Someone once said, “This world is not a playground – it is a battleground.”
Almost daily, it is becoming more and more obvious that spiritual warfare is real and it is becoming more and more intense. Satan is the instigator and Christians are his primary target.
In Ephesians 6:14-17, the Apostle Paul is speaking of our warfare with the powers of darkness and he tells us how to be prepared.
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
If you carefully read what Paul wrote, you will see that, as Christians God has provided us with six pieces of equipment for the war.
1. The Girdle of Truth
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
3. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
4. The Shield of Faith
5. The Helmet of Salvation
6. The Sword of the Spirit
I. Let’s Consider the Belt or Girdle of Truth.
Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.”
The Bible says that “Satan is a liar and the father of lies.” It goes on to say that he is a “deceiver” and “there is no truth in him.”
In John 14:6 Jesus told His disciples – “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
In John 8:31-32 we read – “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said ‘If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
John 1:14 tells us that Jesus is “full of grace and truth.”
In John 17:17 He declared that “God’s Word is truth.”
II. How do we become ‘People of Truth’?
Again, I take you to what Paul wrote in Romans 13:11-14,
“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So, let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
What a powerful word we have here from the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul.
A. We need to personally know Jesus Christ who is the truth of God.
B. If we have received Christ as Savior and Lord, then we are indwelt by the ‘Spirit of Truth’.
C. Do not give in to satisfying the desires of the flesh but rather ‘desire the Lordship of Christ’ in every area of your life.
D. As a born-again Christian, we are given a new nature like that of our LORD. The Holy Spirit desires to nurture that new nature to bring forth Christlikeness in your life.
In Ephesians 4:24 the Apostle gives us this word – “And put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
E. We also need to immerse ourselves consistently in God’s inspired word. In 2 Timothy 2:15, we read —
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
F. Lastly in putting on the belt or girdle of truth, we need to make it our goal to please our LORD.
In 2nd Corinthians 5:9, the Apostle Paul wrote –
“So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it, (10) for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.”
Brothers and Sisters, let’s determine right now, once and for all time that our very lives will be characterized by the Incarnate Truth and the Inspired Truth. (More next week)
For His glory, Pastor Leonard
