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The Belt


           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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (Ephesians 6:13-14a)
  
          Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) 

          In today’s passage, notice first that putting on the armor doesn’t result in our winning. It results in our standing. The victory has been won, but that doesn’t mean the battle is over from our perspective. Keep in mind from what has been said recently: victory or loss for us doesn’t involve doing anything to the enemy. We don’t do damage to the flesh, other people, the world, or the devil. We may frustrate the plans of one of those, but the goal isn’t to demonstrate our power. It is to remain with God, to come through the struggle without being separated from Him, and, if possible, to draw someone else nearer to Him. Those two things are victory for us. That is why submitting to God is the means by which we resist the devil. He’s trying to pull us away.
           Notice secondly, that the first piece of armor is the belt of truth. Truth is the first means by which we must defend ourselves. It’s not Wonder Woman’s golden lasso which forces others to tell the truth, it’s a belt. Roman soldiers wore belts primarily to keep their sword conveniently at hand. I think they also wore them as added protection for their bowels. In addition, as those who lift things know, a belt can help stabilize muscles so that you can lift without hurting yourself.
           According to the ancients, the bowels were the seat of the emotions. Therefore, truth is what holds our weapons (we’ll get to that.) Truth is what protects our emotions. Truth also holds our emotions in check and stabilizes and supports them. Our emotions don’t protect us. Our feelings do not determine truth. We are stronger and less likely to hurt ourselves when we allow ourselves to be limited by truth just as the person using the lifting belt is. Truth is what should contain, direct, and support our emotions.

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