A Christian cannot be characterized by lies and still have close communion with the Father. It’s impossible. Think about King David. He told lies for nearly a year regarding what happened with Bathsheba and it caused him great torment. You can read about that in Psalms 32 & 51. He repented and the Lord restored his credibility as king and restored the relationship he & God had together, but think of the blessings he missed that year all because of the many lies he told in order to save his pride. Unless we practice truth, then we cannot use the Word of Truth! When our conscience is clear then we can face the enemy without fear!
The belt of truth is like a girdle that holds all of the other pieces of armor together. A soldier’s belt was worn over his garments and was the first piece of armor he put on. Without the belt then the rest of the armor loses all value and strength. The belt also holds the sword! Having truth gives us freedom with ourselves, with God, and with others.
The breastplate of righteousness is talking about the sanctification of a Christian. To clarify, justification is for when we are saved. Sanctification is for when we are becoming more Christ-like and storing blessings/rewards up in Heaven. We will then present those blessings back to the Father during our worship of Him. Our sanctification also shows non-believers who we are and what we’re about.
Without the belt of truth, then the breastplate of righteousness cannot stay in place. A soldier’s breastplate was most likely chain link and it covered his waist up to his neck on the front and back of his body. This breastplate protected his chest from an enemy’s attacks. Likewise, sanctifying, righteous living guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of the devil.[1] The life we live is one where satan is unable to penetrate us during attack or one that we are weakened enough for him to defeat us. First we need truth, then we must stand firm in righteousness. Without practical righteousness in our lives, then we are opening ourselves up for satan’s attacks. We must stand firmly against satan by practicing righteousness, because it is the righteousness of Christ that affirms us, as believers, of our salvation.
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[1] Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 643). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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