The Belt
"Having your loins girt about with truth" - Eph. 6:14.
The apostle, after instructing the Ephesians—and through them, every Christian—on the stance they should take when fighting their enemy, now begins to describe the specific pieces of armor he previously recommended in general terms. The first piece is the belt of truth—"having your loins girt about with truth." We need to explore two things here. First, what does he mean by truth? Second, what does he mean by loins, and what does it mean for them to be girded with truth?
A Brief Explanation of the Words.
Question #1: what is truth here? Some people interpret truth as Christ, who is indeed called "the truth" elsewhere. However, in this context, I don't think it's meant that way because the apostle lists several pieces of armor, each distinct from the other, and Christ can't really be seen as just one piece protecting a specific part. Instead, Christ is the whole armor in which we are complete, as compared in Romans 13:14, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus;" meaning, be clothed and equipped with Christ like a soldier with full armor. Some interpret truth as the truth of doctrine; others see it as truth of heart, or sincerity. I believe both are correct, and that's how I'll address it. Both are indeed needed to make the girdle complete. One won't work without the other. It's possible to have good intentions and a kind of sincerity without, or even against, the truth. Many follow an error like those who followed Absalom with sincere hearts. They do wrong while meaning well. Good intentions don't make an action good, just like a clear target doesn't make a good shot by an unskilled archer. God didn't approve of Saul’s zeal when he persecuted the Christian church, even though Saul thought he was doing God a service. It's also not enough to have the truth on our side if we don't have truth in our hearts. Jehu was strongly against idolatry, but his hypocrisy ruined everything. Both sincerity to aim for the right goal and knowledge of the word of truth to guide us to that goal are necessary.
Question #2: what does it mean by "loins" that should be girded with this belt of truth? The loins must be like the belt. This is spiritual, so they must be spiritual too. Peter helps explain Paul: "Gird up the loins of your mind" (1 Pet. 1:13). Our spirits and minds need to wear this belt, and it's fitting to compare our spirits and minds to the loins. The loins are the main source of physical strength. About the behemoth, it is said, "His strength is in his loins" (Job 40:16). The loins are to the body what the keel is to a ship. The whole ship is connected to and supported by the keel, just as the body is connected to the loins. If the loins fail, the whole body collapses. That's why "smite through the loins" is a phrase used to describe destruction and ruin (Deut. 33:11); weak loins mean a weak person. When we get a little tired, we naturally put our hands on our loins to support them, as they are our main strength. Similarly, as our minds and spirits act through their abilities and powers, we are either weak or strong Christians. If the understanding is clear in grasping truth, and the will is sincere, energetic, and determined in its intentions for what is holy and good, then one is a strong Christian. But if the understanding is unclear or uncertain, like a troubled eye that can't see its object well—not able to decide which thoughts to commit to—and the will is wavering and unsteady, like a needle trembling between two magnets, then the person is weak, and everything they do will be weak too. Weak spirits cause an irregular, false pulse; similarly, a lack of strength in the mind to know truth and a lack of determination in the will to pursue what is known to be holy and good causes a person to falter in their path.
The purpose of these two things, first, the truth of doctrine for the mind, and second, the truth of heart or sincerity for the will, is to unite and strengthen both of these abilities. They do this when they are wrapped around the soul like a belt around the waist. Even though the waist is the strength of the body, it still needs help from the belt to keep everything tight and focused; without it, when people try to exert themselves and use their strength for any task, they feel a trembling and weakness in their waist. That's why "shaking of the loins" is a phrase used to describe weakness (Ps. 69:23). In the same way, our minds and spirits need this belt to strengthen them in everything we do, or else we won't be able to do anything with energy and determination.
Truth of Doctrine as a Belt for the Mind.
We will start with the truth of doctrine, or the truth of the word, called "the word of truth" (Eph. 1:13), because it is the word of God, who is the God of truth. Every Christian needs to be firmly secured with this truth. Peter says, "Resist the devil, steadfast in the faith" (1 Pet. 5:9); meaning, in the truth—faith here refers to the object of our faith, which is the truth of God, as declared in the doctrine of the gospel. This is "the faith which was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3); meaning, the truth given to them to believe and hold onto. The importance of being steadfast in the faith is shown by the apostle Peter in the next verse, where he earnestly prays for them, asking God to "establish, strengthen, and settle them." The repetition of similar words implies the great danger they were in of being unsettled by Satan and his agents, and the necessity of standing firm and unshaken in the faith. This is frequently emphasized in the Epistles, especially because during those turbulent times, it was impossible to keep the faith from being taken away without this girdle to hold it fast. Now, since Satan has a dual strategy to deprive Christians of truth, there is a twofold need to be girded with this truth.
