The Belt of Truth

 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  Eph. 6:14-15

In the '70s, a famous saying was, "If it feels good, do it." Today we hear that same mentality expressed in sentiments like: "What's truth for you may not be the truth for me." The saying has so thoroughly saturated our culture that our top value as a nation is tolerance. Tolerance Today does not merely mean that you accept another person for who they are. Today the term "tolerance" means you must affirm and endorse people's values and behaviors. If not, you are a bigot or some other malicious creature.

Anyone who questions the set agenda of the Synagogue of Satan will be labeled a conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer, white supremacist, racist, domestic terrorist, an enemy of the state, or extremist. 

 

Each one of these labels is a lie against the Truth.  You need to know this, I don’t care if you agree with me or not but when I give you the message of the LORD your disagreement is not with me but the LORD.

 

 The problem is that as American Christians, we have turned a deaf ear to the voice of God for so long that we can no longer distinguish his voice from the noise of Satan. We have enjoyed our comfort zone of ease and pleasure for so long that we have lost our dependence upon God to supply our needs. We have become complacent, self-absorbed, and blinded with false teaching to the place we have grieved the very heart of GOD.

 

We started down this slippery slope when we felt we must be tolerant of everyone's views. Our tolerance led to the acceptance of the very thing God warned us against. The tolerance deadened our hearing to the voice of the Spirit. Our acceptance of allowing everyone to do what was right in their own eyes turned us from the absolute Truth to the gray areas of sin. The result is that we are no longer just tolerating and accepting evil; we are condoning it. We have been walking on corrupt ground for so long we have forgotten what it is to serve God. God says, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." We must never forget that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord will enter into the Kingdom of God."

 

Our tolerance has created a society where the enemies of God are openly opposed to Him and those who faithfully serve the LORD. To question the lies that are promoted each day will get you marginalize, silenced, de-platformed, or in some cases, arrested. We are being lied to each day about medicine, education, science, technology, religion, gender identity, race, you name the subject, and there will be a lie.  

 

Are you aware that Satan wants to poison your thoughts and emotions away from the purity of God's Truth this morning? His attacks center on two areas: your mind and your heart. Jesus calls Satan the Father of Lies in Jn. 8:44. Jesus warns us that we face the Devil's onslaught in the realm of lies vs. Truth daily. That means to stand for the Lord Today, and we must:

 

BE ON GUARD FOR THE FATHER OF LIES

The Father of lies wants to snatch the Word of God from you.

The Father of lies wants you to think that sin is not so bad. Hebrews 3:13 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

 

The Father of lies wants you to learn to laugh at sin on television or at the movies. Proverbs 14:9 9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.

 

The Father of lies wants to destroy your conscience so it will no longer warn you.  Timothy-1 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

 

The Father of lies wants to entertain you with sin so that you won't think it's as evil as sin is.  1 Thes.2:11-12 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

 

The Father of lies wants to drown you in a sea of sin so that you become very tolerant of it. 1 Corinthians 5:11 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

 

He wants to fill your mind with doubts, lies, immorality, and false doctrine.

James 1:5-8 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

 

He wants to debilitate your will and get you to do things you shouldn't do.

Romans 7:8-17 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me

. good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit. 1Corinthians- 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

 

How can we combat these lies? We must have the mind of Christ and put on the armor he has given us. We are starting with the belt of Truth.

WE WEAR HIS TRUTH as the guide of all our ways. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the Truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Christ, saturates us with the Word of God, and it becomes part of our very life.

 

When we trust Christ, we received Him as Truth. Paul told the Romans to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory. Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of salvation. But there must be a daily renewal. When King David put off his armor and returned to his palace, he was in greater danger than on the battlefield (2 Sam. 11). We are never out of reach of Satan's devices, so we must never be without the whole armor of God.

 

In Ephesians 6:10-17, we see six clear articles we are commanded to wear.

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Still, against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

Belt of Truth (v.14a) Vital to every soldier was this belt from which all battle tools hung. This belt also held the soldier's robe together. To the Christian soldier, a belt of Truth means that we are surrounded by "honesty," "truthfulness," "integrity," and "sincerity" that Truth governs every part of our life. Dishonesty brings defeat! If we are not belted, if Truth does not hold in our lives, any deception will bring defeat to our lives.

 

God calls each of us to stand in joy, peace, hope, and love. Satan, the world, and our flesh call each of us to fall into anger, anxiety, fear, and selfishness.

 

We face the unseen but real world of the supernatural—spirit beings of immense powers of evil. Christ already defeats these enemies, but their deadly forces are only resisted by us when walking in step with the Spirit of God in Truth.

 

The complete guide to standing and not falling into sin, discouragement, hopelessness, uselessness, and emptiness is right here before us in Ephesians 6. The key to powerful ministry is right here. The way God has planned for our lives to magnify the Lord and unleash His Word is right here.

 

The Roman soldier had a thick leather belt that held their gear in place and could cinch up their tunic for battle. The standard dress was a large square of material with head and armholes draped loosely over the body. In any combat, that looseness of the garment ended. No tangles were desired, and the belt held fast the cinched-up tunic.

