Intro: I very much appreciate a piece of wisdom my father taught me in my formative years (the first five to eight years of a child’s life).  What a child is taught during these years about right and wrong, and many other things, forms the foundation of their character.  He taught me that I should be a man of my word, because if I was not, then I and my words were worthless.  This is when he was teaching me to stop lying, which unfortunately, I thought I had down to a fine art when I was seven-years old.

[Relate story about lying to Dad about my spankings at school, his gift, and then his finding out I had been lying all along]

My Dad let me know in no uncertain terms that he would not abide a liar, and he hated lies.  He didn’t want me to grow up to be a man that built his reputation on falsity, but rather on truth and integrity.

I’ll share with you a few quotes about truth from various non-biblical sources, but nevertheless they offer some wisdom.

https://www.wow4u.com/truthquotes/

1. Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. Henry David Thoreau
2. Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it. Confucius 
3. Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. Elvis Presley 
4. Stop hanging out with people that tell you what you want to hear. Hang out with people who tell you the truth. Eric Thomas 
5. [You may find some irony in this one] - Let us begin by committing ourselves to the truth to see it like it is, and tell it like it is, to find the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth. Richard Nixon 
6. In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
7. For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first. Aristotle 
8. We all quote scriptures reflecting that God's ways are not man's ways, but because of sin we rebel against that truth. Stephen Shortridge, Deepest Thanks, Deeper Apologies 
   Quotes about God

 

9. A lie is like a snowball, it starts off small and then grows and grows until a point where it gets so big it falls apart and then the truth is discovered. Chris Hughes, Inspirational quotes About Love, Life And Success. 
   Funny Quotes

 

10. Standing courageously for an unpopular opinion isn't easy, but the rewards of standing courageously for the truth will last forever." Rick Warren 
    Courage

TURN WITH ME TO…

(Eph 6:11)  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

(Eph 6:12)  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

(Eph 6:13)  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.

In the last sermon I gave titled “Put On the Whole Armor of God – Part I,” we learned why we need to put on the whole armor of God.

 

RECAP

 

We learned that we are Christian SOLDIERS, and we our fighting fierce spiritual battles.

We learned that it is by God’s power and might that we can win our battles.

We learned to know our enemy, Satan, and to know his stratagems of divide and conquer.

We learned to stand our ground; to stand in grace, in the gospel, in faith, in liberty and love.

We learned that we must PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD in order to stand against the wiles of the devil!

 

[NIV translation provides a translation that gives us a little better understanding].

(Eph 6:14)  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

SPS: Today we will learn about girding our waist with the “belt of truth.”

 

1. Why did the apostle Paul begin with the belt of truth when describing the whole armor of God?

 

Why didn’t Paul start with the powerful sword of the Spirit, the great shield of faith or the shining breastplate of righteousness?

 

COMPARE

[NKJV] (Eph 6:14)  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

(Eph 6:14)  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

G4024

περιζώννυμι

perizōnnumi

per-id-zone'-noo-mee

From G4012 and G2224; to gird all around, that is, (middle or passive voice) to fasten on one's belt (literally or figuratively): - gird (about, self).

 

Paul spent two-years in prison, and he was very familiar with the Roman soldier’s armor. God inspired him to write his brilliant analogy of the Roman soldier’s armor to the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.

 

The Roman soldier’s belt was called a cingulum or balteus. According to The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Abridged Edition, New Testament,

First, the “belt” tied tightly around the waist indicated the soldier was ready for action.  It served to gather in the short tunic and helped keep the breastplate in place when the latter was fitted on. From it hung the scabbard in which the sword was sheathed.

In addition, the Nelson’s Study Bible says from the belt “hung strips of leather to protect the lower body (loins).”

The Matthew Henry Commentary says the belt “girds on [secures] all the other pieces of armor.”

[PREPARATION FOR ACTION, SAFETY, SECURITY, FUNCTION OR PRACTICALITY, FOUNDATIONAL]

We can buy a belt online or at a local brick and mortar store.  You usually find belts in men’s accessories.  Some belts are leather, some are stretchy woven belts, some are bonded leather belts, some belts are made from fabric.  Some come with buckles, ratchets or clips. You have work belts and dress belts.  YOU CANNOT FIND THE BELT OF TRUTH AT MACY’S!

1. Where can you find the belt of truth?

God’s word is the truth (you CAN find it in leather bound, hard bound, paperback and digital versions).