First, Satan comes as a serpent through false teachers, trying to deceive us with error disguised as truth. To defend against this, we need to be girded with truth in our understanding—we must have a firm grasp of the truths of Christ.
Second, Satan sometimes comes as a lion through violent persecutors, trying to scare Christians away from the truth with threats and harm. To defend against this, we need to have truth secured around us, so that with a holy resolve, we can maintain our faith even in the face of death and danger. Let's start with the first.
Since Satan comes as a serpent through false teachers, trying to deceive us by presenting error as truth, we need to protect ourselves by having a firm understanding of the truth of Christ. Every Christian should strive to have a solid understanding of the truth. The Bereans are praised for how they examined the Scriptures to confirm the teachings that Paul preached. They didn't just believe blindly; their faith was based on careful study and being convinced by the evidence in the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). It says they "searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." They compared the preacher's teachings with the written word, and as a result, "many of them believed" (Acts 17:12). They didn't believe before, but now they couldn't help but believe. I remember Tertullian saying about some heretics that they "teach by persuading, not by teaching to persuade," meaning they try to win over their listeners' emotions without convincing their understanding of what they preach. It's like an adulterer who doesn't try to convince someone that what they're doing is right; instead, they use flattering words to win over their emotions. Once the emotions are captured, the rest isn't questioned much—it's easy for emotions to sway judgment. While error sneaks in like a thief through the window, truth enters through the proper door of understanding, then into the conscience, and finally into the will and emotions. If someone accepts the truth without understanding its excellence and heavenly beauty, they can't truly appreciate it. It's like a prince traveling in disguise—unrecognized and therefore not honored. Truth is loved and valued only by those who know it. Not wanting to know it is as much a rejection as knowing it and refusing it. It's easy to deceive someone who doesn't know what they have. To an ignorant person, truth and error are the same, as long as it's called truth. Leah and Rachel were the same to Jacob in the dark. It says, "In the morning, behold, it was Leah" (Gen. 29:25). In the morning, when understanding dawns, the deceived person will realize they've embraced error as truth and will cry out, "Behold, it is an error which I took for a truth." You might have heard of the greedy man who was happy with his bags of gold but never opened or used them. When a thief replaced his gold with pebbles, he was just as content because he never looked inside. Similarly, an ignorant person is no better off with truth than with error. Both are the same to him, like day and night to a blind man. Now, let's continue and give a more detailed explanation.
Why Christians Should Strive for a Firm Understanding of the Truth
I will focus on three reasons. The first is the destructive nature of false teachings; the second is the cunning of those who lead others into false teachings; and the third is the widespread impact that a firm belief has on a person's entire being and the entire life of a Christian.