 

The Truth is to hold us up, hold us in, and protect us from falling. We are held in place by Truth. This Word (Aletheia) means both the content of Truth and the truthfulness of our life. God wants both. He wants us to know the content of Truth and live the integrity of truthfulness. Truth means we have the readiness to obey; we have the integrity of commitment to Truth; we are opposed to all deception and dishonesty. We have no loose ends of our life that dangle and trip us up. We are girded, belted, strapped in by Truth.

 

Knowing the Truth saves us. (Jn. 8:32; 17:3)

 Eating the Truth sanctifies us, which means it makes us worthwhile to God. (Jn. 17:17)

 Surrendering to the Truth transforms us (Rm. 12:1-2)

Obeying the Truth stabilizes us (2 Tim. 2:4; Heb. 12:1-2)

Our lives are to be surrounded and held together by Truth we know, believe, and practice.

 

How many times have I said we are in a war against evil? 

 

Girding of our loins with Truth means that tunic had to be tucked in and girded around them. Do you know what this was? A CALL FOR PREPAREDNESS IN THE TRUTH. Now turn to Luke 12:35. Our Lord talks about this, spiritually speaking, to his disciples. He reminds them, "Be dressed in readiness," or "be girded - to put on what you need for what's coming." Why? Verse 35 - "and keep your lamps alight and be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast." What he's talking about is, be perpetually on the alert. That's what this was girding up the loins was about. He said if you're in the battle and if you are going to be involved, he says, "Gird up your loins, put on your belt. So, it has to do with the whole idea of being committed and being ready to go into battle. And that commitment of being prepared to go into battle means that we are ready.

 

Many Christians are defeated, their minds wander, their hearts are divided, their concentration is broken, and they have not girded up their spiritual loins to battle. They haven't yielded and focused on Jesus Christ. They have not calculated the cost. They have not decided to discipline and bring themself under the control of the Holy Spirit.  

As the Truth of God penetrates your mind, it attacks and demolishes the sin it confronts.

 

John 17:17 was what Jesus told us, Mt. 4 He demonstrated it! Jesus said the way we become holy is through the Word. 

Remember, this book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this book!

 

Jesus Christ, the Truth Liberates Us from Bondage.

 

How does sin imprison us? Fearfulness is a form of evil that imprisons believers. This type of fear is not from God. We are living in a time where fear is the watchword of the day. There is a new expression being used called fear porn. People are living their lives in fear that is being pushed on them every day. 

 

We have become accustomed to hiding behind a mask, being locked in our homes, avoiding physical contact, all based on fear of dying.

 

Paul told Timothy that "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a strong mind." Truth liberates us from the prison-house of fear where we are captives and liberates us to trust, follow, and walk in the newness of life in Christ.

 

Are you exercising yourself in the Discipline of Truth? The Discipline of Truth starts by personally meeting Jesus Christ by faith, bowing before Him as Lord and Savior, and receiving by faith His salvation and then living each day asking Him to liberate us from the imprisoning power of sins like fear, impurity, bitterness, rebellion or jealousy.

 

The Discipline of Truth sets us free from living under the imprisoning power of fear. Fear imprisons us, but Christ the Truth liberates us. Sin can also imprison us with impurity, with pride, with doubt, with jealousy, or with any other of the sins of the flesh. Sin imprisons, but the Truth of Jesus Christ sets us free. How? By asking for freedom. It is that simple.

 

Believing God enough to walk before His Throne by faith and confess: "Almighty God, I believe what You say. I am a prisoner of fear, or impurity, or bitterness, rebellion or whatever. I ask you to set me free."

 

That instant, God responds. We are freed. That is the power of God, the supernatural work of God in us. But, why are we not then free from that particular sin, or even all sin from then on? Why do we go from the spiritual bliss of forgiveness and liberation to defeat and coldness towards God after a while? Stated, it is because we neglect God's Word.

 

Look back at John 17:17 with me because there we find another dimension of the Truth. We have already seen:

• First, we know the Truth is a person of incomprehensible importance.--Jesus Christ.

• Second, we know the Truth is a power that sets us free from the imprisonment of sin. But now:

Third, we know the Truth is the Book God wrote that Sanctifies us.

In John 17:17, Jesus Christ explains to us the heart of the Discipline of Truth: John 17:17 (NKJV) "Sanctify them by Thy truth. Thy Word is Truth".

 

It is essential to know the Truth. It is crucial to stand for the Truth. It is vital to understand how to use Truth as a weapon against sin and evil. We can change the hearts of evil men by the Truth. We must stand for the Truth and push back against the lies that we face each day. You must become the voice of Truth to a world that is based on lies.

 

Spread the Word. Stay Informed. Be Prepared. Remain Vigilant. Stay Ahead of the Curve. Remain Flexible. Have a Backup Plan. Follow the Money. Don't fall for the Narrative. Determine Who Benefits. Resistance is Always Greater When You are over The Target. Discover Who You Cannot Criticize. Stand fast in the liberty wherein Christ has made you free.  Push back on the lies that are bringing death to those who deny the Truth.  Be the light and salt you have been called to be in a world of darkness.