"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
-Psalm 34:19 (KJV)

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

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As we journeyed the series, "WE CANNOT RELINQUISH", we navigated Romans 12:12 and Paul's instruction to be "joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer". On last week we wrapped-up by expounding on the importance of being faithful in prayer and the power that rests within our ability to do so. We then took time to reflect on all three attributes, (1) joyful in hope, (2) patient in affliction, and (3) faithful in prayer and discussed the importance of not acting these attributes out as a mere routine but being effective at acting them out by rooting them in a full faith and trust in the power and assurance of God and the hope that we have in Christ as our Savior.

 

As we concluded the series, we highlighted Paul's call for us to put on the full armor of God in order to be able to stand firm amidst our trials but most importantly, to remain firm in our salvation. As we discussed Romans 12:12, the one thing that we learned if nothing else is that AFFLICTION IS NON-NEGOTIABLE! As sure as we are breathing, THERE IS GOING TO BE TROUBLE! Therefore, instead of trying to run from trouble, at some point we need to take a note from that mighty warrior David and stand face-to-face with the giants in our lives. However, we must understand and acknowledge that we ourselves are not capable of winning such battles based on our flesh or based on who we are; BUT THERE IS A GOD THAT WINS THEM ALL WHOM WE CAN TRUST TO FIGHT WITH US, FOR US, AND DEFEAT ALL OF OUR ENEMIES GIVING US VICTORY AFTER VICTORY AFTER VICTORY! Let's Explore!

 

                   Many are The Afflictions                        

 

As those who believe in, follow, and commit to Christ, we are indeed going to face trouble. The truth and fact of the matter is that every single being is going to face trouble of some type. Whether man or animal. Whether as individuals, a society, or an institution or group of some sort. Whether believers of Christ or non-believers. Whether, man, woman, boy or girl. Whether rich or poor. Regardless of race, culture, or any other demographic, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM HARDSHIP! However, while hardship is inevitable, the hope that we have as believers is that we have a God that fights for us who will deliver us from ALL OF OUR TROUBLES, WOES, and AFFLICTIONS. But we must dwell in Him and stand firm in our salvation. 

 

We must live our lives in obedience to God and live according to the standards that He has given us to abide by as believers. 

It's not about being perfect but it's about a commitment to live the best life that we can in a way that is pleasing to God. It's about navigating life while allowing the Spirit to help us with those things that tempt, deter, and distract us so that we are not led astray. It's about giving God our hearts and our complete selves. It's about our ability to depend on God and place our full reliance on Him and Him alone. It's about being able to get back on track if and when we do fall astray. It's about cleansing our hearts and emptying our spirits of all those things that are not of God.

 

Abraham was not perfect. Moses was not perfect. David was not perfect. Paul was not perfect. BUT GOD USED THEM ALL FOR HIS GLORY. All of these individuals had a heart that had a genuine yearning to please God. They all strived to get it right. They all worked toward maintaining and increasing their faith. They understood and had a full belief in the power of God and was not afraid to seek Him concerning all matters of their lives. Their faith all started off at different levels, their mistakes and slip-ups varied, BUT THEY ALL COMPLETED THE WORK THAT GOD HAD CALLED FOR THEM TO DO! Even when falling astray, THEY DID NOT GIVE UP! Although all of these individuals had flaws, they understood what it meant to wear the belt of truth and carry the breastplate of righteousness.

 

In reflecting on this week's scripture highlights, Ephesians 6:14 discusses the belt of truth as well as the breastplate of righteousness. Let's first explore the breastplate of righteousness.

 

Breastplate of Righteousness: It's Not Perfection                                               

                                                             "Stand firm then,...with the breastplate of righteousness in place," -Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)

 

We all have our own definitions of what righteousness is. We all have our own judgments of what righteousness is. But let's first discus what a breastplate is. A breastplate is defined as:

• a metal plate worn as defensive armor for the breast,

• an armor plate that protects the chest,

• a piece of metal that covers a person's chest that was part of the protective clothing.

 

Why would righteousness be our breastplate? If we reflect on it in the natural, if we were in battle and someone put a sword to our chest as a means of attacking us, if we had on a breastplate, that breastplate would protect our chest from injury. Depending on the weight and material of the breastplate, it could possibly even damage the sword of the individual that sought to attack us. If we consider Psalm 34:19, which tells us that many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers the righteous out of them all, we know that our righteousness puts us under God's covering. Our righteousness becomes our safety net. Our righteousness puts us in that "secret place". Our righteousness puts us in that zone called, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper".

