The Helmet of Salvation

The Helmet of Salvation

(Ephesians 6:17)
 

How the facts and truths of salvation become a defense against the attacks against the enemy.

 

 

There is much talk today in military circles about the merits of a missile defense system to protect America from incoming nuclear attacks. That type of radar-based system serves as a modern parallel to the ancient battle shield. In order to function properly as a shield, a missile defense system must be in place at all times; the moment it is turned off is the moment of vulnerability for an entire nation. In the same way, faith must be exercised continually. To lower the shield of faith is to invite the attack of the enemy.

 

Do you ever feel your life is empty and you need to stay busy? If so, you are a target for the enemy.Satan is in the business of waging a battle for the possession and control of your mind. His purpose is to corrupt or confuse you, whether through false teaching or through the world's value system, so that it is impossible for you to think about God and His purposes. That's why it is very important to examine the meaning behind Paul's statement that, as believers, we protect our minds with the helmet of salvation. Through Christ we can have victory in the area of the mind---many of his battles where the devil fights ---since the Lord Christ is our helmet. He is the girdle (belt) of truth, for He is the Way and the Truth, and the Life. He is the breastplate, for He is our righteousness. He becomes our shoes of peace, for He is our peace. He is the shield of faith, for He is the author and finisher of our faith. And He is the helmet of salvation, for we are told in the Bible that we have the mind of Christ.

 

 

Picturing the Helmet of Salvation

 

The helmet, which is the covering for our head, reminds us that Christ wants us to equip ourselves with His purposes, His plans, His thoughts, His concepts, His truth, and His revelation, so that we can stand victorious in the midst of the fury of Satan's attacks.  I believe the spiritual battle is fought in the mental arena more than any other place in life. We love the Lord, but if we aren't careful the devil can enter our thinking process, set up an outpost, and begin to influence other areas of our life.

The helmet of salvation is more than simply knowing that we are Christians. When we put on the helmet we are literally equipping ourselves with the wisdom of God resident in the person of Jesus Christ. We to take unto ourselves God's wisdom.

 

 

It is Personified in Jesus Christ

 

"But to those called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God... But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God---and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1Corinthians 1:24,30). Notice the progression in those words. Not only are we saved by God's wisdom, we are also given God's wisdom. We are also made right with God and actually participate in His righteousness. On top of all that, we receive sanctification from God and He gives to us His great redemption. All of this is because of the person of Christ. As we encompass the Lord and "put on" Jesus Christ, He becomes to us our wisdom. The helmet is personified in Jesus Christ. He is our helmet of salvation.

 

It is a Prerequisite to Any Kind of Ministry

 

In Santo Domingo, motor scooter riders do not wear a helmet because it is not required in the Dominican Republic. It is estimated that there are between 20-25 deaths a day in Santo Domingo alone. Many deaths would be prevented by wearing a helmet. When you go into spiritual battle as a minister of Jesus Christ, the helmet is not optional. You simply must wear it. You have to think like Christ. In the sixth chapter of Acts, when they were establishing the prerequisites for deacons, they decided, "Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the holy Spirit and wisdom." Wisdom is a prerequisite to ministry.

 

                                           It is the Power of God in Your Life

 

If you don't have the helmet, you don't have power. Paul said in 1Corinthians 2:3-5, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." He did not go to the church in Corinth with his own concepts or his own program. He went equipped with the mind of God and that gave him power.

 

 

It is Produced by Reading the Word of God

 

You gain God's wisdom through spending time with Him in His Word. That is why Paul could say to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15, "And from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation." Young Timothy became wise by spending time in the Word. You are never going to have the wisdom of Christ if you don't spend time reading the Bible. It won't come any other way. The Bible is God's message...His truth for us. It is the best way to come to know Him and know His mind.

 

 

 It is Possible Through Prayer

 

How can you get the helmet of salvation? How can you gain the wisdom of God for your Christian life? You have to ask God for it. The Bible says in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to everyone liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." The helmet of salvation which is the protection of the wisdom of God, is available to every believer. It is a prerequisite for anyone wanting to do ministry, and it is possible to obtain through prayer and the reading of the Word of God.

