PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

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The Belt of Truth

"Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist," ~ Ephesians 6:14a

The Roman soldier’s wide leather belt held the various garments and pieces of armor securely in place. Loose armor was not only uncomfortable, but also unsafe. The belt also held the scabbards for swords and daggers. It was foundational to keeping everything balanced and in place.

Truth secures everything in our spiritual life. We can’t know what is truly right or wrong apart from truth. In this spiritual warfare we wage, we “put on” Christ, Who Himself is the “truth” (John 14:6). This is our positional application of the belt. Putting on Christ Himself who is the truth enables us to talk, walk and “fight” proclaiming Christ, the truth.

On another application level, buckling the belt of truth around your waist is more than just seeking truth to find out facts. The servant-soldier of Christ who puts on the armor of God must be willing to overcome his own prejudices to find out the truth. He must struggle against his pride, which clings to his preconceived ideas and makes him unwilling to re-examine them and change his opinions.

Second, to wear the belt of truth means binding one’s whole nature together with inner integrity. The belt of truth refers to the knowledge of one’s own inherent wickedness, weaknesses and propensity to sin (Matthew 15:19; 7:4). King David said, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” (Psalm 51:6). This is why a servant of Christ must review the basics of having a humble spirit, mourning to God, seeking His meekness and hungering for righteousness.

Truth directly opposes Satan, the father of lies. His first challenge to Eve was to even question God’s truthfulness. When we know and walk in God’s truth, it sets us free:

“If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ John 8:31-32

Wuillie Marcelino Ruiz, an attorney and an evangelical Christian, was wrongly accused of and sentenced to twenty years at the maximum-security Castro prison in Lima, Peru for the crime of “terrorist collaboration” by a special faceless court. Growing up in a close-knit family, his mother’s death during the first year of his imprisonment was a cruel blow for him.

During a visit by an Open Doors team, Wuillie said:

“Not everything inside the prison is sadness. Many of our fellow inmates are receiving Jesus Christ as the deliverer of their souls... God is touching the hearts of the authorities in Peru; here in the prison we are not treated so harshly anymore. As the Scriptures tell us, we are not confined because the truth makes us free.”

Jesus is the Truth. Truth is on your side. Truth will win over the enemy’s lies. Fill your heart with truth and stand by it. Put on the belt of truth!

Response:

Today I put on the belt of truth so I can stand strong against Satan’s lies.

Prayer:

Lord, help me fill my heart with truth today for it will set me free. May innocent Christian prisoners know that freedom also.

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