Paul the
apostle encouraged the Ephesian church members to “take unto”
them “the whole armor of God” so “in the evil day”
they would be able to “withstand” and “stand”.
In chapter six and verse fourteen of his letter, Paul shares the
first two pieces of the “armor of God” which are “truth”
and “righteousness” where we read:
Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and
having on the breastplate of righteousness;
The verse begins,
“Stand therefore, having your loins
girt about with truth,...” Paul
began with the word, “Stand”
which means “to place, put, set, make firm, fix and establish”
“therefore”
or “then, accordingly, consequently and these things being so”,
“having your loins girt about””
which in Greek is the phrase “perizōnnymi
hymōn osphys perizōnnymi” and
refers to “fastening garments with a girdle or belt and equipping
one's self” “with truth”
which means “what is true in any matter under consideration, truly,
in reality, in fact and certainly”. Paul desired for the Ephesians
to make“truth”
the way they prepared to fight in their spiritual warfare.
The
verse goes on to say, “... and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;” Paul added, “and having on” or
“sinking into clothing, putting on and clothing one's self with”
“the breastplate” which refers to “a corset consisting
of two parts and protecting the part of the body from the neck to the
navel where the ribs end” “of righteousness” which means
“the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state
approved of God, integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness and
correctness of thinking, feeling and acting”. In addition to the
“truth”, the Ephesians were to defend themselves with
“righteousness” as their protective armor.
When
we think through these words of Paul, we understand the “girting
of the loins” was important for warriors who were preparing for
battle. Long robes were the normal attire for the day, and before a
warrior entered into battle, he would “girt up” or “pull
up” his robe and tie it at his waist. This gave him freedom of
motion and the ability to fight. “Truth” prepares us for
our spiritual battles, and when we have the “truth”, we
will be ready for any “falsehoods” that come our way. The
“breastplate” protected the vital organs of the body such
as the “heart, lungs, kidneys and liver”. Metaphorically the
vital organs represent the “seat of deepest emotions”, and when
we arm ourselves with “righteousness”, we are equipped to
defend against any “spiritual wickedness” that comes against us.
With the help of the Lord Jesus and His Holy Spirit, we will be
protected with “truth” and “righteousness”, and as we are, we
will find victory against the enemy of our soul.
Next
time Paul exhorts the Ephesians to have their “feet shod
with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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