 

Practicing the Helmet of Salvation 

 

The key to all this is knowing  how to use the helmet of salvation. The whole system of apologetics and education came as a result of the recognition that Christians were being sent out into the world ill-equipped in the mental arena to do battle with Satan. The power of  ideas change the world. It was the power of an idea that caused communism to be established, and the power of an idea that swept it out. The power of ideas empowered Hitler and Stalin, just as they empowered Luther and Augustine.

We have never been in a place where we more sorely needed men and women thoroughly equipped with Christian minds, ready to do battle in the spiritual arena. The battle is raging and we risk losing if we do not have champions for God that are determined to be every bit as equipped in the disciplines of the gospel as the greatest scientist in his discipline.

 

 

Defending Ourselves in a Hostile World

 

 

The mind of Christ is not in accord with the mind of the world. Rather, it is in opposition to it. The world is hostile toward what you think and believe when you follow Christ. There is no place where that was more evident than in the early days when the apostles went out to champion the cause of the Gospel. Jesus promised in Matthew 10:18-19, "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given you in that hour what you should speak."  These verses describe how the believer functions with the helmet of salvation in place. Jesus said that there will be times in your Christian life when you will be caught in a hostile situation with no time to prepare. You won't have an opportunity to pull out your apologetics text, so you will trust the Lord because you have equipped yourself with the mind of Christ. In that moment, as you are being attacked by enemy forces, you don't have to worry because God will give you the right words to say.

 

Today we need to be so equipped because we cannot walk into the world without any answers. Too many Christians spend their lives on the defensive, running away from confrontation because they have not equipped themselves with the mind of Christ. We need believers who can embrace His truth and boldly communicate it to a lost world.



Taken from David Jeremiah's  study guide, Spiritual Warfare

 

Next will be "The Sword of the Spirit Which is the Word of God"



~Annie~



The Shield of Faith

The Shield of Faith

(Ephesians 6:16)

To be victorious, we must have faith in the only One who is stronger than Satan…the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

The Purpose of the Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 tells us why we need the shield: “With it, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.” When the Scripture refers to fiery darts, it is a clear literary allusion to the practice of warfare at that time.  Archers would soak the tips of their darts and arrows in poison so that if the initial trauma of the arrow didn’t kill its victim, the poison would get into the wound and do its job that way.  On other occasions, Roman soldiers would wrap their arrowheads in cloth, soak them in pitch, and then set them on fire before raining arrows down on the enemy. Those flaming arrows splattered burning pitch wherever they landed, often was setting afire the camp of the enemy.  This proved particularly effective when fighting legions of soldiers with wooden shields, for those shields, while effectively stopping the arrow’s thrust, would begin to burn. The smoke would make the shields difficult to use, and got in the eyes of the one wielding the shield.

  

The Dart of Doubt

What kind of darts does Satan through at you?  In his first encounter with man, the devil used the dart of doubt.  Genesis 3 records that he began to trap Eve by asking,  “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”  In other words, did God really say that? Did God really mean it?  He begins by creating doubt in the mind of his victim.  Satan shoots a dart into Eve’s heart to question the integrity of God.
 

The Dart of Denial

When Eve replies, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God as said, ‘you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’  Satan simply denies the truth.  “You will not surely die,” he says, though this is clearly a contradiction of God’s Word.  Notice that Satan didn’t come right out at the beginning and deny God.   That would have been too obvious and would have scared Eve off.  He started by sowing seeds of doubt, then he brought it to a denial of God’s Word.

 

The Dart of Deceit

Satan sends his most poisonous dart into the heart of Eve when he says, “God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” There is some truth in that statement, but it is full of wicked poison.  It is a deceitful declaration, and Eve, without her shield of faith, was ruined by Satan’s attack.

Satan still uses these darts to attack God’s people. He loves to bring up doubt in the lives of believers.  That’s why you need the shield of faith, because it is the antithesis of doubt. 

Hebrews chapter 11 is called the “hall of faith” because it chronicles the people in the Old Testament who distinguished themselves by expressions of faith. Each one accomplished great things by taking a step of faith, and it was that faith that protected them from the darts of the evil one.  Some of many who showed great examples of faith were Noah, Abraham, Isaiah, Joshua, and Moses.  Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  By faith, he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3).

