Ephesians 6: 13 – 14 NLT
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
God is giving us the equipment to “resist the enemy”, Satan. Let’s look at some other versions of verse 14:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” NIV
“But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval.” Living Bible
“So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart). Amplified Bible (AMP)
What is the “belt of truth”? The belt that soldiers wore in Paul’s day were very heavy 6 inch wide leather belts. It “secured the soldier’s tunic so that the material wouldn’t hamper his movement. It also helped hold in place his breastplate and the sheath for his weapon. The belt thus had the important function of keeping him free, protected, and agile enough to attack or defend, whichever the situation in battle required.” (See end of devotion)
The belt of truth is God’s Word, the Bible. That is where we find the truth about who God is and how we can have a good relationship with him. Just before he was crucified, Jesus prayed for his disciples and followers. John 17: 15 – 17 says, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.They do not belong to this world any more than I do.Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” Jesus prayed that God would help us know his Word.
So how do we do that? Obviously, reading these devotions help you get to know your Bible a little better. But it’s important that you read the Bible on your own. You don’t have to read long chapters. Even a few verses are good. Pray for God to help you understand what you’re reading before you start. The Holy Spirit does bring to our minds what God wants to say directly to us. Join a Bible study group and study with friends. Contact Deb Toth ([email protected]) and she will direct you to a group. I’ve been involved in Bible study groups for years, and that has really helped me develop my faith in God. Studying and talking honestly with friends is so beneficial.
What is the “breastplate of righteousness”? “The Roman breastplate was a large piece of leather, bronze, or chain mail that covered both the front and back of a soldier from his neck to his thighs. Its purpose? to protect the warrior’s vital organs – the core of his physical life, without which he would die within minutes. As such, the breastplate was an essential piece of armour. No soldier would consider stepping into battle without it”. (See end of devotion.)
This protection comes from God alone. The moment we accept Jesus as our Saviour, we belong to God and are protected by him. Ephesians 2: 8 – 10 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin; we can’t do anything on our own to accomplish that. But when we accept him, his sacrifice protects us. Satan will try to create doubt and worry about whether we’re good enough for God to accept us. He will try to convince us that the Bible isn’t really true, that we should leave all this religious stuff alone.
As believers, Jesus does protect us – the breastplate of righteousness – and we can trust that.
Hallelujah! Thank God for his protection!
(quotes are from Living Insights: Ephesians by Charles R. Swindoll, page 309)
Our song for today is Cornerstone by Tobymac.