 

Our breastplate of righteousness is not merely about who we are but it's about our ability to carry God with us. It is not "our" righteousness that makes the breastplate powerful, but our righteousness comes with the guarantee of an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent God who knows no defeat and is wholly infallible. Our righteous puts us in a position in which God becomes our shield protecting us from all those things that try to wound our spirit and dirty our hearts in an attempt to cause us to stumble, lose our hope, our peace, and our will to follow Him. Our breastplate of righteousness helps to shield us from all those things that try to attack our flesh as a means of scraping away that spiritual core that is rooted in our belief of both who and what God is.

 

Things constantly try to attack our spirit as a means of getting us to abandon our faith and love for God. Things constantly try to challenge us by making us think and feel like righteousness has no reward because the truth is that the righteous are always under attack. That is why Paul urges us to stay on guard and to put on the full armor of God so that we will be able to stand firm and not waver when faced with trials, tribulations, afflictions, and all those other troubles that welcome themselves into our lives. Understand that the power behind our spiritual armor rests in God and God alone. It is not about how skilled at fighting we are. It is not about how strong we are. It is not about how strategic we are. It is not about how quick on our feet we are. THE POWER IS ALL ABOUT WHO GOD IS.

 

It was God's power working through Abraham. It was God's power working through Moses. It was God's power working through David. It was God's power working through Paul. It was God's covering that shielded Abraham. It was God's covering that shielded Moses and the Israelites. It was God's covering that shielded David. It was God's covering that shielded Paul. We wear the breastplate, but it is God who covers, protects, defends, and performs. None of us are capable of being righteous on our own. We can only do it with and through God, but our heart's must be willing to allow Him to do the work that is needed to get us there. The righteousness is our job to maintain but the power and defense mechanism behind the breastplate is God. The Breastplate of Righteousness. The God of Righteousness. Our God working through our Righteousness. Our God helping us to develop and maintain our righteousness.

 

Faith and Obedience                       

 

"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

-Genesis 15:1 (NIV)

 

If we reflect on our forefather Abraham, when God promised him that He would give him a son that would be of his own flesh and blood to be his heir, although nothing about where Abraham's life currently was appeared as such, Genesis 15:6 states, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (NIV). Abraham was not perfect. He had his flaws. He even had moments in which he wavered in his trust. But even when Abraham could not see nor understand what God was doing, he obeyed God. Abraham had those moments of panic like many of us have. Abraham trusted God enough to pick up and leave his country, his people, and his father's household but did not exercise that same trust when famine met him at his doorstep. When faced with a famine, Abraham fled to Egypt. And then, out of fear for his life, he had his wife Sarah to lie and say that she was his sister. However, God only allowed Abraham to enjoy the comforts of Egypt but for so long, before He sent him back to where he belonged. But Abraham kept at it, he learned to keep moving, and he developed an unshakeable faith. 

 

Abraham was hesitant about sending Ishmael away, BUT HE DID AS GOD INSTRUCTED! And by the time that he was presented with the test of sacrificing Isaac, as God had commanded him to do, there was no hesitance. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he did much like he did when God initially called him. He got up and journeyed to the place that God told him that He would show him. 

 

Abraham knew nothing about the land that God called him to go to, BUT GOD TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD SHOW IT TO HIM, and so he went. 

 

Abraham knew nothing about the mountain that God told him to go to and sacrifice Isaac (the very son that He promised him), BUT GOD TOLD HIM THAT HE WOULD SHOW IT TO HIM and so he went.

And because Abraham obeyed, THUS IS OUR INHERITENCE!

 

Abraham feared God. Abraham had faith in God. Abraham obeyed God.

 

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” -Genesis 22:12 (NIV)

 

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise... By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." -Hebrews 11:8-10,17-18 (NIV)

 

Abraham's fear of God, his faith in God, and his obedience to God became his shield. No matter what Abraham faced, God did not just secure him, but He also secured the promise that He made to him, Isaac, and Jacob. Our breastplate of righteousness does not just shield, secure, and protect us from evil but it also protects us from ourselves. Our righteousness helps us to stay the course.