The Bible is full of examples of men and women who held to their faith in God in the face of attacks from Satan. Sometimes people were called by God to do things that might have seemed ridiculous, but they stepped out in faith because they were sure God was directing them.  These people felt many of the same pressures we feel, had the same doubts cast at them by Satan, and decided to lift up the shield of faith and say, “I am going to believe God and take Him at His Word. I don’t care what the circumstance look like and I don’t care what doubts Satan throws at me, this is God’s Word and I will trust in it.”  Faith has the potential to accomplish great things for God.  
 

The Possession of the Shield of Faith

God isn’t going to drop this kind of faith into your lap. You have to take it up. You have to appropriate the truth.  Faith is not faith unless it is at work.  True faith is active, and the only way to appropriate it is to become familiar with the Word of God so that you know the truth and fight off Satan’s doubt and deceit with God’s truth.

There are two things to keep in mind if you are going to pick up the shield of faith.  First, get straight about the object of your faith…Jesus Christ.  He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.  Make certain you faith is in Christ Jesus, not your pastor or teacher.  As you get to know Jesus you will begin to feel more and more secure.  Get to know Jesus and your faith will grow.  Second, get serious about the strengthening of your faith.  You develop physical strength by exercise, and you develop spiritual  strength  by exercising your faith. You don’t grow by what you know, but by taking what you know and applying that truth to your life.  If you don’t exercise your faith by applying truth to your life, you won’t grow.  Do you want to build a strong shield of faith so that you can defeat Satan in the spiritual battle? Find something God has told you to do, and do it. Then you’ll start to win some of those battles.

Taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare

~Annie~

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

The  Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

(Ephesians 6:15)

Warfare by definition is the absence of peace. 

But in spiritual warfare, personal peace becomes part of the Christian’s armor.

 

Roman soldiers, about whom Paul was writing, wore hob-nailed sandals. They were specifically designed to be surefooted in battle. They had a thick base, made of wood and leather, and often had short spikes embedded in them to give the soldier extra traction on inclines or in bad weather. Even on the slickest ground they could stand in hand-to-hand combat and not slip. Paul used this concept of Roman warfare, being properly shod when going into battle, to remind us of the importance of having a firm foundation.

 

The Scriptures say that the shoes we wear are the gospel of peace. In other words, we are to be prepared with the Good News of peace. The foundation of our fighting in the spiritual battle is the settled peace within us that God wants us to have. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Satan is the destroyer of peace. His purpose was to bring division and separation from God to the people on earth. His first act was to create division between the angels. So when we do combat with him, we need to have an implement of warfare that will enable us to withstand that particular attack of division and restlessness. In this case, the implement to use would be the gospel of peace, according to Ephesians 6:15.

 

The Relationship of the Shoes to the Armor

Remember, the whole imagery of Ephesians 6 is that the believer literally needs to equip himself with Jesus Christ.  He is to put on the Lord Jesus, and in the power of Christ, go forward into battle. Begin by putting on the girdle of truth, which is Christ. Then, put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is living according to that truth, protected from the enemy’s arrows. Living out the truth leads to peace, which is what Paul is speaking about in verse 15. You start with the truth, which brings you to righteousness, which leads to peace. You are no longer struggling to prove yourself to God; He has declared you righteous in Jesus Christ.

Remember, we are not in battle against people. We are in battle against the realm of thoughts and attitudes, and so it is important that we are equipped with the inner peace from God. Much of the spiritual battle takes place in the realm of our outlook in life. It is not the situation in which we find ourselves that is critical, but how we look on that situation in the power of Christ. We are to remember that in Jesus Christ we have peace. Ephesians 2:14 says, “He Himself is our peace.” As we appropriate that truth into our lives, we can go into the battle and be victorious.

Most often it is when the battle is almost unbearable and the circumstances look impossible that Jesus speaks peace to us and gives us encouragement to keep us fighting. He is our peace, and that is the foundation upon which we must do battle. That is the relationship of the shoes to the rest of the armor.
 

The Requirement of the Shoes for Armor

Luke 21:26 tells us that in the last days men’s hearts are going to be failing them for fear. Have you noticed how fear, stress and violence are increasing in our world? Because of that we are to be men and women who stand apart from the world. We are to have a ministry of peace to people who are afraid. But how can we minister to them if our own hearts are troubled and filled with fear? They will just look at us and wonder what we have to offer them that is different. We must go into this world with a gospel message that brings peace and do it with the settled assurance that Jesus Christ is at home in our hearts, bringing peace to our souls.
 

