Suit Up for Battle
The day you believed in Jesus was the day that the real battle began. For just as surely as there is a God who loves you, there is also a devil who hates you.
It has been said, "Conversion has made our hearts a battlefield."
So we have a choice in this spiritual battle. We will either win or lose-gain ground or lose ground.
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You can't be a "spiritual pacifist." To fight a spiritual battle, you need spiritual armor. It's time to "man up" (or "woman up") and put on the whole armor of God.
The apostle Paul lays out the components of our spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:13–18, using the various pieces of armor that a Roman soldier would wear to make his point. Having spent a lot of time being chained to them, he probably asked a lot of questions, and had an excellent working knowledge of ancient weaponry and warfare.
Each piece of the Roman soldier's armor is interconnected to the others; all of it must be used. In the same way, it is not for us to "pick and choose" what pieces of armor we want (or don't want) to wear.
First, you need to put on your "utility belt of truth." As Ephesians 6:14 says, "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth."
When I was a little boy, I remember being amazed by Batman's utility belt. It had his Batarangs, Batcuffs, rebreather (for breathing underwater), night vision goggles, and much more-all the things that the "Caped Crusader" needed to fight crime.
Problem is, both it and he are not real, so let's consider the belt of real crime fighters: policemen.
Officers refer to this belt as their "Sam Browne." It consists of their radio, handcuffs, holster and gun, Taser, chemical spray, flashlight, holder for extra magazines, baton, etc.
The officer needs that belt when he is out and about, doing his duty, and the same was true for the Roman soldier.
The belt was essential. Why? Because the breastplate and the sword's sheath were attached to it. It also held up his tunic, giving him freedom of movement. If the Roman soldier's belt came off, his breastplate would fall off, along with his tunic.
So what does it mean to "gird your waist with truth," practically speaking? The utility belt of truth represents a life and mind that is pulled together and is ready to serve for the glory of God.
The utility belt of truth speaks of having integrity and truth in your "heart of hearts." David said, "Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6 NKJV).
The opposite of integrity is duplicity. Duplicity is hypocrisy-trying to lead a double-life.
The person who tries to live this way is a "sitting duck." But a true soldier of Jesus Christ cannot live that way. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:4, "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
I encourage you to put on your belt, and live truthfully.
