Belt of Truth, Armor of God Christian Wall Art

What is painted

On a folded piece of rough cream linen lie a pair of worn leather sandals with crossing straps, the leather darkened and scuffed from use. Beside them rests a coiled brown belt with a square brass buckle. Behind, a thick Bible lies open, its gilded page edges catching the light and a small cross stamped on its leather cover. Two sprigs of olive leaves with green fruit are tucked around the objects.

The style is a precise, warm watercolor in saddle brown, gold, olive and ivory on a pale paper background. There is no text on the print.

The armor of God in Ephesians 6

Near the end of his letter to the Ephesians, written while he was, in his own words, an ambassador in bonds, Paul tells Christians to put on the whole armor of God. He lists each piece of a soldier's gear and gives it a meaning.

Three of those pieces are in this painting. “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth”: the belt, which held everything else in place, is truth. “Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”: the footwear is readiness to carry good news. And the only weapon in the list is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”, which the open Bible represents.

Choosing sandals rather than a soldier's boots was deliberate. The painting turns the armor into the things a person actually uses every day, which is the point Paul was making.

For men, confirmands and new believers

The warm leather tones and the lack of lettering make this a good fit for a man's study, an office, a bookshelf wall or a reading corner. It is a thoughtful confirmation gift, a Father's Day present, or a gift for a pastor, a missionary or someone who has just been baptized.

It also pairs well with verse prints of Ephesians 6, and it makes a quiet talking point on a wall: guests tend to ask why the sandals and the belt are there, and the answer is the whole passage. This Christian poster is printed to order in the US on heavy archival matte paper with a margin of paper around the image, and ships unframed with free shipping across the US.