 

The Reason for the Shoes as Armor

Matthew 6 tells us why we are to have peace and reveals to us why, without God’s peace operating in our lives, we will not win the spiritual battle. Here are five reasons that suggest we may not be prepared to go to war without the shoes of the gospel of peace.
 

Without shoes, you are ungrateful

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus tells us, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you should put on. Is not life more than meat and the body more than clothes?”  It is saying, “Don’t be ungrateful for the provision you have.” If you don’t have the peace of God operating within your heart, you are being ungrateful. You cannot be fighting fervently for the Lord and at the same time be doubting Him in the very basics of life. You cannot go into battle as a warrior for the Lord Jesus while at the same time you are distrusting His very concern for you as His child.

Without Shoes, You are Unreasonable

Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air; for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.” Jesus asks, “Are you not more valuable than they?” It is unreasonable to not believe that God considers us, who have been made in His own image, more valuable than the birds of the air that He provides for.
 

Without Shoes, You are Unproductive

Matthew 6:27 says, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? You can worry all you want but it won’t change things. So what good is it? It is totally unproductive. If you do not have on the shoes of the gospel of peace, you will accomplish nothing.
 

 

Without Shoes, No One will Know that You are a Christian

Matthew 6:31 says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink? Or ‘What shall we wear?’ This verse simply suggests that if you get all worked up with worry over how you will provide the basic necessities; you are acting no different than the world. There is nothing distinctly Christian about your attitudes. Where is the sense of security and peace that is yours because you belong to Christ? Without the shoes of  peace how can anyone tell if you are Christian or of the world.
 

Without Shoes, You are Unprepared

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Jesus in Matthew 6:33-34 clearly tells us that our lives are to be filled with peace, not with worries over the things of  the world. That’s why David wrote, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Psalm 55:2), and Peter said, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). You cannot be a warrior when you are torn up inside with doubt and worry and cannot be strong and confident in battle, standing secure in Him, if you don’t have the solid footing that comes with the gospel of peace.
 

The Requisitioning of Shoes for Armor
 

How does one requisition the shoes of the gospel of peace?  

First, you need to meet the Author of Peace. You may not have peace in your heart because you have never met the One who gives peace. Hebrews 13:20 calls Him “the God of Peace.” Second Thessalonians 3:16 refers to Him as the “Lord of Peace.”  First  Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” He sent Christ into the world to be your Savior and He wants you to come to know Him and fill up your life with His peace.

Second, you need to meditate on the Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” As you meditate on the Author of Peace, He fills up your life with His peace.

Third, you need to manifest the spirit of peace in your life. The Bible says that peace is one of the inevitable results of the Spirit of God controlling your life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…

We ought to pray every day, “Jesus, through Your Holy Spirit, take control of my life. Cleanse me from sin. I confess it, and now Spirit of Christ, take control. Take up residency in my heart. You sit on the throne of my life.  I give myself totally to You.”  Now when bad thoughts or attitudes come to mind, bow your head and say, “Lord, I don’t want it this way. I know it is a sin to not to trust You. I confess my sin. Now Spirit of God take control again and grant me peace. You may have to do this many times over and over again until, little by little, He does get control and that sense of peace comes to reign within.

Fourth, we put on the shoes of the gospel of peace by meditating on and memorizing the Word of peace. Psalm 119:165 tells us, “Great peace have those who love Your law.” What a great promise! If you meditate on and memorize God’s Word, then as you face the troubles and turmoils of battle, He will bring to mind the truth that you have committed to your heart and your mind.

If you want to invest your time in something that is worthwhile, fill your heart and mind with the truth of God. Then when Satan attacks, you can call forth God’s Word to defeat him, and remain in perfect peace during the fiercest of battles.  Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Let not your heart be troubled, and neither let it be afraid.” And Jesus lived that out as an example for us to follow.”  Even as Christ went to His death on the cross there was a calmness and sense of direction about the events. His life was secure, and He wants you to be standing firm, wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace.

