Belt of Truth

I’ve been going through some stuff. Have you ever just gone through some stuff?? You don’t quite know how to handle it, but you don’t want to talk about it. And when you keep it bottled up, doesn’t it seem like the enemy just magnifies it? I’ve been wallowing in my own despair for about a month now. So many things are going on in my personal life, and I have done little to push through. It’s really a ridiculous situation for someone who’s been in church practically her whole life. And when things do not seem to be going my way, I become like one of the children of Israel in the desert and WHINE about everything. It has a trickle down effect as one small thing can set off an avalanche of emotions.

 I realized today that this happens when I allow myself to be cooped up in the house all day long and rarely see the light of day. I decided it was high time to go and just sit outside and meditate on the Word.  As I was relaxing and meditating, I was going through some of my old church notes. I find this is one of the many ways the Lord speaks to me; because although they may not have been relevant at the time, I always seem to find the perfect sermon (complete with plenty of scripture) to clear the brain fog. I began to read through some notes I had taken on spiritual warfare when I realized this state of depression is a ploy of the enemy to keep me distracted from the things The God of the Universe has for me. What particularly stood out were the notes on the armor of God (Ephesians 6).

We are in a battle for our soul. Ever day we face test, large or small, that determine our capacity to retain exactly what it is the Word of God is telling us. When Paul was writing this portion of the New Testament, he was in Rome. Using his current surroundings, Paul ended his letter to the church at Ephesus with an illustration of what our spiritual armor should look like. Picture in your mind the strong, statuesque Roman soldier. Not necessarily towering over his enemies, a Roman soldier would use keen knowledge and brute force to strategically overtake his enemy in battle.

Everyday, they would push their body to new levels of endurance, making them fully prepared for everything the enemy might throw at them. But central to the success of a Roman soldier in battle was his gear. His physique was no match for the enemy’s weapons if there was no way to protect his vital organs. Paul recognized this and gave an incredible illustration of why Christians should put on our battle gear everyday, making sure each piece of spiritual armor is not only in tact, but in excellent condition. Paul begins with the loin belt (the belt of Truth) because this was the piece of equipment that held the other pieces of armor together. We know that the belt of Truth, the Word of God, is absolutely central to every decision we make. The Roman soldiers garb was layer strategically. Every piece, however, was contingent on the loin belt to ensure the armor would fit properly.  Otherwise, in the midst of the battle, a soldier would become distracted with an ill-fitting suite and give the enemy plenty of opportunity to take him down. (Can’t you just imagine a powerful Roman soldier on the battle field adjusting his “skirt”, trying to keep it pulled up?)

As Christians, we have to make sure that every thing we do is centered on our instruction from the Word of God! There is absolutely no use in being a Christian if we deny the existence of our purpose. And our purpose is found in the belt of Truth! When we are going though issues that keep us defeated, we need to remind ourselves that we have the victory. The war has already been won for us, we just have to take every battle captive. It is not easy to encourage ourselves in the Lord sometimes. I am personally struggling because I have always been surrounded by a church family (and amazing godly friends) that constantly encourage me, and can bring me back to reality when needed. Right now, I find myself in a wilderness experience because we have not been at our new church long enough to make friends, and Jer’s work schedule is so crazy we are not able to go on Wednesday nights (when amazing friendships are forged). So now, I am having to put into practice everything I have learned about encouraging myself in the Lord, and it’s tough. I try to surround myself with godly teachings and do daily personal Word study. But, buddy, it’s hard when we are beings created for fellowship!! However distressed I am, I know that this is a temporary situation. I know that by going to the Lord in prayer, and by reading my Word, I am being encouraged to overcome anything the enemy may try to throw at me. I just have to change my perspective mentally, and my physical and emotional problems will change as well. We must line our thoughts and confessions with the truth in the Word of God!

My prayer is that this will bless someone today. Perhaps, if you are struggling, you can be reminded that the first place we must look for peace is to the Lord and His Word! “The Lord bless and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” (The Aaronic (priestly) blessing from Numbers 6:24)

Standing with you in faith,

Trina

Prayer:

Gracious Father,
Thank You for always being a source of strength and help when the battle becomes exhausting. God, thank You for allowing me to have Your Word as an outline for my purpose in life. God, thank You that even in wilderness experiences I am never alone!

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Scripture References:

Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Acts 12:24 (NIV)
But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Hebrews 13:7 (NIV)
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Acts 4:31 (NIV)
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

2 Corinthians 2:17 (NIV)
Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

LoveLIFE (LoveIsForEver):

I do not utilize my husband enough when it comes to needing prayer. God gives us a spouse so we may have someone one to help spur us on when we are battle weary. I am thankful for a husband that serves the Lord, and I have purposed in my heart to be vulnerable more often with him; especially when it comes to letting someone pray for me. If you have a godly spouse, first- thank God for them. And second, let your guard down and let them pray for you. If you do not have a spouse the serves the Lord, I would encourage you to pick up the book, The Power of A Praying Wife  by Stormie O’Martian. It is a powerful book that will change your whole perspective on praying for your husband. (She has a whole series of “Power of Praying” books, and they are all really great!)