“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…” (Ephesians 6:14 (ESV)
“Given his Jewish upbringing, Paul’s thinking is continually informed by Old Testament teaching, especially as he unpacks the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10–20. Still, Paul almost certainly has in mind as well the armor of the Roman soldiers he saw every day throughout the empire.” – Dr. R. C. Sproul
Isaiah 11:1-5 depicts the Jewish Messiah as a mighty warrior. However, in light of the cultural context of the first century Roman Empire in which the Apostle Paul lived, we will examine how the equipment of the typical Roman soldier illustrates the believer in Christ’s armor. Today we examine the belt of truth.
Paul begins his illustration with the now familiar command to stand (ἵστημι; histemi). As previously noted in Eph. 6:13, to stand means to be establish and unmovable in the truth of God while living in a world which loves lies.
The phrase having fashioned (περιζώννυμι; perizonnymi) means to personally get ready and to prepare oneself for battle. The belt of truth (ἀλήθεια; aletheia) is the believer’s readiness to learn God’s truth.
Each Roman soldier has a leather belt. His belt supported his lower abdomen. It also gathered his tunic and held his sword. A soldier’s belt provided physical support and stability. The Word of God provides the believer much the same type of confidence. This comes from the certainty about the truthfulness of God’s Word.
Dr. Sproul comments further that, “Ancient Roman soldiers wore a leather apron to protect their thighs from the attacks of their foes, and this piece of armor is the counterpart to the “belt of truth” (Eph. 6:14). Without God’s truth we have no true support — we remain completely vulnerable and are left, effectively, with no legs to stand on. If we lose the truth of the gospel (1:13; 4:21, 24; 5:9), we have the bottom cut right out from under us, rendering us unable to withstand the assaults of false doctrine, half-truths, and other deviations from the Lord’s revelation. According to Isaiah 11:5, the Messiah wears a belt of righteousness and faithfulness. Knowing the truth of the gospel, we see that God has been faithful to His promise to declare us righteous in Christ.”
There are many who say there is no objective truth. Remain steadfastly committed to the truth of the gospel today.
Soli deo Gloria!
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