This was taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare, 2002

Next will be "The Shield of Faith"

~Annie~



The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Breastplate of Righteousness

A breastplate was the piece of armor that covered the body from the neck to the thighs.  It consisted of two parts: the front was one solid piece, and the other piece went over the shoulders and had straps that crossed in back, cinching it tight against the body.  The warrior, without his breastplate, was dangerously exposed to the enemy and could easily be killed because his vital organs were left unprotected.  An arrow to the heart or a sword to the bowels would immediately snuff out his life.

Christ’s Righteousness

The Bible tells us that when we become Christians, we are immediately equipped with the righteousness of Christ.  Paul told the Corinthians, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God---and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).

As Jesus Christ hung on the cross, two major things happened.  First, He took our sin upon Himself.  The Bible says He became sin for us. All the sins of the world were crucified on that cross with Jesus.  Second, He imparted righteousness to us. So when we give our lives over to Him, and put our trust in Him for eternal life, Christ not only forgives our sin but gives to us His righteousness. We become righteous in Christ.

It is the greatest opportunity anybody has ever had, to get rid of your sin and get the righteousness of Christ imputed (credited) to your account in return. That’s what happened and that is why Paul writes, “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

When you put on the breastplate of righteousness, that is your armor, and you don’t have to worry about Satan accusing you before the Father because when the Lord looks at you, He sees Christ and His righteousness. Doesn’t that just make you want to praise God?

The Christian’s Righteousness

Too many Christians accept their position in Christ and do little about their practice. They are saved but not practicing their sanctification. That is, they have not become in practice what they are in position. Your position in Christ needs to be reflected in your practice while living in this world.

The breastplate of righteousness is ours; therefore, we should live according to the pattern of the Word of God.  We can stand before the temptations of Satan without yielding if we know we are living righteous lives.  The Bible says we are to put on righteousness.  Ephesians 4:24 says, “That you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” It tells you to begin to live out in practice what you already are in position.

Apart from righteousness, the Christian has no defense against Satan’s accusations. How can I tell others what Christ has done for me when my life isn’t any different from their lives? Your neighbor down the street won’t want Christ because he won’t see in you what you claim to have in Christ. The reason we are losing the war is because too many Christians want to cozy up to the world, live comfortably in the culture, and not really fight the battle against Satan.

Consistent Righteousness

In the flesh it is impossible to be righteous. If we could be, Christ would not have had to die. But it is possible to wear the armor of righteousness consistently. In 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, Paul describes the righteous life of the believer by saying, “Give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness.” The Christian wearing the breastplate of righteousness has been changed by the power of God. He is godly in every situation. In times of stress, times of joy and times of sorrow, you can discern that he is different.

If you are not living righteously, you are just another easy target for Satan. You harbor sin so you just can’t seem to get things right with God. You can’t witness because you know your life doesn’t match your words. You can’t be victorious over temptation, for every time you try to do battle, the enemy brings to mind that spot in your life and you feel defeated. It is going into war without your armor. But when you put on the breastplate of righteousness you stand protected, confident that your heart is secure from the evil one.  Dr. Charles Eerdman once said, “One who binds himself about with a determined loyalty to the holy will and law of God is secure against the deadly thrusts of the Tempter.  Knowing you are right with God gives you power in the battle. This will require some self-examination. Righteousness must be something we must decide to live out in our lives every day of the week.

 

Controlled Righteousness

The significance of the breastplate of righteousness is not only what it is, but what it protects. The breastplate basically is worn to protect the heart. It stops an enemy’s arrow from piercing your heart and taking your life. The significance is that the heart represents your emotions and feelings. Every good or painful emotion is felt in the heart, every angry or vengeful thought, and every fearful or joyful thought are felt within the heart.

Instead of walking around trying to be a better Christian, you need to let your heart fall in love with Jesus again. Instead of trying to do better in your Christian walk, you need to learn to love God more. When you learn to love the Lord through His Word, through prayer, through worship, and through interaction and accountability with other Christians, it will change your life. You won’t have to figure out how to change your life and be righteous. You will simply be so in love with the Lord you will want to live to please Him. The old things will begin to fall away, and you will be renewed from the inside out.  Instead of trying to control your life by your own power you will begin to see the love of God controlling you. When you love God you want to live as God wants you to live.

