A pastor once said, “If the enemy can put fear into your mind, then you will follow anything.” Have you ever thought about that? Today we are witnessing a war between two countries, Russia and Ukraine. Many countries are actively supplying weapons and other armor to Ukraine to help bolster their defense while sanctioning Russia in the financial sectors. As each day passes, the threats become more serious.
While we watch the world stage shift and change, I thought it was a good time to be reminded that we need to be wearing our spiritual armor every day. For the believer, this armor is very similar to what troops wear today, but its significance is pretty different.
Our focus passages for this mini-series come from Ephesians 6:10-18 – The Armor of God.
When the United States goes to war, the military executes their plan of attack. Never have I seen them send men and women into battle without the proper protection. Imagine our military sending our troops to a dangerous foreign country without weapons, ammunition, helicopters, and battle attire. They won’t do that. The military sends the troops in with full military armor. If they didn’t, the troops would be killed quickly, and the enemy would laugh at us.
Bring it closer to home.
The same thing can be said for believers. We face spiritual battles daily. If we do not put on the whole armor of God, we leave ourselves wide open for attacks by the enemy. Believe me; he will not waste an opportunity to destroy us.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The thief in this passage is Satan. He is out to destroy us.
The Apostle Paul cautions in Ephesians 6:12 that “our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God.”
Let’s start with the first piece of armor – the belt of truth. The Apostle Paul says in verse 14, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,”
This is the first piece of armor we are to put on. Strapping on the belt of truth allows us to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.
How do we gird ourselves with the truth?
Get into God’s Word.
The Bible helps us distinguish right from wrong. The enemy’s goal is to deceive us, so we must know the truth. Run it under the light of God’s Word to see if it is real.
The belt of truth is the symbolic clothing for the Messiah.
What wins the battle? Character, not brute force, just like the Messiah. You cannot win the battle without the belt of truth.
Notes.
Allow me to share a few notes from a sermon preached by Pastor Ron Smith on the belt of truth.
- If the enemy can put fear into your mind, then you will follow anything.
- There are so many stories, but only one gospel.
- If you are thinking wrong, your life can come apart.
- Tell the truth – resist lies.
- If you want to navigate through the dark, you need to be a person of light, and that is found by being in the Word of God.
We have to remember that they suited up for strenuous activity in the ancient world. Those men were not riding in hummers and flying helicopters. They were involved in hand to hand combat. They were girded appropriately for battle.
We should be too. That means we are to stand on the Word of God, his Truth. The belt of truth is the first piece of the armor. You can’t put it on last. Nothing else will fit correctly if you put the belt on last.
Folks, we are fighting a real enemy. I am thankful the Lord has given us what we need to fight the battle. There’s one catch – you must be wearing it. You should be in the Word of God and learn His truths.
Last visual before we close.
- Image – a belt of truth
- Spiritual weapon – truth
- Background passage comes from Isaiah 11:5, “Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.”
Next time we’re together, we’ll look at the breastplate. Until then, get into God’s Word and put on the belt of truth.
Blessings!
Bridge to Grace – a nonfiction novel
Strongholds – The Spiritual Battle
Recent Comments