Armor of God part 1- Belt of Truth - Why do we need to start with our loins girded about with truth before we add anything else?

Let’s talk about the armor of God. Its so awesome, and it’s a part of us. Let’s fully receive it and take hold of it. There will be a series of praise and worship sessions (the scriptures and discussions only are recorded going along with this many part series for the Armor of God. Here is The Armor of God Playlist on YouTube.

Ephesians chapter 6 lays it out for us.  We get to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”, Ephesians 6:10 BSB. That is so important. That it is God’s mighty power.  And that our fight is not against humans, we have to “make a stand against the devil’s schemes” (from Ephesians 6:11 BSB). We are to “take up the full armor of God”, so we can stand our ground, “and having done everything to stand” (from Ephesians 6:13 BSB). 

The first piece of armor talked about is the belt of truth.  If we look at Roman armor, the belt is foundational, and you attach everything else to it.  It can also provide stability (like a weight belt). And it’s where you could stick your sword.  Since its truth, we wouldn’t even know about the rest of the armor if we didn’t have it (Jesus, the word).

We are to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”, Ephesians 6:14a BSB.    In King James it says to gird our loins with truth.  Another place that uses the word loin (or Greek root word osphus) is: 1 Peter 1:13 BSB Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus. In the King James version, it starts with: Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind. In 1 Peter, the reproductive capacity of the renewed mind is the focus.   Loin is also hip / groin, which would include procreation power, and descendants.  It’s also the seat of generative power, and a fatal blow. 

So, when we look at girding our loins with truth, in the armor of God, we are renewing our mind to truth.  We are replacing lies from the enemy, that we have believed in our flesh with truth. And this gives us that reproductive capacity of the renewed mind.  After all, the renewed mind allows us to “be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God” Romans 12:2b BSB.  It also makes me think about how truth affects descendants, whether they are blood related, or brothers and sisters in Christ, the renewal of our mind to truth, effects those around us for sure, so it affects procreation of truth.  The truth sets the captives free. We were captive in our former creations, and the truth of who God was set us free.  But we were just captive in lies as well, and now we are free. Jesus said “to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” John 8:31-32 BSB.

Truth comes from God, and lies from the enemy. It says the devil is the “father of lies” in John 8:44.  Jesus literally is THE truth.  See John 14:6 BSB: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  Jesus is the truth, and He gave us a helper, the Holy Spirit, who “guide[s] you into all truth” (from John 16:13 BSB). The body of Christ together is “God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15b BSB.  So, we should be founded on truth, resting in truth, and with the mind of Christ, just speaking and living in truth.

Truth is the foundational piece, God’s word is truth. “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” John 17:17 BSB.  If we are going to stand, stand, and stand therefore, against the schemes of the devil, as we are told to do, we need to know truth. We need to know that we have an awesome and mighty God who is the truth, and who loves us, and who lavishes us with abundant grace, and has given us this awesome armor.  I pray the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God and His glorious might over all of you, that you may know more how awesome He is.  Let’s gird our loins, or the loins of our mind, with truth!  Because we can’t stand in our identity, and receive salvation or anything that Jesus suffered and died to gives us if we don’t know truth. He wanted eternal fellowship and communion with Him. He is truth, so let’s get to know Him and be able to know we are girded about with truth, in our loins and our mind.

Remember that one truth is that we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and that’s our next piece of armor (more on that next time).  Jesus reconciled (made mirror image) us to Himself.  He took on all the effects of sin, so we don’t have to.  Another truth is that as we keep our mind stayed on Him, we have perfect peace.  Peace (shalom), is so much more than the world defines it as.  The definition is: completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace.  It also means well, favor, friend, great, good health, perfect, prosperity, and wholly. We do have a choice to recognize what we have or not, and take hold of it. Jesus became the curse so we don’t have to, but we don’t have to receive it, not all receive salvation, and salvation means saved spirit, soul, and body.  So I pray that you know Him more, and everything that he suffered and died to give you!

See our live recorded version of the scriptures and talk from our praise and worship session on the Armor of God, belt of truth below. Join us live, free by subscribing HERE (scroll to bottom of page to subscribe)

References:

Scriptures marked BSB taken from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB Copyright 2022 by Bible Hub Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Scriptures marked KJV taken from The Holy Bible, authorized King James Version