 

If Abraham had no faith in God, he would not have believed that God was capable of giving him a son of his own flesh and blood. He would have doubted God. And if Abraham had doubted that God could give him a son of his own flesh and blood, what would that have meant for the promise that God gave him when He first called him to leave his father's household
saying, "I will make you into a great nation,
              and I will bless you;
              I will make your name great,
              and you will be a blessing.
              I will bless those who bless you,
              and whoever curses you I will curse;
              and all peoples on earth
              will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV).

 

If Abraham had doubted that God could give him a son of his own flesh and blood, he would have also been speaking against the promise of God making a great nation out of him. If Abraham had doubted that God could give him a son of his own flesh and blood, he would have been speaking against his own provision, safety and protection. If we consider God telling Abraham that He would bless him, bless those who blessed him, and curse those who cursed him, Abraham's inability to have faith in God's promise to him of a son, would have put a dent in his shield. Abraham would have put a dent in his own breastplate.

 

Concerning Abraham, Romans 4:20-25 states, "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (NIV). Many of us are wavering in battle because we are not properly securing our breastplates of righteousness. Many of our breastplates are hanging off. Some of us have our breastplates in our hands. And then there are those of us who have our breastplates in a forgotten place collecting dust because we have abandoned our faith, our obedience, and our reverence for God. A breastplate will serve us no purpose if it is not secured in its proper place. 

 

What would it have looked like if Moses sought God for direction but then acted based on what appeased the Israelites?

 

What would it have looked like if the Hebrew Boys served their God but bowed to the golden image?

 

What would it have looked like if Daniel worshipped God but placed his trust in King Darius?

 

What would it have looked like if Job reverenced God but then accepted what his friends thought about where he was at?

 

What would it have looked like if Jesus after feeling vexed in Gethsemane decided that what he was up against was more than he cared to bear and walked away? What if at that moment of feeling forsaken Jesus looked down on those who crucified him and said, "YOU WON"?

 

What good does it do any of us to abandon our breastplate when righteousness become more of a burden than we want to carry? Understand that the breastplate is firm. God is firm. It is us in our righteousness that wavers. 

 

Let's consider the breastplate of righteousness as such: 

 

A breastplate is a piece of armor that is put on. And in putting that armor on, that armor goes wherever we go. If we look at the breastplate of righteousness from the standpoint of carrying God with us, carrying Him within us, that comes about by salvation. We are gifted with the grace of salvation when we (1) acknowledge and accept Jesus as the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, who was born, crucified, died, and resurrected with all power and authority in his hands, and (2) confess and repent of our sins. That allows God's Spirit to dwell within us. But in order for God's Spirit to remain within us, righteousness must remain within us. God is not an unclean God and He can't be defiled. Therefore, God cannot dwell in anything that is not righteous. God cannot dwell in anything that is unholy. Whenever we begin to abandon our righteousness, if we truly think about it, we are also abandoning God. When we abandon our faith, when we abandon our obedience to God, when we abandon our ability to love, when we abandon our fear of God and our reverence for Him, when we give in to sin and temptation, we are also departing from God. We are putting a dent in our breastplate. We are putting a dent in our relationship with God.  

 

Part of the reason that both Israel and Judah found themselves being taken into exile, is because they abandoned their breastplates of righteousness. But God is such a gracious, compassionate, and faithful God that even when they abandoned their righteousness, He kept covering them and kept giving them chance after chance to get it right. However, it came to a point in which God had enough of their wickedness. God had enough of both Israel and Judah defiling themselves, abandoning His 
commands, turning their backs on Him and having no regard for the love that He had shown them. God was tired of them using Him as a last resort. God was tired of their lack of commitment. God was tired of their proud and arrogant hearts. God was no longer going to give them His love and was going to remove them from His presence.

 

Because both Israel and Judah, abandoned their righteousness, God had to allow them to experience what it felt like for Him to not be in their presence. God had to allow them to experience what it was to be delivered into the hands of their enemies. God had always been their shield against those who stood against them, but their unrighteousness removed that protective covering from over them.

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"When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him,

but David heard about it and went out to meet them. Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley of Rephaim;

so David inquired of God: 'Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?'

The Lord answered him, 'Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

-1 Chronicles 14:8-10, NIV 

 

“Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock,

and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place

for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.

Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies..."

