Several times in our travels, we have stopped on the island of Guam. Houses on Guam are made of cement, rooves, and all. Many houses also have solid shutters for the windows. You see, Guam often endures powerful cyclones and they want their houses to be still standing after the storm passes.

That is the kind of endurance God had in mind when he ordered, “stand therefore, having your lions girt about with truth”. He wants us to prepare to stand solid and to withstand the storms of temptation.

Transition

To help us gird our loins with truth, I want to answer three important questions about our text.

Why did a Soldier Wear a Belt?

  1. The belt was important in many ways.
    1. It held essentials around his loins (i.e., hips or waist).
    2. He was girded with the belt which means to secure loose garments with a belt. This made movement easier.
  2. The belt was a vital part of a soldier’s armour.
    1. The soldier’s belt often made of 10-15cm wide leather and often highly decorated or studded. Some held a loin apron which gave additional protection. To his belt were attached his sword, quiver of darts, and ration sack.
    2. When he girded his loins, the soldier’s hands were free to use in combat.

How is Truth Our Spiritual Armour Belt?

  1. This truth is God’s truth.
    1. Since it is God’s armour, truth cannot be speaking of our own truthfulness. That would be of little protection. Remember, our protection is solely the Person, power, and panoply of God.
    2. The belt of truth is armour that God provides. It is not something we do. Truth is the opposite of a lie.
  2. Truth is part of God’s eternal nature.
    1. God the Father cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”
    2. God the Son is truth. (John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
    3. God the Holy Spirit is truth. (John 16:13) “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
  3. The Bible is God’s written truth
    1. From beginning to end, God’s Word is true.
      1. (Psalms 119:160) “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
      2. (John 17:17) “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
    2. Here are some of God’s truthful protective promises.
      1. (John 5:24) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
      2. (Romans 8:37-39) “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
      3. (Hebrews 13:5) “… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
      4. (1 John 4:4) “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
      5. (1 Corinthians 10:13) “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
      6. (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How Can We Benefit from God’s Belt of Truth?

  1. Each Christian must gird on the belt of truth
    1. Putting on this belt is every Christian’s personal duty.
      1. The Bible phrase, “having your loins girt”, is not something that God does for you. Remember, God said, “put on the whole armour of God” (v.11). It is something you must do.
      2. The verb is in the middle voice so that it literally means, “having girded your own loins”. You must put on God’s belt of truth yourself. It is a personal duty.
      3. The verb is also past tense; it must be done before the battle.
    2. Always wearing God’s belt of truth will enable faster resistance to temptation. It will prevent…
      1. …fumbling to find God’s truth for defence.
      2. …stumbling over doubts.
      3. …crumbling when Satan tries to oppress
      4. …being deceived by demonic lies. Instead we will claim God’s truth when Satan lies saying, “God does not love you”, “God will not forgive you”, “now that you sinned, you might as well keep sinning”, etc.
  2. Here is how we must put on God’s belt of truth
    1. We must wrap God’s truth about us and buckle it on securely. To do this we must …
      1. …believe that God’s truth will protect us.
      2. …attach God’s Word to us by hearing it, reading it, meditating on it, memorizing it and applying it. Find and learn verses that express God’s truth about temptations you face before the battle begins.
    2. We must put on God’s truth every day! Yes, this takes work! But a lazy soldier will be a defeated, disabled, or dead soldier!
      1. Daily put on God’s truth by spending quality time with the Lord in sincere prayer and Bible study. (Psalms 25:5) “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” (Psalms 119:133) “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”
      2. Daily put on God’s truth by memorizing and meditating on His promises. Any day that you do not review memory verses, your belt is loose. God’s truth will protect us. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. (Joh 8:32) (Psalms 119:148) “Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.”
      3. Daily put on God’s truth by walking in truth. The Apostle John wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3John 1:4) To walk in God’s truth we must sift all that we do through the Bible grid as God commands. (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” To walk in God’s truth we must apply it during temptations. Satan wants us to think about things that are false, forgiven, or forbidden. We must only think true thoughts. Stop believing Satan’s lies. (Philippians 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Conclusion

In order to stand in the evil day, you MUST fasten God’s truth around you like a belt. You must believe truth, hear it, read it, meditate on it, memorize it, and apply it. The devil is a liar. He will plague you with things that are false, forgiven, and forbidden. Without God’s belt of truth, you will trip or have a slow reaction to temptation.

Find verses that address your weaknesses. Buckle them on by memorising them. Stop listening to the lie of the devil that convinces you that you cannot memorise Scripture. That is not true. Obey God and put on the belt of truth.

Song: Have Thine Own Way – 388
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God’s Belt of Truth
8 April 2018 PM – Ephesians 6:14 – Armour18 – Scott Childs