Belts

August 13, 2007

Eph 6:14 AUV-NT
(14) So, you people should stand firm [in the faith], with the belt of truth firmly buckled around you, ...

The armor needs to start someplace so we start with the belt. In our days of pockets, the belt does not mean much but in those days it served several purposes. The first was to hold up the flowing robes that they clothed themselves in. If a person had to run, do work, or anything where the robe would get in the way, he would take the skirts of the robe, tuck them up through his legs and push them down into the belt to hold them up so he could move freely. Likewise when we wear our belt of truth, we know that we can move around free and do the job that God wants us to do. When you walk in truth there can be found nothing wrong it what you say.

Next, the belt was used as protection to some degree. Though they may be ornate, they were usually made of metal or leather. These would deter damage should the area be an attack. The area being protected would be the belly and the reproductive organs. Both could cause a man to bleed to death quickly should he get struck there. If we walk in truth we need not worry about what people will say to attack us. We know that it is not true.

Lastly the belt was a utility belt. The robe had no pockets so there would be pockets or slots to put things in. Think of it as Batman's utility belt. Whatever Batman needed he could always go to his belt to find it. In the Romansoldier's belt it would contain his sword, maybe some writing implements, a pipe, things to care for his armor, and so on. The truth, when we put it on, will allow us to be able to get what we need when Satan tries to attack us. No matter what it is that we need, God will make sure that it is in the belt for us and ready to go.

So, time to put the belt on!


==Translation Information
The New Testament: An Understandable Version, © 1994 by William E. Paul,

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