Truth and Missional Ministry
In a study of Ephesians 6:10-20, which describes spiritual warfare and spiritual armor, Paul begins a discussion of the armor in verse 14 with the phrase “belt of truth”. The belt is the first piece mentioned, which seems odd. As I pray the spiritual armor on, I go from top to bottom, beginning with the head. However, having been around as many soldiers as Paul was during his time of house arrest, he most likely would have described the armor in the fashion that he saw them put it on. That routine would have become steeped in his thinking and in attempting to describe the armor of God which would protect us in the battle, he began where the soldiers would have begun. The reasoning? Everything hooks to the belt; therefore would have to go on first, not last.
This belt is a belt of truth and in the same way the metaphor Paul presents us with we must come to realize that everything flows out of a mindset. Thus the necessity of a solid and effectual worldview. But this requires a mindset and worldview based on truth. However, whose truth and where does it come from?
Truth is:
1. Propositional – gravity is a law. Walk off the edge of your house and see if you fall!
2. Experiential – If you are in a jungle with only one other person, and they slug you on the chin, how do you know it happened? It is true because you experienced it.
3. Relational – The scripture speak of truth as relational. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus is the ultimate expression of Truth. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Know here is a relational word, the word used for intimacy. “The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth.” We get to the truth through the leading of the Spirit, not the acquisition of knowledge.
Therefore, when Paul tells us to put on the belt of truth, it truth built upon a relationship with Christ. It is truth that tells you that you are God’s child. You have no reason to fear, no reason to worry, and no reason to doubt. Unfortunately, this is one of the first lies of the enemy, to try to make us believe that we do not find our sufficiency in Christ.
But that truth impacts the next piece of the armor, the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness here means “uprightness, right living, integrity in one’s lifestyle and character. (Ingram, 92)” It is how we live our life. How we live our life is connected to what we believe about Christ and about us.
Here’s where the missional aspect of truth comes into play. What we believe and how we live will always go together. Notice it is not what we SAY we believe. We do what we believe. Period. Missional living requires the incarnation of the truth in culture, the incarnation of Christ where you live. You can’t live what you don’t believe, therefore what you believe about Christ will be expressed in your life. And it will be noticed. It will be especially noticed as we put on the next piece of armor, feel prepared to take the Gospel. Our feet take us somewhere, and as a Christ follower incarnating Him in the culture it will take us to a point of expressing Christ.
What you believe determines how you act and thus how you take the savior to the world.
