This week, we're kicking off our All Church Groups Experience, Spiritual Warfare And Tactics, by learning from Paul in Ephesians 6 about how to put the enemy in his place for good! The 1st piece of Armor we'll put on is the Belt of Truth. See, Paul wasn't referring to some fashion accessory... No, the belt of truth was more like a combat harness used to hold up the rest of a Roman soldier's armor. The symbolism here shows us that in any battle, God's truth is our core support. Now, let's be honest: Our modern culture is not fond of taking a strong stand on Truth...
THE DEVIL DEALS IN DECEPTION
In our spiritual battles, it's important to recognize that deception is the devil's primary scheme. See, Satan is a master manipulator... and he twists our reality by distorting our perceptions. To counter the Enemy's attacks, it's important to develop an unchanging, objective standard of truth and beauty outside of ourselves!
OBJECTIVE TRUTH
We all need something beyond ourselves by which we can test the truth of every decision. According to the Word of God in the Bible, truth is God's opinion on any matter. However, as Americans there are 3 Cultural Lies that we often fall into that distort our view of God's truth:
#1) Everybody has their own truth. The broader culture we live in often buys into the idea that you create your own truth through your own perspectives and opinions. Here, the Enemy wants us to trust our own intellect, education and emotions.
#2) You do you. If you do what makes you happy, it can't be too bad, right? WRONG! If you base the truth of your life on what makes you happy, you'll always follow the path of least resistance. Alternately, you need something solid and stable - a CORE set of beliefs provided by the Word of God.
#3) All roads lead to God. Ever hear the criticism that Christians are too narrow-minded? While the Enemy would have us believe that all roads lead to God, we know from the Word of God in John 14:6 that the only way to God the Father is through Jesus. See, the path to Heaven isn't based on our personal beliefs, but on the blood of Jesus at the Cross.
UNCHANGING TRUTH
When it comes to clear convictions on the truth, we could learn a lot from the Jewish men of Paul's day. See, when soldiers went into battle, they would tuck their tunic up into their belt to keep from tripping over it... creating a pair of shorts that gave them freedom of movement. Likewise, when we restrict our lives to the Truth of God's Word, it releases us to more freedom! When we gather up our desires, feelings and preferences and bring them before God's word, it renews our minds and has the power to transform our lives.
ABC'S OF SALVATION
So, how will you respond to the Truth of God's word today? If you don't already know Jesus Christ personally and the truth of the Gospel, there are three easy steps you can take today accept Jesus into your heart and start walking in the freedom of Christ:
#1) ADMIT the truth about yourself as a sinner.
#2) BELIEVE the Truth about Jesus.
#3) COMMIT to follow Christ.
Guys, when you ask Christ to come into your heart, he puts his Spirit in you to give you a new life and a new power to live for Him. I encourage you, respond to his call today so you can put on the belt of truth in the face of all life's battles!