Waging War: Belt Of Truth
"Truth is what is in harmony with the nature and will of God"--Nelson's NKJV Study Bible"...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power...put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil...stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth..." [Ephesians 6:10-14].
A couple of months ago, I wrote something concerning the Shield of Faith that we as Christians need if we are going to be successful at waging war on the Kingdom of darkness. (check out: http://ndidiwozichi.blogspot.com/2010/11/waging-war-shield-of-faith.html for that encouragement). I want to continue in this vein by talking about the Belt of Truth, a very important point of discourse, especially in this day and age.
So...Truth. What is truth? Pilate asked this question when Jesus declared, "'...for this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice'. Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?' (John 18:38). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines truth as "the quality of being in accord with fact or reality; a judgment, proposition or idea that is true or accepted as true". In looking at this definition, we see that it is somewhat inconclusive and vague. I mean, who can define truth? Seems like such an abstract and changing idea. One only has to look at research and realize that what we believed at true at one point is no longer true. Truth, or the human interpretation of truth, seems like such a fickle idea. So, when the Apostle Paul encourages us in Ephesians to "stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth", what is he really talking about?
The belt of truth. Let's think about this. What is the function of a belt? According to one bible teacher, in ancient times,
So...Truth. What is truth? Pilate asked this question when Jesus declared, "'...for this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice'. Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?' (John 18:38). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines truth as "the quality of being in accord with fact or reality; a judgment, proposition or idea that is true or accepted as true". In looking at this definition, we see that it is somewhat inconclusive and vague. I mean, who can define truth? Seems like such an abstract and changing idea. One only has to look at research and realize that what we believed at true at one point is no longer true. Truth, or the human interpretation of truth, seems like such a fickle idea. So, when the Apostle Paul encourages us in Ephesians to "stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth", what is he really talking about?
The belt of truth. Let's think about this. What is the function of a belt? According to one bible teacher, in ancient times,
"the belt played a crucial role in the effectiveness of a soldier's armor-it held the scabbard, without which there would be no place to put a sword...in addition, the Nelson Study Bible says that from the belt 'hung strips of leather to protect the lower body'...the Matthew Henry commentary says the belt 'girds [secures] all the other pieces of the armor'"(freebiblestudyguides.org).
So, what is truth? John 1:17 says that, "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (emphasis mine) and in John 17:17, Jesus prays, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth". Jesus made a bold assertion when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6, emphasis added). Truth can only be found in the Word...in Jesus Christ. The opinions and ideas of people change like the wind, your reasoning(s) can be deceptive as well, but the Word of God remains true ["Let God be true, and every man a liar". Romans 3:4].
Now, there are certain foundational truths that are crucial in our Christian walk, truths that we as Christians can not afford to let go of. They include but are not limited to: Who Jesus is, His death and resurrection, and its implications. There are some who would question the veracity of the scriptures at this point, even in the body of Christ.
The deity and resurrection of Jesus has been questioned through the ages, and lack of understanding has made some, even in the faith, doubt what the Bible says. Other religions acknowledge the person of Jesus. "Jesus was a great prophet" they say..."a great man". And there in lies the difference between Christianity and other religions...Jesus Christ! In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples, "'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'. He said to them, 'But who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'". [13-16, NKJV]. Simon Peter got it! The Apostle Peter also got this truth when he wrote in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The both understood the truth of who Jesus was and is: The Christ(Savior), Immanuel (God with us), The second Person in the Trinity, God made flesh! And we must understand and grab a hold of this truth if we are going to take down the kingdom of darkness. It doesn't matter what others believe....what do YOU believe? Jesus warned the Jews concerning this when He said, "...for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24, emphasis mine). Many claim that Jesus never said He was God, but the Son of Man. But there are several statements Jesus made that implied He was God made flesh. Nelson's NKJV study bible explains that "I AM was god's designation of Himself in Ex 3:14. Jesus was therefore claiming to be God when He made that statement in John 8:24. This assertion was not understood by the Jewish leaders at that time. Later, Jesus' claim to be the 'I AM" (vs.58) prompted the Jewish leaders to seek His life (vs.59).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is yet another point of contention, back in biblical times, and in this day and age. In 1 Corinthians 15, we find some of the Corinthians teaching that there is no resurrection, and the Apostle Paul boldly confronts this erroneous thinking saying, "...if there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen...and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!..." [13-17, NKJV]. The implications of the resurrection are very clear. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then our Christian walk is in vain, and our hope is dead. Do you believe that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised on the third day in accordance with scripture? Do you understand why Jesus did die?
