Lesson 7: Belt of Truth, part 4
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,
"Girding up the loins" or fastening on the belt, also meant that you were ready to fight, you were ready for action. Your uniform is in place. Your belt is tightly cinched around you. All your armor is on, ready to go. You were ready to fight! Bring on the action! You are ready! And the key word there is tightly cinched around you. Because we all know, if your belt is loose, your pants fall down! And so, it was with the belt of the Roman Soldier.
"Girding the loins” was a symbolic way of saying that one was standing firm or exercising self-control. The picture comes from the fact that men would often tuck their long flowing robes in their belt around their waist, with a view to greater mobility for work, for travel, or for battle. One of the most famous illustrations of this custom is found in Exodus where Moses records God's instructions to Israel on the night of the Passover.
Exodus 12:11 - In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened (loins girded), your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.”
In this case in Ephesians 6 it meant the soldier, the Christian, is ready for battle. Nothing is going to impede him in the fight. A slackened belt means one of two things. One, the soldier is going off duty, and for the Christian we are never given that liberty because the battle we are in never stops and it will never stop until we get to heaven. So, if you do not have the belt of truth on, stop leaving the battle, stop being distracted with unimportant things, no wonder you are getting slaughtered. There is no day off. There never is a day off in this spiritual battle we are in, so get that thought out of your head. Two, a slackened belt meant that you were in danger of having your pants hanging down or falling down in the middle of the battle.
A Roman Soldier's badge of rank as well as decorations were fastened to a sash or strap over the soldier's shoulder and connected to the belt, front and back. The ribbons or medals on this strap were of previous victories. Just like modern day military decorations. A soldier received emblems and insignias, and placed them all over this strap. Only those ready, girded up, with the Sword of the Spirit hanging on the side were the ones who won the medals and went into battle, already victorious.
This is a problem we have today. All we have is leftover memories of long ago spiritual victory because if nobody puts the armor on, everybody gets beat up. There are few new victory badges to hang! All most Christians have now is a daily log of spiritual defeats one after another instead of a daily spiritual string of victories. Only those with the belt of truth on, Paul says, only those who put on God's Word every single day are equipped to not only fight and stand their ground but have the privilege to adorn themselves with testimonies of victories to the glory of God.
*How are you doing with victories?