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Greetings fellow 4MGer!
I hope everyone is well during this busy time! There is a lot going on right now –
the school year is wrapping up so many of you are having tests and finals. And we
are getting close to the final pieces of the armor of God. Below is a picture of what
is traditionally considered the “armor” but I think our pieces are a little easier to
wear!

Hopefully you have been able to use your tokens – the bracelet as a shield of faith, the necklace as breastplate of righteousness, the socks as readiness of the gospel of peace, and the headband as the helmet of salvation.

Which brings us this week to what is actually the first piece of armor mentioned in
the Ephesians. Here’s the verse:
¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

A more traditional Bible translation says:  Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth. 
This is actually the verse I was most familiar with, but for most of you “girded” is probably an odd word. The phrase is used quite a bit throughout the Bible. It comes from the word “girdle” which really just referred to a common type of belt worn at that time. It was quite a functional thing, allowing things to be hung from it, like tools or weapons or a money pouch. It also enabled the men to wrap up
their robes so that they could be ready to move – to run, to work, to fight.

So, much like the sandals of the Gospel of Peace, this particular piece of armor is also an item of preparedness. Knowing the truth of God is not something you can do when evil is knocking at your door – which is why we learn about Jesus and
study verses from the Bible our whole lives. And the Truth is that God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that all who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Does that sound familiar? It may be one of the most famous Bible verses there is.
Do you ever watch football? Almost always there is someone in the stands holding
up a big sign with a name and a number – John 3:16. It’s mentioned in a song or
two, it’s on billboards and graffiti.

¹⁶  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.

That is a pretty powerful Truth, which is why it is the first piece of armor. When
you know, deep in your heart, that God loves you and that Jesus died for you, then
you are pretty unshakeable as a Christian. Knowing that makes it easier to go out
and do the work of God – caring for others, obeying your parents, being helpful
and considerate. You are already prepared to step in or speak up when you see
wrongdoing or to answer if someone asks you about your faith.

Why is truth a belt or girdle? I think it is because a belt goes around your waist –
the core of your body. Likewise, this Truth forms the core of our faith. It’s what
makes us Christians; it’s what gives us hope and peace and makes it possible to go
out and do your best every day.

But it’s still a funny image. When I was trying to write this lesson and picture the
Belt of Truth, I somehow always ended up seeing Wonder Woman’s golden lasso
– a tool she wears at her waist that makes people tell the truth.

One of her strongest weapons was to be able to see through other people’s lies –
and wouldn’t that come in handy today? Are there people or groups you feel might
not be telling you the truth? Or only half the truth? Is half the truth the same as a
lie?

Unfortunately, we do not have a golden lasso, but what we do have is something
called “discernment.” The dictionary definition of discernment is: “discrimination;
acuteness of judgment and understanding.” Discernment is similar to wisdom, but
offers a more specific focus. The primary difference between the two lies in the
distinction of discernment being able to help us to decipher right from
wrong, truth from falsehood.

My understanding of the Belt of Truth is that, when you know the Truth of God,
the Holy Spirit grants you the ability to see the truth of the world around you, and to see through the falsehoods other people might say and the bad things they might do.

Remember that another name for the devil is the father of lies. And lies and
untruths always lead to trouble. Being able to see through them is a superpower
indeed.

Can you think of a token that would help remind you of God’s Truth? I’ll admit I
saved this piece of armor until close last because I just could not think of an item that fit the bill. It’s so big and yet so simple that I was stumped. Let’s figure out
something that works for us – something we can do or say or put on first thing so
that we remind ourselves every day that God loves us.

I look forward to discussing this later!!