Everything to Stand – Part 6
January 21, 2010Pastoral Counsel – Jen Miller
Crisis: 309.712.5149
Appointment: jen@sara-ministry.com
Jen is a…
Part 6: Continuing study of Ephesians 6:13-14
“…and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm…”
By guest writer, Randi Shaffer.
Roman legionaries: they are known as history’s most disciplined and skilled soldiers…professional soldiers. These men committed themselves notto simply fight the most contemporary campaign, but to twenty-five years of service.
- They trained relentlessly.
- They were never found without their armor.
- They conditioned their bodies to endure the most rigorous challenge.
Simply put, they were always ready so as to not be “caught off guard” by the enemy.
And one of their weapons—the sword—was hung on a simple, leather and metal belt, which also served to declare the soldier’s rank.
The first piece of God’s armor mentioned by Paul is the “belt of truth.” Paul says we must “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around [our] waist…” Ephesians 6:14
Considering what we know about Roman armor, can we assume, then, thattruth is what we Christians hang our weapon – the “sword of the Spirit” – on (Eph. 6:17)? Is truth what shows our rank to the world? But what does it mean to “buckle” truth around our waist?
Imagine that you own a great belt. It’s genuine leather and it’s hanging in your closet. Even though you like it a lot, and really want to benefit from its ability to hold up your pants–now that you’ve lost a few pounds 
)–you know that belt is not going to jump out of the closet, loop itself through the belt loops, wrap itself around your waist, and then buckle itself using the precise hole necessary. You gotta put it on!
Truth is the same way! It looks great sitting on our shelf, but spending the time, energy, and humility necessary to actually put it on…that can be really inconvenient. And maybe we won’t even realize we’re missing it until we’ve reached for that “sword of the Spirit,” (God’s Word) only to discover we’re unprepared…or when we’re offended by a friend’s crass remark, thinking “Hey! Don’t you know I’m a Christian?” forgetting that, actually, they don’tknow who we are because we keep truth neatly put away in the closet, and thus refuse to show our “rank” as being set apart by the love of Christ.
Or, maybe we’ve been putting on an imposter instead of the real thing, and know something’s not quite right, but not sure what it is…
So, back to the question posed in my previous post, why was I “hopelessly depressed” to begin with? And what is different now?
I knew something wasn’t quite right, and my weapon could not be found… I still believed a lot of lies about myself, God, and the world. I wasn’t wearing the “belt of truth.” And each time the enemy approached, I was unprepared, caught off guard, and felt scared, desperate, hopeless, and angry. I wanted to fight on behalf of myself and my loved-ones, yet I desperately wanted all the chaos to just…disappear.
I wasn’t disciplined. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t armed. I could not stand firm.
The good news: today I know the truth, and I put it on. I’m still in training; I put reminders around my house, I declare truth over and again in my head, and I invite the Lord to speak truth to me. I ask my friends, family, counselor, and even coworkers to help me see truth.
For me, the simple truth I can hang my sword on is this… I am forgiven, and I am loved. Believing in this truth has resurrected my hope in Him.
I’m rising to stand.
UPDATE: In last month’s post, I spoke of my youngest brother, Todd, and his struggles. I wrote this 2nd post at the same time. Since then, Todd passed away. I can’t describe the shock, pain, and grief I’m still feeling. Some days are okay, others are unbearable. But I want you to know that a new truth has entered my life that I’m clinging to: Todd was a believer, and he is now with our Lord. He is whole, healthy, joyful, and completely at peace. This truth is what I currently hang my sword on, as I arm myself against the enemy who wants to use Todd’s death for evil. For I know that the Lord intends to use this for good. Even in my grief I will meditate upon this.
Mirror-check time:
What truth is missing in your life? Understand that without it, you are not prepared to “stand firm.” Are you even standing at all? What will it take for you to choose truth over lies? Something to think about…
Joy Copyright 2010 Jen Miller – All Rights Reserved
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