Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace… 

                                                                                                         Ephesians 6:14-15 

It is so often downplayed but the reality remains. Spiritual warfare is a certainty in this life. Everyday we face the choice to stand in the victory that is in Jesus or fall victim to the scheming of the enemy. Paul concludes this letter with an admonition to arm ourselves for the spiritual battle that all of us will face. Consider the following: 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

                                                                                                         Ephesians 6:10-11

Being strong in the Lord and standing firm in the strength of His might is the battle cry. Paul’s rhetoric doesn’t paint a picture of “trying harder” or “just doing the best we can.” His instruction to the church is to be strong. We are already victors when we are in a relationship with Jesus. But the enemy, of who Paul calls by name, will attempt to cloud our thinking with falsehoods and lies. So how do we stand strong against the scheming of our spiritual enemy? Paul suggests that we, figuratively, put on the armor of God. We are not actually putting on pieces of metal battle attire rather each piece represents a spiritual truth that, when believed on and applied to our lives, acts as defense for the battle. I do believe that Paul’s word picture of the placement for each piece of armor on the body is important, however we will focus on what each piece actually represents, for that is where we will draw spiritual strength. 

Armor Piece #1: The Belt Of Truth

“Girding our loins” is a way of saying that we are grounded in the truth. Some translations suggest the “belt of truth.” This is the first piece of the armor and that from which all of the others come. If we are grounded in the clearly, expressed truth of God’s word, we will be less likely to fall for doctrines and philosophies that work against biblical fact. Here are just a few of the realities surrounding biblical truth:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

                                                                                                                       John 14:6

First, truth is not a concept; truth is a Person. Jesus says, “I am the truth.” If we know Jesus Christ, we know the truth. If we are outside of a personal relationship with Jesus, we are, in reality, void of the truth. Yes, we can make statements about Jesus that we deem as true, but real spiritual knowledge is designed to come relationally as we intimately know Christ.

Secondly, truth comes from a study of the Bible. Consider the following words of Jesus:

 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

                                                                                                                   John 8:31-32 

Continuing in God’s word is a lifelong study and application of the truth found in scripture. This application includes claiming the very promises of God that are found in scripture for all who believe. Often this passage is misinterpreted, rendering it as “the truth will set you free.” The phrase, “the truth will make you free” is a better rendition because the word suggests a continued, fluid reality, not a one-time event. Spiritual freedom comes as we continue in the word of God.

Thirdly, truth is something that anyone can acquire. Consider the following: 

…who (God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

                                                                                                           1 Timothy 2:4

The word “desire” can be defined as “to will, to have in mind, and to intend.” It carries with it the concept “to take delight in” and “to have pleasure in.” It literally means that God “is willing.” The term “men” is the generic term for mankind and literally means “humans.” So Paul tells us that God is more than willing and takes pleasure in all humans being saved and coming to this realization of the knowledge of the truth.

So putting on the belt of truth implies personally knowing Christ, making the study of His word a life-long pursuit, and sharing this knowledge with others.

Armor Piece #2: The Breastplate Of Righteousness

Righteousness has the capacity to be one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible. Focusing on the first five letters of this word gives us what we need to accurately define it. Righteousness is to be “right” with God. The positioning of a breastplate is crucial since in protects our vital organs, including our hearts. But imperative to effectively using this piece of armor is the understanding from where this righteousness comes. Often, this concept is misunderstood to mean the good deeds that we perform in our lives, but the reality is that Christ provides us with righteousness. Consider the following:

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 

                                                                                                                   Romans 4:4-5 

There are two types of Christians, those who rest in the completed work of Christ on the cross for their spiritual salvation and wellbeing and those who begin there but slowly move into a “works” mentality. Paul clarifies this misunderstanding that righteousness comes from us when he states that, “those who do not work” (for their salvation) rather simply believe (trust) in Jesus are the ones who enjoy spiritual health because their faith is credited to them as righteousness. Just like someone else making a large deposit into your bank account, Christ’s obedience on the cross deposits into your spiritual bank account, righteousness. He will later reiterate this truth by stating the following: 

…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 

                                                                                                            Romans 10:9-10

Again, it is one’s faith (trust) in Christ that results in righteousness. The enemy will attempt to move you off of the truth of scripture and onto a falsity that will rob you of your security in Jesus. The breastplate of righteousness will guard your heart against this scheming as you continue to accept the righteousness of Christ into your life.

Armor Piece #3: Feet Ready To Share The Gospel

Finally, as we live in the truth that is Jesus and receive His righteousness into our lives, we are equipped to go out and proclaim the gospel to the world. To “shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” is to be ready to move out in an evangelistic motion. And what are we proclaiming to the world? We are to declare “good news.” I continue to find it fascinating what passes for good news these days. I believe that expression of the gospel must include our need for salvation, the love of God, and the provision of Christ. Paul expresses it this way:

Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

                                                                                                           Romans 10:15b 

How powerful it is to preach the gospel! But when we determine to share this “good news,” I believe that we need to ask ourselves a very important question. “Am I bringing to the world a message that is good news of good things?” Our responsibility is not to insure someone’s acceptance of the gospel, but it is our job to make sure that we are accurately representing God, Christ, and the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Walk in the truth that is found in a relationship with Jesus. Receive the righteousness of Christ by faith. And be ready to share good news with everyone. These are the first three pieces of armor. We will explore the last three next time. See you then!