Now, there are certain foundational truths that are crucial in our Christian walk, truths that we as Christians can not afford to let go of. They include but are not limited to: Who Jesus is, His death and resurrection, and its implications. There are some who would question the veracity of the scriptures at this point, even in the body of Christ.
The deity and resurrection of Jesus has been questioned through the ages, and lack of understanding has made some, even in the faith, doubt what the Bible says. Other religions acknowledge the person of Jesus. "Jesus was a great prophet" they say..."a great man". And there in lies the difference between Christianity and other religions...Jesus Christ! In Matthew 16, Jesus asks His disciples, "'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets'. He said to them, 'But who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'". [13-16, NKJV]. Simon Peter got it! The Apostle Peter also got this truth when he wrote in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The both understood the truth of who Jesus was and is: The Christ(Savior), Immanuel (God with us), The second Person in the Trinity, God made flesh! And we must understand and grab a hold of this truth if we are going to take down the kingdom of darkness. It doesn't matter what others believe....what do YOU believe? Jesus warned the Jews concerning this when He said, "...for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24, emphasis mine). Many claim that Jesus never said He was God, but the Son of Man. But there are several statements Jesus made that implied He was God made flesh. Nelson's NKJV study bible explains that "I AM was god's designation of Himself in Ex 3:14. Jesus was therefore claiming to be God when He made that statement in John 8:24. This assertion was not understood by the Jewish leaders at that time. Later, Jesus' claim to be the 'I AM" (vs.58) prompted the Jewish leaders to seek His life (vs.59).
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is yet another point of contention, back in biblical times, and in this day and age. In 1 Corinthians 15, we find some of the Corinthians teaching that there is no resurrection, and the Apostle Paul boldly confronts this erroneous thinking saying, "...if there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen...and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!..." [13-17, NKJV]. The implications of the resurrection are very clear. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then our Christian walk is in vain, and our hope is dead. Do you believe that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised on the third day in accordance with scripture? Do you understand why Jesus did die?
Notice that this foundational truth about who Jesus Christ really is, His resurrection, and its implications embodies the function of the belt discussed earlier (placeholder for sword and other weapons, protection of body parts, and girding all other pieces of armor). Without the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He accomplished at the cross, we put ourselves in danger, and our lack of protection will certainly cause the fiery darts of the enemy's lies penetrate our hearts. Don't let that happen! Grab a hold of the Word of God! Spend time in the word, reading the Bible and spend time in His presence. We've been called to worship God in spirit and in in truth (John 4:24), but how can we if we do not know the truth? God's word is truth and declares that, "All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" [2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV, emphasis mine]. Jesus warns that in the last days, "...many false prophets will arise and decieve many...[they] will rise up and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect..." [Matt 24: 11, 24, NKJV]. The Apostle Peter also warns that, "...there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies, and even deny the Master who bought them...and many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered..." [2 Peter 2:1-3, NLT]. Let us be sober and vigilant, friends!
Jesus said to the Jews in the book of John, "...If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" [8:31-32, NKJV]. According to John 1:1, Jesus is the Word, right? And He is also the Truth, right? (John 14:6). Now, for those who love mathematics, take a look at this simple equation:
If Jesus = The Word; and Jesus = The Truth
then John 8:31-32 would read: If you abide in Jesus....you shall know Jesus and Jesus shall make you free
then John 8:31-32 would read: If you abide in Jesus....you shall know Jesus and Jesus shall make you free
My point? Abide in Christ Jesus...He is your only guarantee of the truth...in every area of your life. get a firm hold of your belt of truth, buckle it tightly around your waist, and wage war against the kingdom of darkness. We are in a battle, saints. Don't relax your hold! Finally, "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 the strategies of the devil...stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth...". [Ephesians 6:10-14, NLT]. Let's be contenders for The Truth and never back down!
chei madam ndidi... e be like say... hmm! anyway I'm glad I have found a place to come and hang out with my daily evening tea!!! xo
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