When you put on the breastplate of righteousness, you are dealing with your heart.  Where is your heart today? Too many Christians are more concerned with the pleasures and treasures of this world, rather than setting their hearts on God. But by setting your heart on God, and living out His righteousness, you become powerful and protected in the spiritual war. 

(Taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare)

I need to get ahead on enough posts to cover for the time period I get cataract surgery on both of my eyes, so that is why I am inserting the Spiritual Warfare from David Jeremiah's study guide written in 2002. 

Next will be "The Gospel of Peace"

~Annie~

The Girdle (Belt) of Truth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Weapons of our warfare are the sum parts of the armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18

The very first piece of armor we put on is called the Girdle (Belt) of Truth. 

What exactly is a Girdle?

This is how David Jeremiah explains it:

 

What Is the Girdle?

The girdle was a common piece of dress worn by almost all Romans, whether warrior or not.  It was usually a six-inch belt that fastened around the middle, made of either leather or linen.  It was worn outside of the long, flowing robe that was commonly worn in Paul’s day, and it had a specific purpose. You may have read a verse in your Bible that says “Gird up your loins,” and you may wonder what that means.  When a Roman was interested in moving from one place to another rapidly, he would take his long robe, pull it up, and tuck it into his girdle.  That way the robe would not encumber him when he was running or moving quickly. When a soldier from the Roman garrison was sent into battle he would do the same thing, tucking his robe into the girdle around his waist so that he would not trip over it or get it caught on something in battle.

Why Was It Used?

Paul tells the Ephesians that they are to put on the girdle of truth as the first thing to prepare for battle.  The writer of Hebrews strikes a familiar theme when he says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run…the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

The girdle (the belt) was used by the soldier as a place where he supported his weapons.  The swordsman hung his sword from it.

It is interesting that this primary piece of clothing is called “the girdle of truth.”  Truth is at the very foundation of the Christian life.  Jesus called Satan “the father of all lies,” and the Bible say there is no truth in him.  Our enemy’s primary attack will be as a deceiver trying to entangle us with falsehoods and half-truths so that we become confused.  The devil wants to keep us from walking in integrity; so he will try to misinform and upset us so that we get bogged down in sin.  The way to deal with the deceiver is to implement God’s truth in our lives. Christ, the Truth and the true God, is our armor against the attacks of Satan. (This material is from David Jeremiah’s book, Spiritual Warfare).

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth…He is the ultimate truth and He is the Word of God, so let us arm ourselves with Him.
 

How Do We Use It?

 

How do we arm ourselves with truth? By knowing the truth!  In order to do battle the believer needs to know the truth about God, the truth about Christ, and the truth embodied in His Holy Word, the Bible.  Christ Himself, when encountered by Satan in the wilderness, did battle by using the truth.  When Satan tempted Him, Christ fought back with the doctrine of Scripture by noting, “It is written” and quoting an appropriate passage (Matthew 4:1-11).  And when Satan tried to twist Scripture by quoting a verse out of context, Jesus responded with a truthful understanding of that passage. (David Jeremiah)

Satan quoted the Scripture in verse six this way: “He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91: 11-12, reads:  “For He will command His angels concerning You to guard You in all Your ways; they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.

Although Satan quoted Scripture, he omitted a very important part, “to guard You in all Your ways.”

Doctrine is the truth of the Word of God organized and categorized so that we can think clearly about the issues of life.  God expects us to learn the truth.  If His people will put on the girdle (belt) of truth and make the pursuit of God the focus of their Christian walk, Satan will meet some great defeats.

Paul’s desire for the churches to whom he ministered was that they arm themselves with truth.  That’s why he prayed in Ephesians !: 17-19, that God “may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

God’s Word is eternal and useful in the spiritual battle we all face.

You not only need to know the truth, you need to live the truth. The child of God who goes into battle must have integrity of character.  That gives him the courage and confidence to do battle with the enemy.

The sword, the only offensive part of our armor, hangs from our belt. You cannot use the sword, which is the Word of God, effectively unless the Word is evident in your life. You will get ripped up, just as a soldier without a girdle (belt) would trip on his own robe.  We are to live our lives to please God so let us examine our lives to see if we know the truth and are living it out in our lives.

 

Taken from David Jeremiah's study-guide on Spiritual Warfare

Next will be "The Breastplate of Righteousness"

 

~Annie~