“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” – Ephesians 6:14

In the book of Ephesians, Paul teaches us to be prepared for spiritual warfare by using the illustration of a Roman soldier preparing for battle. One of the aspects of that preparation is to put on the belt of Truth. The NAS translation puts it this way; “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” The picture here is of the Roman soldier tucking his tunic up into his belt. This would leave his legs unhindered for the fast and intense movements of battle. Likewise, if we are going to be ready for the spiritual attacks that come our way, truth will be what keeps us nimble. In our culture, when we hear the word “truth,” we think of correct information; of being the one who is “right” in an argument. While this is true, the Biblical idea of truth speaks to so much more than just correct information. In Scripture, truth means having honesty, purity, and integrity. It is similar to when a carpenter says something is “true,” he means that everything is level, in line, and all the angles are correct. This aspect of truth is so important to remember as we fight our spiritual battles. We often think that being “right” is most important so we fall into worldly and sinful methods in order to bring about the “right” result. This kind of thinking, however, is exactly what Paul is warning us about. Selwyn Hughes puts it this way; “When we are deceitful or hypocritical, or when we resort to intrigue or scheming, we are playing the Devil’s game. And we will never be able to beat the Devil at his own game!” If we are not committed to honesty and integrity, then we will be tripped up when we go into battle. Therefore, put on the belt of truth today. Be committed to not just being “right,” but being true in all you do. Then see how the Enemy flees!