Armor of God: The Belt of Truth

Paul is closing out a letter to the people of faith in Ephesus (the church).

 

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6:10-13 (NLT)

 

You and I are in an invisible struggle for our lives, our families, our marriages, our kids our finances /our church. Even though we can’t see this spiritual struggle, the struggle is real! That is one of the reasons Paul wrote these words to Timothy as he was leading a church community.

 

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)

 

And even though our enemy fights dirty, the good news is that we are not defenseless!

 

The struggle we are in is a difficult struggle, it is an invisible struggle, it is a vicious war…and for us to win we must pick the right fight and then fight right!

 

 

Here’s what you need to know: Your struggle is not against your coworker 

It’s not against your spouse.

It’s not against your mother-in-law.

It’s not against your son or daughter.

It’s not against your boss.

Our fight is against the rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in the unseen realms 

And I know we don’t always think about it this way:

There is a physical world that we can see and there is a spiritual world that we cannot see -and the struggle in the spiritual world is real It’s a struggle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light between good forces and between evil forces.

Spiritual enemies fight insidious battles on the fields of our minds, hearts, and homes.

 

There are times you find yourself in deep conflict, in your mind/emotions, and relationships. There are spiritual forces at work to drive that conflict!

Lucifer, AKA Satan, or the Devil, was a wise, talented, brilliant, and beautiful angel in heaven who was supremely involved in the music and worship in heaven. (Ezekiel 10, 28)

He became so consumed with pride that he desired to reign in heaven alone -and he went to war with God himself and as a result, he was cast out of heaven…Jesus said he saw him fall like lightning (Luke 10:18)

And so now he wages war against the crowning act of God’s creation – you and me – humanity! This is the struggle we find ourselves in. We didn’t start it, but we are in it/we were born into it
We didn’t cause it, but we are caught in the cross-fire of a cosmic conflict.

The struggle is real and you better get ready to fight your battle 

We need to fight for our marriages:

We need to fight for our kids:  

We need to fight for financial peace: 

We need to fight for sobriety: 

We need to fight for spiritual passion: 

Some things in life are worth fighting for: A better testimony is worth fighting for! A better relationship and marriage are worth fighting for! A better family is worth fighting for! A better walk with God is worth fighting for!

 

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words in a letter to the church in Ephesus, he was under house arrest and was then chained to a Roman soldier / a Centurian. They were part of the Praetorian Guard (elite fighters) as Paul takes quill and ink to paper, the HS quickens his spirit in his struggle as he was awaiting his execution for his faith in Christ and he writes these words -this is where the metaphor comes from as he sees the soldier and his struggle along with that of the church he loves so dearly.

The first tool Paul wants us to unpack and apply is the belt:

 

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth… Ephesians 6:14a (NLT)

 

It’s no coincidence that Paul starts with the belt of truth. The belt in body armor was the foundation of strength. It was the first thing a Roman soldier would put on when getting dressed for battle. It provided support for the soldier

 

It provided them support and stability. It held them together!

 

Here’s what Paul is saying to you and me

 

We need the belt of truth for stability and strength in our lives because there are a lot of lies and deceptions put out there by the enemy:

 

Our emotions are important, but they will lie to us

Our feelings are important, but they will mislead us

 

Our lives are strengthened and made stable by the TRUTH!

 

In fact, the way you stand firm is with the belt of truth

 

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NLT)

 

Truth is not defined by a simple principle; truth is defined by a person! 

 

Putting on the belt of truth defends you against the lies of the enemy

-Jesus described Satan as the father of lies, that whenever he speaks, it’s a lie:

He tells you that God doesn’t love you, LIE!

He tells you, you are not worthy of God’s love, LIE

 

Jesus is TRUTH and we can build our lives on him and his truth

 

The belt of truth can stabilize us in a crazy unstable world.

 

Scriptures teach that God’s word is truth:

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” John 17:17 (NLT)

“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” Psalm 119:160 (NLT)

“For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.” 2 Samuel 7:28 (NLT)

“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.” Proverbs 30:5 (NLT)

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32 (NLT)

“For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.” (Psalm 33:4)

 

When going into conflict, soldiers would tuck their tunic into the belt for mobility. These tunics were long…almost like a dress, so they would tuck it into their belt so they could move freely in battle

 

Think about your life … what are the things that trip you up in your struggle?

 

Have people hurt you/betrayed you/done you wrong? Our natural tendency is to hang on to that hurt or harbor an intense desire to get revenge…

 

Take that issue that would make you stumble in the struggle and you tuck it into the belt of truth

What does God’s word…what does His truth say about it?

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

 

Bitterness doesn’t make you better Forgiveness sets you free.

 

God’s word says don’t hold on to grudges b/c it will just do you more harm. So gird that up into the belt of truth, forgive people, and move forward!

 

Are you struggling in your finances right now?

 

#1 leading cause of divorce in America is not infidelity -it’s fighting over money

 

Money problems?

 

Run to God’s word and read Generosity, not greed, is what expands your life and influence in the world.

 

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. Proverbs 11:24 (NLT)

 

At WS First, we’re learning that every time we step into generosity it breaks the white-knuckle grip of greed off our lives. When we start to manage our finances God’s way we see God work in our lives…we tuck that under the belt of truth to find a better way to live!

 

Are you struggling with worry and fear about the future?

 

Fear demoralizes us, fear freezes us in the fight, and puts us in a catatonic state!

 

Run to God’s Word and read the words of Jesus …

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? …Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:31, 33-34 (NLT)

So let’s get dressed for battle and start with the belt of truth!

 

Let us recognize the areas where the truth is being attacked in our lives…where we aren’t being honest with where we are and what we must do to live in victory today!

 

I want you to share those battles and struggles with each other. Challenge each other! Support one another…live for one another! The soldiers always fought in a battle array that enabled them to defend themselves and those around them from the attacks!

 

Will you allow your brothers and sisters to help you see what maybe has been hidden and the lies that have tried to put you out of the fight?

 

We must fight and win…but we are not alone and we will be victorious…don’t let the punk devil divide and conquer…

 

Prayer for our spiritual soldiers to grab ahold of truth! 

 

Prayer for our spiritual soldiers to let truth hold on to them!