Girded

In the book of Ephesians, chapter six, the first part of God's armor we are told to put on is the truth. It is illustrated as the girdle or belt of truth on our spiritual armor. It enables us to walk or to run freely. No one would go to battle in Paul's day without girding up his garment. It would be a fatal mistake to so encumber one's ability to move, to respond quickly to commands, and to defend against attacks from the enemy. And the same is true of us in our spiritual warfare. We need to be made free--set at liberty--by God's truth in order to follow in His footsteps, obey His commands, resist the enemy. It is truth that removes the chains of sin, enlightens the eyes to understanding, and direct us as we "walk in the light as He is in the light." It is the guide on the path to Christian victory.
What is the truth? Jesus said, "I am the truth." He was "full of grace and truth." He prayed that His Father would sanctify His disciples through the Word, the Word of Truth. The Holy Spirit was given "to guide us into all truth." Truth, then, is a patterning of our lives after the life of Jesus, the Living Word, as revealed to us in the written Word--the Bible--by the Holy Spirit. We must walk in the will of the Father doing only those things that please Him. And we must be delighted in the doing of them. We must have the compassion, holiness, and humility of Christ evident in our lives. We must never waver from the truth or we will stumble and fall--discouraged and defeated. We must by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit put on Jesus Christ so that through the strength of the God who is never weary, we can celebrate Christian victory in all its freedom. Truth enables us to stand confidently in the midst of the spiritual battle, victory assured.