-1 Chronicles 17:7-10, NIV

 

"The Lord gave David victory wherever he went."

-1 Chronicles 18:13 NIV

 

David understood how to operate in his breastplate of righteousness. David always understood that God was his driving force. David stood firm in who he knew God to be and what he knew God could do. David honored God in all things and God honored David. David might have went astray but he had a heart that loved God and wholly rested in Him. Even when David fell short, he knew that God was faithful, loving, compassionate, and forgiving and so he sought God's face in repentance. Upon falling short and being rebuked by the prophet Nathan as God had instructed, one of the things that David says in his plea to God is, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me" (Psalm 51:10-12, NIV). 

 

David understood that God's shield had a requirement and that requirement was righteousness. In acknowledging that he had sinned, and in understanding that sin separates us from God, David pleaded with God not to cast him from His presence. He pleaded with God not to take His Holy Spirit away from him. He also asked God to cleanse his heart and to help him to have a willing spirit to stay on the right path so that he would not fall astray again and God honored David's request. We can see 
throughout scripture that God was a constant and consistent shield for David. God honored David so much so that much like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He made promises to David that would carry on even after he was no longer alive. David's breastplate of righteousness provided him with safety, security, protection, provision, and whatever it was that he needed because he dwelled in God and had a desire to wholeheartedly please Him.

 

Israel and Judah could have done much like David and turned from their wickedness. They could have repented and put themselves back under the covering of God. But they unfortunately chose to learn the hard way. They chose to experience what it was like to be out of the presence of God. They chose to look to false gods for purposes of self-appeasement, lust, and self- gratification. They chose to serve people and things that were of no use or service to them. They chose to keep a haughty heart and have an unremorseful spirit. They chose to abandon God and God therefore chose to separate Himself from them. But because of God's faithfulness and unfailing love, and because of the promises that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and to David, Israel and Judah's story does not end there which we'll expound on at some point along the way as we navigate and explore our spiritual armor.

 

When Righteousness Gets You Got!                 

 

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

- Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

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"And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth,

a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"

-Job 1:8 (KJV)

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What we must come to understand and accept is that even when we have our breastplate of righteousness tightly secured, while we are covered under the shadows of the Almighty, the arrows will still most definitely come. However, we have the promise and instruction that we don't have to fear them. Job had his breastplate of righteousness in good condition. It was intact. If we read Job 1:8, the King James Version labels Job as being "perfect and upright", the New International Version uses the words "blameless and upright". Scripture tells us that Job feared God. Yet behold the woes of Job's afflictions. How is it that someone so righteous was inflicted with "so much" wrong?

 

Job was dealing with some very real and heavy mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish. Job could not catch a break. When Job received all the news that his loved ones and possessions had been destroyed, he dropped to ground and worshipped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (Job 1:21, NIV). Job had a firm faith that God knew what He was doing. Even when satan threw that "skin for skin" (Job 2:4) curveball as a means of intensifying his attack on Job, Job still stood firm and accepted the fact that we will all have trouble. When Job's wife told him to "curse God and die", Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10, NIV). But days after that second attack, after having to dwell in that affliction and feeling like he was at the point of his demise, Job said, "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?" (Job 3:11, NIV). Job stated, "I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil" (Job 3:26, NIV).

 

And how many of us righteous ones have found ourselves there? That attack came and we stood firm. And before we could catch our breath another attack came and we sucked it up and continued to stand firm. We proclaimed that God works all things out for our good. But as days passed and that next thing came along, making us feel like we were trapped in the depth of the affliction that was placed upon us, we went from, "God is working out all things for my good" to "God what you doing?!". We started wrestling. We started dissecting our righteousness. We started questioning the whys. Much like Job, we started pondering why did God single us out. We started thinking, "God, if you're angry with me, just say so, but you don't have to do all of this!"

 

We might have all found ourselves standing in the mirror examining our breastplates trying to figure out at what point could we have "bobbed and weaved" our way out of this one because we most definitely had not bobbed and weaved out of our salvation nor our righteousness. And while that may be many of our truths, the greater and concrete truth is that "GOD SIMPLY CHOSE YOU"! Unlike Israel and Judah, it was not abandoning your breastplate of righteousness that inflicted the attack upon you but it was because God saw how well you carried your breastplate of righteousness and wanted to make sure that you did not become too comfortable and forget to polish it. God wanted to make sure that you were prepared for surprise attacks. Therefore, he sent an attack to make sure that you not only knew how to carry your breastplate with you but that you understood how to secure yourself in it and use it while under attack. And part of what allows us to do that, is the belt of truth. 

