There's a Crack in Your Armor Perry Stone

soldier’s armor as the war dress for the believer.

THE LOIN BELT

His first selection was the loin belt (Eph. 6:14, KJV ), which was called balteus in the early Roman Empire and cingulum militare in latter times. 2 These belts were narrow and decorated with bronze plates all the way around. They included five leather straps hanging over the lower half of the front of the body. With it being a belt of truth, I am reminded of the fivefold ministry gifts—pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, and teacher—that present God’s truth to the church. The soldier’s belt was later used for the soldier to attach his sword and a small shield. The belt also held other parts of the armor in place and was used to tie or bind up the garments (called girding up the loins in 2 Kings 4:29, KJV ) so a soldier would not trip when going to battle. It was also used to display awards and metals for heroism in battle. This first piece of equipment, “truth,” holds all things together! If your faith and hope are not grounded in biblical truth, then what you believe will eventually fall apart during a spiritual battle. THE BREASTPLATE The soldier’s breastplate (Eph. 6:14) is called in Greek the thorax , which can literally mean, a “heart protector.” The Roman soldier’s breastplate was made up of small metal plates