Reason #1: From the dangerous nature of false teachings. They target the precious life of souls, just like any other sin. A serious problem in the head can be as deadly as one in the stomach. A wrong understanding of fundamental truths is as deadly as a corrupt heart. In fact, it comes from there. Jezebel’s children are threatened to be "killed with death" (Rev. 2:23). And who are her children, but her followers, who drink from her cup of immorality and accept her corrupt teachings? But surely this isn't believed by some, who, although very strict in their lives and seem as careful about morality as Lot was with his guests, are very careless in their beliefs and judgments, exposing them, like he did his daughters, to be corrupted by any false teaching that comes their way. They would have us think that this is a minor issue and that their souls are not at risk, as in other sins. As if there were no question to be asked on the great day—what beliefs did we hold? and whether we were true in the faith?—in short, as if false teachings were harmless, not like the wild gourd that brought death into the prophets' pot (2 Kings 4:39-40)—turning wholesome food, with which it was mixed, into deadly poison—but rather like a harmless herb in the pot, that does neither much good nor harm. Yes, there are some who openly say that a person can be saved in any religion, as long as they follow their own understanding. And aren't these charitable people? Because they want as few as possible to be damned, they create as many paths to heaven as the Scripture tells us there are ways to hell. This is contrary to the teaching of Christ, who tells us there is no other way but through him to life. "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). It is directly against St. John, who tells us of only one doctrine, the doctrine of Christ, and that anyone who does not hold to this is marked as lost. "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God" (2 John 1:9). And how far, I ask, is that person from hell who does not have God? The one who does not have God before they die, the devil will have when they die. Well, friends, the time is coming, yes it is approaching—no matter what favor and kindness false teachings find here from people—when the stubborn heretic will receive the same judgment from Christ as the unrepentant drunkard. You can see them both under the same condemnation, as they stand bound together for hell (Gal. 5:20-21), "I tell you now," says the apostle, "as I have told you in the past, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." And see, I ask, if you cannot find the heretic’s name among them? Ignorance in fundamental matters is damning, surely then error in fundamentals is much more. If a pound weighs down the scale, there is no doubt then that a stone-weight will do it. If the lesser sin drags down to hell, how can we rationally think that the greater should escape it? Error stands at a greater distance from, and is in fuller opposition to, truth than ignorance. Error is ignorance with a twist. He who eats little or nothing must surely die, much more he who eats deadly poison. The apostle not only tells us of "pernicious ways" and "damnable heresies," but he tells us they "bring swift destruction" upon those who hold them (2 Pet. 2:1-2). Please observe the emphasis he places on the destruction that comes from these false teachings; he calls it "swift destruction." All rivers eventually find their way back to the sea from where they came, but some return with a swifter stream and get there sooner than others. Would anyone make it a shorter journey to hell than usual, let them throw themselves into this stream of false teaching, and they are not likely to be long in going.
Reason #2: Because deceivers are so sneaky, it's important for Christians to strengthen their understanding of Christ's truths. These are people skilled at destroying others' faith. There's a kind of learned wickedness in the world that some use to corrupt people's minds. The Spirit of God describes them in various ways: sometimes as merchants who use fancy words to sell their fake goods, as in "with feigned words" they "make merchandise" of souls (2 Pet. 2:3); sometimes as hucksters who mix their wine with water (2 Cor. 2:17); sometimes as cheating gamblers with tricks up their sleeves (Eph. 4:14); and even as witches: "Who hath bewitched you?" says the apostle (Gal. 3:1). We've seen strange things happen to those God allows them to practice their sorcery on, and what's a better defense than a well-established understanding? It's notable that in 2 Tim. 3:8, where the apostle compares the deceivers of that time to the sorcerers Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses, he points out the kind of people who fall into their trap—those who are "ever learning" but never come "to the knowledge of the truth" (ver. 7). Then he turns to Timothy, saying, "But thou hast fully known my doctrine" (ver. 10). It's like he's saying, I'm not worried about you; you're well-grounded in the gospel and won't be easily fooled. Indeed, those whom deceivers target are mainly the weak and unsettled ones; as Solomon says, "In vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird" (Prov. 1:17). The devil chose to attack Eve rather than Adam because she seemed more likely to be caught, and he still uses the same strategy. He tries to sneak in where the defenses are weakest and resistance is likely to be the least.
You can notice three types of people who are most often misled:
1. They are called 'simple' ones—"By good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rom. 16:18), meaning those who have good intentions but lack the wisdom to see through those with bad intentions. They are like naive people who trust everyone and drink from anyone's cup without suspecting any danger.
2. They are called 'children'—"Be no more children, tossed to and fro, with every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:14). Children are very trusting and tend to believe anyone who speaks nicely to them. They think anything sweet is good and can easily be tricked into taking poison thinking it's sugar. They don't rely on their own principles but follow those of others. A child reads and understands their lesson as their teacher explains it, believing it to be correct. Similarly, people who have little knowledge of the word themselves are easily swayed by those they trust. If the teaching sounds pleasant, they accept it without question. Like Isaac, they judge by feeling rather than seeing. This is why many people feel proud of the joy they've found in certain beliefs, not being able to verify the truth of their feelings through the word. They end up believing in error as if it were truth.
3. They are those who are 'unstable'—"beguiling unstable souls" (2 Pet. 2:14), meaning those who are not well-grounded in their beliefs. The truth they claim to follow has no firm hold in their understanding, leaving them vulnerable to being swayed by popular opinions, much like dead fish being carried along by the tide.
