When I read about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, I’ve always pictured a knight. Verses 10-17 talk about the various pieces of the uniform: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, foot coverings of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

The second piece of armor is more than a protective sheet of metal that a knight would wear, however. The Jewish people also would have been familiar with the use of a breastplate by the priests in the temple. Way back in Exodus 28, Aaron (Moses’ brother) was given detailed instructions on what to wear before approaching the Holy Place within the temple, and one of those pieces was a breastplate. Aaron’s breastplate was worn over an apron-type article of clothing called an ephod, and it was held in place with decorative and functional rings and braided chains on the waistband.

Just like Aaron’s priestly breastplate was part of his whole uniform, the figurative breastplate of righteousness that we are called to put on every day has to be connected to the rest of our “outfit,” so to speak, with a belt: the belt of truth.

What happens when you wear loose pants without a belt? You risk losing your britches!

On the same token, what happens when you try to put on righteousness without truth? There are plenty of people in the world who act righteous. They may be passionate about what they believe, proclaim their message to the masses and even have a following of believers who hang on their every word. But, without the belt of truth, their message won’t stand the test of time any more than my skinny seven-year-old’s jeans will stay above his hips during recess without a belt.

Truth will stand up to inquiry. Test the messages that you hear in the world; see if they connect with the Word of God.