Prepare for Battle! Day 2 ~ Belt of Truth

Prepare for Battle! – Day 2 ~ Belt of Truth

Weekly Manna for Memory

Ephesians 6:10-13

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Additional verses if you’d like a memorization challenge 🙂 …

Ephesians 6:14-18

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Manna Snack

Being in a battle can be daunting, but the knowledge that we are in a battle can also be liberating. Once we begin to see the problems in our day as spiritual in nature, it can help us team up with those we love instead of working against them.

The Belt of Truth

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waste.

Truth. It has certainly been given a bad rap, hasn’t it? In today’s world, to claim that you know the truth is made out to be closed or narrow-minded at best and bigoted or hateful of those who disagree with you at worst.

But, in general, people do take comfort in truth, especially in absolute truth. Even those who say they don’t believe it exists. And the principles in the Bible are absolute truth, spoken by our very Creator. So we have an excellent source on which to base our lives.

The Armor of God passage in Ephesians 6 comes after several verses exhorting believers to live lives of submission, compassion and love toward each other as spouses, family units and in work relationships.

So when Paul discusses the belt of truth, how can we apply that to families?

The belt, in a Roman soldier’s armor, held the armor together and held the sheath for the sword. This meant that without the belt, the rest of the armor wouldn’t stay on properly and the soldier wouldn’t have a way to hold their main weapon of offense.

If our lives aren’t based around truth–if we don’t have the “belt of truth” as a main anchor for our spiritual weaponry–how vulnerable are we to the schemes of the devil?

A life based on the truth of God’s Word is a victorious life.

Let’s apply this to daily scenarios in the life of a mom…

Personally – First, do we, ourselves, hold onto God’s truth? The following are some examples of truths that we need to take to heart:

We are valuable to the most high God (Psalm 139:14),
He loves us so much He died for us (Romans 5:8),
He cares about what sort of woman we become (Proverbs 31:10-31),
He promises to care for our every need (Matthew 6:25-34),
He gives us the power to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:12-13),
and He works all things out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

If we truly believe these things and live that way, then we will experience peace in our lives because God’s Word says in Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Marriage – What if we simply abide by God’s truth daily? Check your love for your spouse against God’s guidelines…

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Wow! That passage is convicting, isn’t it? God’s definition of love can be tough to fulfill…but it’s filled with hope of a love that is wonderful! Don’t we long to be loved like that?

Media and society say we don’t have to love by God’s truth. We can give love only when we feel like it. But God calls us to a more amazing love, an unconditional love that mirrors His sacrificial love. That’s a love that endures!

Also, the passage just prior to the Armor of God speaks about wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). Both are very difficult and unpopular commands, but if we trust that living by God’s truth is best, then those are foundational to a victorious marriage.

Parenting – There are so many truths our children need to hear today. Are we speaking these into their lives?

They are loved by God and have hope of an eternity far better than this world if they surrender to Him (John 3:16).
They are wonderful and unique, created by God Himself with the utmost care (Psalm 139:13-16).
God knows everything that happens in their lives, past, present and future (Psalm 139:16).
They are not alone. God promises to never leave them or forsake them (Deuteronomy 31:6).
They can come to Him with anything in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7).
God, their Father, their Daddy, is watching out for them personally and only allows into their lives what is good for them, what they can handle. They are worth so much to Him! (Matthew 10:29-31)

Do you see how important that belt of truth is? Being sure to have God’s truth as the basis for all of life is so important. Only if we take God at His Word can we move on through life victoriously, with our spiritual armor firmly in place.

Whether this piece of armor convicts us or comforts us, the main point for the belt of truth is that it holds everything else together. Without a strong foundation of truth, how can we face anything in life with confidence?

Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’

John 8:31-32

Dear Jesus, You have provided everything we need to live victoriously here on this earth, free of bondages. Although it feels sometimes like I’m losing the battle, help me to have faith that You have everything in control. Thank You for providing the Bible as a source of truth for my life and the lives of my loved ones. I pray that you would help me to obey it and to hold onto Your promises daily. Help me to love my spouse as You have loved me and to speak Your truth into the lives of my children so that they, too, can live in Your power, governed by Your love and grace. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Meal of Manna

Take some time to read the PDF at this link. It is “My identity and inheritance in Christ” as put together by Southland Community Church.

During your journaling and meditation time today, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one item from each section of this document that God wants you to consider today.

For example, it may be a truth that confirms your own value, or some behavior that you know doesn’t line up with God’s Word, or a truth that challenges your interactions with those you love most. Whatever it is, allow God to speak to you through it.

Pray for God’s guidance, strength and courage to “put on” His belt of truth and apply it to your life in these specific ways today.

Take-Away for Today

Print off the Identity document and keep it with your Bible. Highlight those items God has revealed to you today and remember to allow His truth to influence your words, thoughts and actions today.