The Whole Armor of God
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
-Ephesians 6:10-20, NKJV
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
What is the importance of a belt anyway? Many people these days think of it as an arbitrary piece of clothing, or an accoutrement, that is really more of an accent piece. They feel almost obligated to have a belt simply because their pants have belt loops. Still others with fluctuating caloric intake may note that with some exercise their pants don’t quite fit anymore, and the belt serves to hold them up so they don’t look like they can’t afford fitting clothes.
The second is closer to the purpose of a belt. It isn’t just an accent piece, although it can also serve that role.
In warfare, the belt is the centerpiece, or the foundation of everything else you wear. It places the weight on the hips of the person wearing it, and that can allow heavier weight to be carried by the wearer, without injuring the shoulders or harming the back.
In decades of carrying around a rucksack in the military, the belt and hip pad was the most important aspect of long distance movements and carrying a burden. Some of our more advanced armor offered an acrylic piece off the war belt that would allow most of the weight of the ballistic vest and plates to be carried on the hips. The ability to carry heavier loads and still maintain mobility was exponentially benefitted by this concept of getting the weight off shoulders and backs, and transferring the load to the hips.
When engaged in hand to hand combat or wrestling type activities, giving up control of your hips to your opponent puts you at a distinct disadvantage. When you play football you are told to tackle the opponent’s hips and when playing basketball and defending, you are taught to play the hips of your opponent to stay in defensive position.
The hips are central to the entire person and everything they are doing. It is the center of gravity. It shouldn’t be ignored that it is mentioned first among the armor we are instructed to wear in our spiritual battles.
So what is it that we are told to place as central to it all?
Truth.
Jesus tells us that he is the way, truth, and life. As Christians, we are to see the gospel as central to our message and the spiritual battles that we find ourselves engaged in. That does not imply there are no other truths, though, and that they are not also part and parcel of the parts that should be held central. If you are engaging in a conversation of ethics with a person who thinks a policy should be enacted for climate protection, it doesn’t do any good to deny studies that indicate a warming or cooling trend.
Evidence is not to be feared, but to be CORRECTLY perceived.
The perspective we are to approach everything with is that of the truth of the gospel. Understanding that every other truth found through the philosophical deductions of logic, or the scientific method-the small truths-are not in contradiction to the greatest truth if understood correctly. They confirm the truth of God.
Infinite and eternal are the truths of God. When engaging in spiritual battles, placing everything in the appropriate perspective will ensure infinite and eternal victory.
So it is most important to start, at every conflict, with taking it to God for perspective. If you start swinging the sword or charging into battle with only your helmet and breastplate, you may show all the vigor you desire, but your pants may also have fallen to the ground and you will have embarrassed yourself and God in your zeal.
Sometimes we need a reminder to start in a place of humility and remember that everything is contingent on the grace of God first.
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