John 17:17 (…thy word is truth – every Passover), 2 Timothy 3:16 (…all Scripture is God breathed [NIV] (2Ti 3:16)  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”). Isaiah 14:27 (His promises, His commands, His word—they are all truth!)  THIS BELT IS THE BEST BELT EVER MADE!  You can count on it to serve its purpose!

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh,…the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 16:13 - IGNORANT? PRAY…

2. We gird our waist with the belt of truth to prepare for action! You want your belt to cleave to you…really awkward and embarrassing if it’s too loose! And you need to know how to secure it (We need instructions).

 

Psalm 25:5 (Guide me in Your truth…),

 

1 Peter 3:15 (Be ready to give a defense…in meekness and fear).

 

Psalm 25:10 (“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth…”) You can feel secure knowing that any path of the LORD you choose is the right path, and you will never get lost when you take His paths!

(1Ti 3:15)  but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 

John 8:31-32 (If you abide in My word…you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make your free).

 

3. What does truth have to do with a belt?

How do we know what we read and what we hear is the truth?  What is the source of truth?  Are you sure what you heard from the pulpit or read in literature is the truth?

          1 Thessalonians 5:21—Go to the source!; test all things, hold fast what is good.

          Acts 17:11—The BEREANS searched the Scriptures daily…

Proverbs 3:3-4—You must be CONVICTED that God’s word is truth; that your principles and beliefs are 100% true.

          A belt encompasses the waist.  DOES OUR CONVICTION TO THE TRUTH ENCOMPASS US?

Ephesians 1:11-13 “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Do you unequivocally believe God’s promises?

          THIS SPIRITUAL PIECE OF THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, the “BELT OF TRUTH” is vital!  Does it ENCOMPASS us? Do we gird ourselves with the word of God?

God’s belt of truth is vital because as the Roman soldier’s belt provided a place for his sword, our sword—the “sword of the Spirit”—likewise needs a sheath!  The Belt of Truth allows us to carry the “sword of the Spirit” and use it effectively.

 

4. What other lessons can we learn from the biblical analogy of having our waist “girded” by a belt?

Luke 12:35-37—"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning…”

Christ told us to be prepared, to always be watching and ready for His return.

Matthew 24:44-46—He wants to find us “so doing”.

1 Peter 1:13—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind…”—This implies tucking in long garments to be ready to move quickly.  The NIV translates it to “prepare your minds for action.”

5. What are the dangers of NOT wearing God’s belt of truth?

 

Revelation 16:15—Don’t be naked!Make sure you’ve girded yourself with God’s belt of truth!

 

You don’t want any weak or worn spots in your belt of truth that would cause it to break apart, no longer supporting you and your whole armor of God.

 

Romans 12:2—Be a non-conformist!

 

“There is my truth. There is your truth. And there is their truth. The absolute truth is with God.”
― Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

 

MOST OF THE WORLD BELIEVES…“The truth is that there is no absolute truth.”
― Debasish Mridha

 

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent…rightly dividing the word of truth.”

 

NKJV Study Bible 2nd Edition, Thomas Nelson, “Truth defines the nature of Scripture.It is a beacon of truth in the darkness of all kinds of falsehoods.

 

(Luk 13:27)  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'

 

(3Jn 1:3)  For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.

(3Jn 1:4)  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

(3Jn 1:8)  We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

 

 

Conclusion:

 

1. There is no excuse for not knowing the truth.  Ignorance of the truth, not knowing where to find the belt of truth is because you do not seek the truth.

 

2. KNOWING the truth, and then IGNORING the fact that you should gird your waist with the belt of truth leaves you naked and exposed to fatal wounds from Satan’s arrows.

 

3. LIES are like termites that eat away at our spiritual integrity which is built on God’s truth.  It’s bad enough when Satan attempts to deceive us, don’t deceive yourself into believing you don’t need to wear God’s belt of truth!

 

4. KEEP GOD’S BELT OF TRUTH WELL OILED BY ABIDING IN HIS WORD DAILY; LIVING, BREATHING AND EATING HIS WORD AS YOU TAKE YOUR DAILY WALK THRU LIFE!

 

 

5. (Joh 8:31)  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (Joh 8:32)  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

 

You can be confidant when you have girded your waist with THE BELT OF TRUTH that you have ETERNAL LIFE ENCOMPASSING YOU, YOU HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD ENCOMPASSING YOU, YOU HAVE SALVATION ENCOMPASSING YOU…

 

Rise up and STAND THEREFORE, fight the good fight, wearing the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD with your waist girded with the belt of truth!