Spiritual warfare is real.
Let me repeat that.
Spiritual warfare is real.
Ephesians 6:10-13 says,
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.”
Our battle is not only flesh, but also spiritual forces. We do face the reality of our human nature and sin we may commit, but we also have a real enemy who desires to kill and destroy all of God’s creation. (1Peter 5:8)
We see it from the beginning of time when Satan deceives God’s creation and corrupted all of humanity. Sin entered what God created to be good. It is only by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are set free from our sins and be fully restored with Him for all eternity.
Yet, we are still here.
God has called us here for such a time. We are in a real war of the seen and unseen.
He has given us the Helper, The Holy Spirit, to discern and take action on how to approach this warfare. In Ephesians 6, Paul describes the armor of God using elements the soldier would prepare for battle. They would need the sword, the shield, the shoes, the breastplate, the helmet and the belt.
Ephesians 6:14, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”
Why a belt?
With the soldiers' armor, the belt held everything together. If it was not tied properly or cinched tightly, all the other pieces of armor would fall off. The belt was a vital piece to maintain the armor's integrity.
The belt in Ephesians is described as the belt of TRUTH. Not the belt of doubt, fear, or skepticism.
It represents the Holy Word of God. It is active and alive. It is not just a tangible book like the flesh on our bones. It represents the Holy, God breathed truth of our King.
“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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13
The belt of truth gives us the ability to be grounded, but also set free. Free from the bondage of the lies of the world. Free from the deception from Satan.
Wearing the belt gave the soldier freedom of movement.
And it is the Truth that points us to the One who sets us free.
We need the Word to be able to fight the battles we will endure. The world will tell you God’s Word is nothing more than a religious rule book.
The belt may not be the piece that “protects” (like a belt is not a shield, helmet, etc) but it’s the piece we need.
It was given by God to guide us and show us what to do when we are feeling anxious or fearful. We cling to the Word when we need guidance and discern how to fight against darkness. It is the source of God’s promises from the beginning to the end!
When the lies come and try to deceive who we are, we look to the Word of God that confirms WHO’S we are and where our identity is in: and that is JESUS.
Jesus. Who became the WORD in flesh.
Jesus, who came to earth and confirmed what the Word had said.
Jesus, who fulfilled the promises and is coming back.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1
The enemy knows the authority the Word has, but now so do we. We have the power and authority to withstand the lies of the enemy. We are reminded that the enemy will not win. This is the truth we stand upon. We have been given this piece of armor to be ready to use the full armor of God when spiritual warfare comes.
It prepares us for the battle that is to come.
The battle is real.
The battle is now.
The time is now, are you ready?
~ Sarah Moon