Women of the Bible Lesson 4 Jael: A Story of Courage Part 2 Armor of God

Today we will begin talking about the armor we have been provided through the Holy Spirit to protect us in our spiritual battles.  

Ephesians 6:14-18 gives us a list of the armor we have been provided by through the Holy Spirit. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (NLT) 

Jael did not have armor when she defeated Sisera, however, her enemy was asleep.  She was able to kill him without resistance. In our daily battles, our enemy is very much on the alert and looking for ways to defeat us.   

God, in His infinite wisdom, has provided His armor for us to wear.  Unlike King Saul’s armor in 1 Samuel, which was way too big for young David, God’s armor fits each of us perfectly.  It is tailor made for each individual believer.  I will explain this as we go along!   

First is the Belt of Truth.  Merriam Webster online dictionary defines truth as: the body of real things, events, and facts; a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality. 

Paul writes in Romans 1:18 and 25, But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. (NLT) 

One only needs to turn on the television for five minutes or read a magazine or newspaper article to see that the reality of Paul’s words demonstrated in living color. According to Quora.com, our culture has redefined truth to be a belief or idea that is considered to be true within a particular culture or society. 

Let’s compare this to the Webster definition. Webster says truth is a body of real things, events and facts.  Culture says truth is a belief or idea that is considered to be true.  Does this remind you of anything we find in scripture?   

In Genesis 3:1 we see the serpent pushing this same definition of truth when he asked Eve, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Here the enemy planted doubts in Eve’s mind about the truth of God’s command. Sadly, Eve’s answer shows her faulty definition of truth as well. “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” Genesis 3:2-3 (NLT) 

The truth is found in Genesis 2:15-17, The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (NLT)  

Eve changed her view of the truth by adding the words “or even touch it”!  Changing the truth to fit our own agenda or ideas does not make it true nor does it nullify the validity of the actual truth! By ignoring the Truth and accepting a lie, Adam and Eve suffered separation from God, lost their place in the paradise prepared for them, and consequently suffered decay and death in their physical bodies.  

Today it is more crucial than ever that we know the Truth!  John 1:1 states, In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (NLT) In John 14:6 Jesus identifies himself as Truth!  Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (NLT) 

Here we use Biblical Math:  Jesus is the Word + Jesus is Truth = the Word is Truth!  Therefore, when we put on the Belt of Truth, we must look to the Word to find that truth.  Let me begin by stating that all the Word is truth, and it applies to us all, however, as I stated earlier, the armor is tailor made to fit each of us.  Some days the battles we face require us to stand on different truths than those we faced the day before.   

For example, last week I might have faced a battle against fear.  Today, however, my battle might be against pride. Last week, some truths I might have stood on are: 

Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV)  

Psalm 46:1-3, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV) 

Isaiah 41:10, So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NIV) 

2 Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV) 

Today the truths I’m clinging to might be: 

James 4:10, Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (NLT) 

Proverbs 11:2, Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (NLT) 

Proverbs 29:23, One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (ESV) 

Philippians 2:3, Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. (AMP) 

My son, Samuel and I put on the armor before we begin school almost every morning.  The truths we stand on in that moment are those about being diligent, having the mind of Christ, obedience, respect, kindness, being leaders, not grumbling or complaining, etc.  We’ve done it so often that we have the scriptures memorized and if we are not careful, we can just go “through the motions” rather than thinking and applying the truths to our hearts in that moment.   

To use the Belt of Truth effectively, we must make a conscious decision to stand on the Word that applies to our battle at the current time.  We must apply each Truth and make sure it sinks deep into our mind and soul.  One way to help with this is to make a list of the scriptures you are standing on and to carry it with you throughout your day so you can pray through them when temptation to give in to the enemy arises.    

As you pray through each one, ask yourself how this applies to your situation/battle. Ask Holy Spirit to illuminate the truths of the Word to your heart and mind. Allow Him to renew your mind by replacing the lies propagated by the enemy and our culture with His Truth, The Truth! 

As I conclude this week's lesson, I want to address one final thing, why it is imperative to put on the Belt of Truth first. “The typical Roman soldier of the first century wore a loose, flowing tunic that was cinched around the waist by a wide leather belt. A soldier’s belt served as the foundational piece of his entire panoply, holding his sword in place, supporting him in battle, and binding the rest of his armor together. A leather apron hung from the belt to protect the soldier’s abdomen and groin.”i 

The soldier’s belt is the foundational piece that must be put on first to hold all the other pieces of armor in place. The same is true of the Belt of Truth. If we do not know the Truth about who God is and who we are in Him, the other pieces or armor will be useless.  Truth must be the foundation of our armor. 

“The cingulum is the traditional Roman soldier's military belt.... The Cingulum is the mark of the soldier — not only that, it's really a status symbol of being a soldier. Worn at all times, even off duty, only soldiers were allowed, by law, to wear this unique belt.”ii 

Additionally, the soldier’s belt identified him as a soldier.  True followers of Christ are identified by their stand for Truth.  Wearing the Belt of Truth often causes Believers to stand out because we march in the opposite direction from current cultural “truths”, trends, and values.   

Knowing the Truth and applying it to our lives must become a priority if we are to win the battles, we face every day!   

Works Cited: 

i https://www.heritagecostumes.com/roman-centurion-waist-belt 

ii https://www.romanobritain.org/8-military/mil_roman_soldier_belt.php