 

The Belt of Truth: Our Source of Truth?                                                     

                                  "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, ..." -Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)

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"After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has."

-Job 42:7 (NIV)

 

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

-John 1:17 (NIV)

 

While Job had very real feelings concerning his afflictions and while he wrestled with both peace and hope, Job's belt of truth proved effective. There are a lot of things about Job's circumstances that he did not know nor understand. There were many thoughts concerning what Job might have thought God's plans concerning him were that were far from truthful. However, Job knew the truths about the omnipotence, omniscience, and sovereignty of God. Job did not know why God inflicted such 
trouble upon him. Job did not know why God had chosen him. But Job knew without doubt that God was in full control of his circumstance. Job had a firm belief in the power of God. Job had a firm belief that no one could win a battle against God. Job had a firm belief that only God could bring him out of what he was in. Job had a firm belief that God had the final say-so in all matters and that no one could challenge it. Job had a firm belief that revelation came from God and God alone. Job had 
a firm belief that only God could explain the intricacies of his affliction. Job had a firm belief that God is the ultimate judge over all things. And Job held on to those truths that he knew about who God was and would not let go of those truths regardless of what his wife or his friends said and regardless of what the enemy might have wanted him to believe. Job also stood firm on the fact that he had done no wrong and that he was blameless. 

 

If we consider what a belt is, a belt is defined as:

• a band of fabric worn around the waist,

• a strip of leather or material worn around the waist to support clothes or for decoration,

• an accessory you wear around your waist that helps to hold your pants up,

• a continuous band of tough flexible material for transmitting motion and power or conveying materials.

 

One description of a belt states that:
"Belts are worn to keep clothing in place or for aesthetic reasons. The ends of a belt are free, and a buckle is often used to form the belt into a loop by securing one end to another part of the belt, at or near the other end, though they may also be without a buckle and be simply tied using some form of knot".

 

Let's consider the following two definitions of a belt and incorporate how truth acts as a belt:

• a strip of leather or material worn around the waist to support clothes or for decoration

• an accessory you wear around your waist that helps to hold your pants up

 

If we examine what were Job's truths about God, those truths are what supported him and held him up when everyone else was speaking against him and tearing him down. Although Job felt as though he was perishing, his truths put a boldness in his weakened spirit causing him to stand firm in his trust in God. At some point after his friends continued to consider him sinful, Job proclaims, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him!" (Job 12:15-16, NIV). The King James version reads, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him" (Job 13:15-16, KJV). Job's "TRUTH" was that he was trusting that God could turn his situation around. Job's stance was that although God had placed this affliction upon him, he was going to keep trusting God and while doing so he was also going to remain firm on his righteousness. Job knew that God could attest that he had not sinned against Him. Job was declaring that God would vindicate him of any wrongdoing.

 

If we consider David, he too wore his belt of truth. However, he wore it differently than Job wore his. Let's Explore...

 

Our Victories of Truth                      

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"But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep.

When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear;

this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.

Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you.”

-1 Samuel 17:36-37 (NIV)

 

Throughout our posts, we have expounded on the significance of David's lions and bears experiences. It was David's experiences as a shepherd boy in which God allowed him to overtake lions and bears to save his father's sheep that made him confident that Goliath was no different. And if you really reflect on the details of the narrative found in 1 Samuel 17, something that we might easily overlook is the fact that David says, "when a lion or bear carried off a sheep from the flock". It shows David's heart and concern as a shepherd. David could have easily considered that sheep as a loss, but instead he went after what was taken away from him and recovered it. And oh, the revelations in that. David's belt of truth rested in what God gave him the power to do. David's truth rested in God's faithfulness. David's truth rested in the victories that God had given him. David knew that God was unfailing in nature and would therefore allow him to conquer whatever stood against him.

