Taking Our Stand (Part III)

September/13/2010 09:21 AM

The Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:13-14 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."

We have real weapons that have been given to us, but we must have an understanding of them and how to use them.

II Cor. 10:4 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

Many Christians, sadly, don't realize the weapons at their disposal or how to use them. They don't realize that they are walking through life day to day without being suited up with their armor. They are not prepared for the tough times or when the enemy attacks.

I read a story that had been told of a mental hospital that many years ago came up with an unusual test to determine whether patients were ready to go back into the world. The doctors brought the patient, who was eligible for release, into a room where a water faucet was left running until the sink was overflowing and pouring out all over the floor. The patient was handed a mop and told to clean up the mess. If the patient had enough sense to turn the faucet off before mopping up the water, they would be released. But if the patient started mopping while the sink continued to overflow then they were kept for further treatment. Those patients who failed the test were not ready to handle life's situations or understand how to use certain tools at their disposal like a water faucet or a mop.

As believers, we need to know all the divine weaponry and armor that we have been given to overcome any situation or attack of the enemy. The first piece of armor we will look at is the belt of truth.

A Roman soldier’s armor consisted of a girdle or a belt that held his tunic tight in place so he could be free to move. It also provided a good place to hang his sword. The belt of truth holds everything together making all the armor of the soldier more effective; thus the belt of truth does for the Christian. The word of God is what our belt of truth is constructed of. Our belt is made of indestructible material!

Truth is the basis of all we are and do. It points us in the right direction and puts us on the right path. Truth is the opposite of a lie. The truth is honest, open, transparent and strong! It can stand the test of time, and you can always rely on it! Knowing the truth brings freedom and points us clearly in the right direction. A journey, guided by truth, leads to peace, clarity, wisdom, and with the final destination being life.

Jesus said in John 14:6,

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Jesus is the Truth and we as Christians (like Christ) are to be walking, talking demonstrations of the truth!

On the other hand, a lie is always trying to hide or divert from the truth. A lie will try to hide the truth behind a clever veil of deception or facade. The lie is a sneaky, deceptive detour sign to get one off of the road of truth. The lie is never trustworthy. It never protects or gives peace in the long run. A lie leads down the wrong path and into a ditch that eventually leads to death. The Bible says in John 8:44 that Satan is "a liar, and the father of all lies."

The father of lies has an army of demons all with specific assignments and duties. Satan himself may not be picking you off, but his foot soldiers and cohorts make sure the flaming arrows and darts are directed at God's prized creation, man. The attacks of the enemy injure and take captive, and set up strongholds in the unarmed Christians' and unbelievers' lives.

That's why the apostle Paul said more than once in the verses in Ephesians: "put on the full armor of God" and "put on the whole armor". Without every piece of armor in place we are not ready to face a real world and a real devil. We are vulnerable like sitting ducks. The Bible says the devil is like a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour. He looks for the weak and vulnerable first for they are the easy prey. He then goes to doing what he does best; stealing, killing and destroying.

Satan comes to weave his lies with a small amount of truth that he can conceal it or twist it. He deceives with false doctrine, false gods and religions, secular humanism and the list goes on and on. He is a master at posing questions of doubt of God's truth and faithfulness, just as he did in the Garden of Eden. Then when a poor soul is totally confused with heart and mind divided, the flaming arrow assault begins; temptations of the flesh and mind, marriage and family problems, career and financial crisis. He will throw sickness, disease and death in the mix. He has no new strategies. All of the same old tricks continue to defeat weak and unprepared Christians.

Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

But if we have our belt of truth securely buckled, we cannot be deceived and lead astray. We can extinguish the flaming arrows while still in the drawn bow of the enemy!! No matter what comes our way we have the truth, even if something bad does happen, to keep us on the right path. We won't waiver or get sidelined. The truth of God's word is our strong foundation. Putting on our belt of truth means not only knowing the truth; but we must live the truth as well. It's what makes us honest, transparent, knowledgeable and sincere in our faith.

Let us never forget that the Spirit of Truth has been sent and given to us as a gift and a helper, the precious Holy Spirit! We must daily recognize and activate Him and His working in our lives. This is what Jesus said of the Holy Spirit in John 16:13,

"But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.

The Holy Spirit is our gauge, guide and teacher into all truth. He is our truth filter you could say; like an oil filter in a car. Whatever harmful substance would try to get through and damage the motor or cause it to not function at its best, is caught in the filter and rendered powerless to cause harm. Thank you Holy Spirit that you do that for our minds and spirits!

The belt of truth not only holds all the other parts of our armor together but it works in us to form character and build integrity. With it we are empowered to live a lifestyle that reflects God's word! It's actually a growing relationship with the Truth Himself, Jesus!

Psalm 51:6 "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

Proverbs 23:23 "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding."

John 4:24 "God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."