One of the pieces of spiritual armor supplied to us as
believers (Eph. 6:14) centers in on this issue precisely. It is
what’s commonly known as the “belt of truth.” More
accurately, based on the history of what a first-century
soldier’s gear was like, think of it as sort of a girdle, worn close
around the body, with all his other pieces of armor tucked into
it and held together by it. Underwear, kind of. A foundation
garment. The first thing a soldier would put on before going
into battle.
Truth—God’s standard and viewpoint about us—must
come first in our hearts and minds if we want to be effective in
battle against the enemy. We need to put it on as our
foundational garment and then reorient everything else around
it. Before we accessorize with trendy add-ons, before we drive
off into the day, artificially covered by an outfit that only masks
any of the lies the enemy is deceiving us into believing about
ourselves, we should start with the underpinnings of truth,
secured through prayer by the declarations of God’s Word.
Because unless our whole ensemble is framed around this
undergarment, we’re not really suited for spiritual battle. We’re
not dressed for the occasion. Not ready for what’s coming.