 

The belt of truth is important because when we find ourselves under attack even after having our breastplates of righteousness firm and intact, we are going to have to pull on that belt of truth as a means of support so that we don't waver in our righteousness. When under attack, we are going to have to pull on and tighten our belt of truth so that we don't waver in our faith, obedience, and our love for God. When our righteousness seems like it "GOT US GOT", and our righteousness becomes the microscope by which people determine why we are where we are, we are going to have to stand firm in our truth of who God is and who He has always been to us. The belt of truth helps to uphold us in our righteousness because when we begin

to examine the truths about God such as:

• He is loving

• He is compassionate

• He is slow to anger

• He fights for the righteous

• He will destroy the wicked

• He is a shield

• He is a provider

• He is our salvation

• His mercies endure forever

• He is a God of grace

• He won't forsake those who trust in Him

• He won't allow our enemies to subdue us

• He allows weeping but joy comes in the morning...

 

we begin to find comfort in our righteousness knowing that as long as we are doing all that we are supposed to do, as long as we are doing all that is God requiring of us, GOD WILL ALWAYS MAKE ALL THINGS WELL!

 

It was Paul's belt of truth that allowed him to say without wavering, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, NIV). It was Paul's belt of truth that allowed him to proclaim with a firm belief, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31, NIV). It was Paul's belt of truth that allowed him to trust God and be content in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES! While Job and David's belts of truth were wrapped up in who God is and what God could do let's discuss Paul's belt of truth and our belt of truth as it stands today.

 

But first, let's define truth:

• "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6 (KJV)

 

There are many dictionary meanings for the word "truth" but none of them are effective for our spiritual armor. The belt of truth that makes up our spiritual armor rests both in who God is and His love for us and in who His Son is. The Spirit of God was most definitely with Abraham, Moses, David, and Job but because of God sacrificing the life of His Son, Jesus, that truth that Paul spoke of still rests in God but from a different pathway.

 

Paul's truth and the truth that we must adopt rests in Christ as our mediator who gives us access to his Father. 1 Timothy 2:2-6 in part states, "that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people" (NIV). Our truth rests in both the Father and the Son. Our truth can be found in John 3:16-18, which states, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" (NIV).

 

Our belt of truth upholds our righteousness because it is a testament to the fact and proof that (1) God loves us and gave His Son to save us from eternal damnation, (2) there is no limit that God won't go to for those whom He loves, (3) the righteous will have trouble and afflictions, (4) when the righteous have troubles and afflictions it is not punishment, (5) Jesus committed to that same love that his Father had for us by willingly giving up his life, (6) Jesus suffered and endured bearing the weight not just of our sins but he overcame death, conquering every giant, enemy, trouble, or affliction that we will ever have to stand against, (7) all of those aforementioned truths give us the power to overcome all things, and (8) "the truths continue". There are so many truths about who God and Jesus are, and those truths have no end. In order to maintain our righteousness, in order to maintain our faith, we must hold on to those truths. We must hold on to Jesus as our Savior who intercedes on our behalf. We must acknowledge the truth that there is no other path to God outside of His Son.

 

If we reflect back on the description of what a belt was, it stated that, "the ends of a belt are free". Consider John 8:32, which states, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (NIV). Our belt of truth sets us free because in knowing and accepting the truth of who Jesus is, it doesn't just take us out of bondage of the old laws, but it also frees us from any and all things that might try to bind and hold us down. If we move up to the prior verse, John 8:31 states, "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples" (NIV). And there goes that obedience 
factor.

 

If we reflect back on Abraham, Moses, David, and Job, obedience was always a requirement. While Jesus was on the earth, he made sure to teach his disciples and all those who had an ear to hear all that we needed to know including how we were to live our lives, how we were to interact with one another, and how we were to carry ourselves as children of God. In holding on to these teachings, accepting them as our truths, and living our lives accordingly, that puts us in accordance with what God is commanding of us. As we come into the knowledge of these truths, we are no longer bound by man, system, or false ideologies, neither are we bound by our sins because as we accept and act out these truths, these teachings of Christ, we are set free. 

 

Then you will know the truth             and the truth shall set you free

 

​When you believe in the truth           through Christ (who is the TRUTH)
of who the Son is, accept that         we are set free through salvation which 
truth, and act upon that truth           is given to us by grace through our faith

The belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness work together because our righteousness is upheld by those truths. Our righteousness SHOULD BE acted out based on those truths. 1 John 2:3-6 states, "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did" (NIV). I have a question that I really want all of us to reflect on and that question is... HOW ARE YOU LIVING?!

