Cute dress…but where is your belt? This was my mother’s response everything time I dressed up and willingly ignored wearing a belt. When I was a child, my mother ensured that my siblings and I were neatly dressed before leaving the house for church and other functions. The night before, she will pick out dresses, pants, shirts, socks, shoes and belts. Oh how I despised wearing a belt, that thing that holds your waist so tight and prevents you from breathing!
Now I am well in my thirties, I get to dress myself and I have done away with the belt. Recently, I found an old favorite pair of slacks that I have not worn in a while, and to my surprise, they did not fit anymore. These pants were falling down and I needed a belt, my least favorite accessory, to secure them around my waist. As I reflect on this moment, I thought of another belt that secures the waist in Ephesians 6:13-14 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”
Contrary to a physical belt that we put on last when getting dressed; the Apostle Paul in this passage instructs us to put first the belt of truth around our waist, before the remaining pieces of the armor of God. The truth of Jesus-Christ our Lord and Savior is the most important part of our armor, when we are standing against the adversary, in the midst of the battle. Without the truth of who Jesus is, and what He has done for us, we may stand briefly but eventually, we fall because our waist is not secured in His truth.
In our lives, there are many truths, which weight us down: the truth of medical tests results, the truth of finances, and the list goes on. Even though we cannot ignore these truths, one truth stands above them all, He is Jesus-Christ, the Savior who redeemed us and made us more than conquerors through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. He, who stood against death and prevailed, will surely stand in us against sickness, finances and any circumstances.
The belt of truth is not optional in the armor of God; instead, it stands as the critical piece, the foundation upon which we lay the remaining pieces: body armor of God’s righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Let us gird ourselves with the truth and find strength, knowing that Jesus already won our victory. Regardless of the challenges weighting us down, King Jesus our Victorious Warrior will stand with us in the battle, for He never fails. As we step outside today, we ought to answer this key question: “Do I have the belt of truth around my waist?”
Nat Says 