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Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth …
(Ephesians 6:14a)
In past studies we have taken a look at the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith. Here we take a look at the very first piece of the armor of God, without which we cannot even begin to use any of the other pieces.
Let’s take a look at each word and phrase in the portion of verse:
Stand – to stand still, upright. In the face of opposition, it implies victory, as in “left standing.”
Loins – large lower back muscles, necessary to stay erect while pivoted at the waist or to pull oneself erect.
Having girt about – middle voice, aorist participle. A continuing action initiated in the past which you did to yourself. Better translated “having girded yourself around.”
With – (en) by, or in
Truth – the spirit of Christ
The loins of your body are those long muscles in the lower part of your back, which allow you to stand up straight. Have you ever strained or pulled either of those two muscles? It’s painful to even stand up. And try to bend over and do any work (mow, pick up things, get into a car, etc.) or straighten yourself! Impossible!
Let’s take a look at the context of this exhortation to have your loins girt about with truth.
Put on (as clothing) the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (artifices, contrivances or methods) of the devil. Wherefore take unto you (take up into use) the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day (today), and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:11, 13)
In verse 11, “to stand against” is literally “to stand toward” or “to stand facing.” In a high wind, you turn toward the wind and push against it. Why? Because our feet are made with the longer portion in front, so we are able to lean forward, but not backward. That is the picture which describes our standing against the devices of the devil. In verse 13, “to withstand” is to stand opposed, to resist. Put these two together and you have a practical, lively picture of how to see our enemy defeated; certainly not by running and hiding!
You can not stand against something unless and until you know it’s there. People get knocked over all the time by the workings of the devil when and because they don’t know it’s the devil. They think it’s a person, that “everybody is against them,” or that they themselves are defective in some way. If only they could “see” how this invisible enemy called the devil has willfully and conscientiously devised a strategy to specifically blind, trick and defeat them! If they could see this evil working as a diabolically designed strategy to steal, kill and destroy from them!
(See study Discerning Devil Spirits)
I want you to note that all the pieces of this armor of God are specifically so that you can stand against your enemy, the devil, so that you finish the contest by standing in victory. This whole section of scripture (verses 10-18) has that one purpose in mind; that you are able to recognize, turn and face, and then stand against the deceitful trickery of your own personal adversary, with the result that even during and immediately after an attack, you are left standing in victory.
So verse 14 begins with the idea that you have successfully stood against the devil and are standing in victory. Stand therefore … ! … having put on all these pieces of armor. Without your loins being strengthened by the girding of truth, you would not have been able to stand against him by using the other pieces mentioned.
Let’s take a look at the action of girding. This girding about the loins speaks of the need to collect the long, flowing robes which were worn in the Middle East in those days, before performing any physical task. And so a belt or sash was cinched around the waist, of which the loins are the primary muscle of pivotal movement. The flowing garment was thus drawn in close to the waist (and loins), leaving the person able to have a more unlimited range of motion without being hindered by his clothing.
The “clothing” is represented by the whole range of thinking, feeling, reasoning, choosing, deciding, prioritizing, planning and believing which clothes our mind every moment of every day. We are to have all our mental and emotional activity cinched close in by truth to where we make our pivotal decisions to think, feel and act. This cinching occurs over a period of time. The purpose of doing this is so that we will be able (have the power) to recognize, turn and face, and then stand against the deceitful workings of the devil which come against our life. We learn to allow truth to closely reign in (control) our thoughts and feelings as we make decisions. As we stand in the power of truth, Satan stands no chance against us.
Finally, what exactly is the truth by or in which we are to reign in our thinking and feeling?
Sanctify them through (en – in or by) Your truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17)
I love little words with big meanings, also known as prepositions. Prepositions show the relationship between two or more nouns. This preposition, en, meaning in or by, is the same preposition used in Ephesians 6:14a. If I come to your house by car, I came in the car. That’s why it can be translated either way. In the Greek it is represented by the center of a circle. “At rest and continuance in the heart of” is a way I like to define that short, two-lettered word. At rest and continuance in the heart of God’s word (logos – that which a thing communicates of itself), we are set apart, made holy (untouchable by Satan).
Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. (John 16:13)
I used to think this “show you things to come” meant the spirit would be showing you the future. But that’s not what Jesus is saying here. He is saying that what the spirit of truth would be showing those men had not yet come to pass. The “things to come” didn’t happen until the day of Pentecost, when the seed of the mystery of Christ was firmly planted and began to grow in the earth.
The spirit of truth spoken of here is that same Holy Spirit spoken of in Acts, is the same Christ within spoken of by Paul.
He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:14)
The truth we are to gird around our critical thinking and feeling is the truth of Christ, and that truth of Christ only comes into reality in our lives as it is revealed within us. Once Christ is revealed within, and as he is revealed within, gather up all your thinking and deciding and feeling in and by that revealed truth, so that you will be able to recognize the deceitful devices of your spiritual enemy and to stand in victory against them each and every day in each and every way.
But unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (I Corinthians 1:24)
Without the revealed truth of Christ within you will never be able to recognize or stand up to and against your spiritual adversary. God has so lovingly and majestically provided us with the means of successfully triumphing over that evil one in our life. The means is Christ within. The truth is Christ within. The victory is Christ within.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers (dunamis – abilities), against the wielders of the overcoming power of the darkness of this world, against wicked spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Do you really think you can do this by yourself? Cinch up your thoughts and feelings by the spirit of Christ, in the heart of which you reside, and watch your enemy become powerless against you as you grow spiritually fruitful, powerful and wise.
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Other good studies:
The Devil, Our Enemy
The Helmet of Salvation
The Shield of Faith
Some Truths about Truth
Truth vs. Reality