 

How are You Living?: The Source of Our Righteousness      

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'They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,

and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen."

- Romans 1:25 (NIV)

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How many of our breastplates are not strapped on in their proper place because we have exchanged the truths about God for

lies that are based upon what man thinks, feels, and desires for us? How many of our breastplates are not strapped in their proper place because we have fallen victim to the promises of man and what they profess to be able to do for us? How many of our breastplates are not strapped in their proper place because we are placing our dependency on people and things that

are not capable of omnipotence and lack the omniscience, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment that God has? Too many of us have made a choice to worship things and live our lives based on manmade doctrines rather than trusting in God as the creator and living our lives based on His commands for us. Too many of us are trying to live righteous lives but we are doing so based on belts of truth that are made with synthetic materials. Too many of us are trying to live righteous lives based on falsehoods and ideologies that are not just far from the truths of who and what God is but are the complete opposite of who and what God is. Strapping on your breastplate of righteousness will prove ineffective and will still put you in the position to end up a fatality if your belt of truth is not manufactured from the one and only source of truth which is Christ. The only concrete truth that will ever exists and hold the same for every single one of us is given to us through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Any other truth apart from that is subject to being shifted which is why our breastplates won't be upheld if we are upholding them by any other truth apart from God and His Son.

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We must be careful whose truths we accept. We must be careful of what truths we uphold or righteousness with. Even as we read the Word of God, we must ask God to open up our understanding and to give us revelation concerning that which we have read. We must ask God to give us discernment as it concerns all of those God truths that we are taught whether by our own reading and studies or by someone else's. Righteousness is not possible without God. We cannot maintain our righteousness through our flesh, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A PART OF IT! In Romans 9:1, Paul states, "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—" (NIV). God give us the Holy Spirit to guide us in our righteousness and to also guide us in truth. When we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will make us conscious of our thoughts and actions. The Holy Spirit will speak to our conscience and give us peace and assurance or conviction concerning our thoughts, actions, and decisions. No matter how righteous any of us might think that we are, WE ARE NOT PERFECT! We are not always going to get it right. We are not always going to understand everything concerning God nor the Word of God. That is why dwelling in God and He in us is pivotal to our salvation and our righteousness. Because we are subject to flaw, misinterpretation, and mistakes, God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us to navigate life and to show us both the right path and the error of our ways. Our spiritual armor will be nothing more than a concept if we do not trust God, look to God, seek His face, and depend on His Spirit to show us the way. We cannot do it on our own nor can we do it our own way.

 

Proverbs 20:18 states that "plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance" (NIV). In order to be able to fight our spiritual battles, in order to face all of our natural circumstances, in order to win the wars that we find ourselves in, the only winning strategy that we have, rests in our ability to take it to God and seek His counsel. We have to allow God to lead and guide us. We have to accept God's truths and act out our righteousness based on those truths. We are going to have to do it God's way. We are going to have to trust and believe in whatever it is that God had promised us. We are going to have to trust God to win the battle for us. We must recognize that it is called Spiritual Armor for a reason. Our Spiritual Armor cannot be upheld with fleshly components. 

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Psalm 34:19 reminds us that "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" (KJV). IT IS THE LORD THAT DELIVERS US! WE CANNOT DELIVER OURSELVES! We must maintain our righteousness so that we can keep ourselves under God's covering. Even more so, WE MUST TRUST GOD! Nowhere in the bible does it say that God will abandon the righteous. Nowhere in scripture does it state that God will allow the righteous to be defeated. Nowhere in the bible does it state that the righteous will lack anything that they need. Nowhere in the bible does is state that God will forsake the righteous. The Word of God says that the righteous will have afflictions. It tells us that the righteous will have troubles. It shows us that the righteous will suffer and have trials and tribulations of some sort. BUT GOD TELLS US THAT HE WILL DELIEVER US OUT OF THEM ALL! 

 

God promises to be our refuge, our strength, our help, our shade, our shield, our provider, our vindicator, and so much more. And these are the truths that must be carved unto the fabric of our belts as we endure all of those attacks that the righteous will endure. These are the truths that must be carved into our belts of truth as we navigate life whether happy or sad, and whether in good or bad times. As believers, we are going to have to war and face battles, but we have a breastplate and belt that places us in a winning position. However, we must learn how to carry and properly place them both on and within us. 

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