means to live the things we embrace as truth. It is the idea of sincerity in embracing the truth of God’s word. It is an absolute refusal to allow a gap between the truth I believe and what I actually live. A life of sincerity is the opposite from a life of hypocrisy. None of us live perfectly the life we believe in fervently. But the idea is to close the gap between what we know is true and what we actually do.

In your life, are you trying to root out inconsistencies? Are you sincere in accepting personal responsibility? Are you expecting of yourself personal morality and accepting the idea before God of eventual accountability?

When we embrace the truth of God’s word, it enables us to hold things together in our life and protects us from the wrong thinking that would war against our soul. We begin our battle against evil by embracing the truth of God’s word in our lives.
 
Next week we continue with a look at the breastplate of righteousness (v. 14). In the meantime, put into practice what you have learned thus far from the teachings of Paul. Dress for battle!

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron