OceanSide church of Christ

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THE ARMOR OF GOD (2)

Loins Girt about with Truth

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Paul lived in the days of the Roman Empire.

1.     This nation possessed a massive military.

2.     Many of the major cities wherein Paul established churches had a powerful military presence (ex., Philippi).

3.     Paul was arrested by the Roman military.

4.     Paul was chained to a Roman soldier for at least a two-year period.

 

B.    The apostle was impressed by the warriors of Rome.  In his writings he often used imagery involving war and soldiers (II Tim. 2:3-4).

 

Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him that hath called him to be a soldier.

 

C.    The armor of the Roman soldier was also observed by the man of God.  In Ephesians 6, Paul exhorts the church at Ephesus to put on the armor of God (Eph. 6:11).

 

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

1.     Christians are in a spiritual battle as we observed in our previous lesson.

2.     In order to be protected, we must put on the armor of God.

3.     In several upcoming lessons, we will study this armor piece by piece.

 

D.    Paul begins with the belt of the Roman soldier (Eph. 6:14a).

 

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…

 

I.                BACKGROUND

 

A.    The soldier’s armor contained a cloak of tightly linked chain metal.

1.     It was draped from his shoulders to about mid-thigh.

2.     It was secured with a belt about his mid-section.

 

B.    This belt did several things for the soldier.

1.     It held the chain metal in place.  Without it, the metal could get out of place, exposing the warrior to the blows of the enemy.

2.     The belt provided a place to hold other things, especially his sword.

 

II.              THE BELT IS TRUTH

 

A.    Truth

1.     OT – eh-meth

a.      Strong (571):  stability, certainty, trustworthiness, faithful, right, sure

b.     BDB:  firmness, sureness, reliability

2.     NT – alethia

a.      Strong (225):  truth

b.     Thayer:  of a truth, a reality, in fact, in certainty

 

B.    Truth is God’s Word.

1.     Declarations

a.      …the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether (Ps. 19:9).

b.     …thy law is truth (Ps. 119:142).

c.      …all thy commandments of truth (Ps. 119:151).

d.     Thy word is true from the beginning… (Ps. 119:160).

e.      …they word is truth (John 17:17).

2.     God’s Word is objective, sure, right, faithful, certain, firm, and reliable.

a.      Why?

1.     It comes from the mind of God who is true (I Thess. 1:9; I John 5:20).

2.     It comes from the Son of God who declared Himself to be truth (John 14:6).

3.     It comes from the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

b.     All three of these beings were involved in the revelation of the Word of God to man (I Cor. 2:9-13; Gal. 1:11-12; II Tim. 3:16-17).

c.      What we hold in our hands is

1)     The word of truth (II Cor. 6:7; Eph. 1:13; II Tim. 2:15; James 1:18).

2)     The truth of the gospel (Gal. 2:5; Col. 1:5).

 

C.    What truth is not.

1.     Truth is not changeable.

2.     Truth is not relative, meaning that it is determined by each individual. 

a.      You do not have your truth and I have my truth.

b.     There is one body of truth that is found in the Word of God.

3.     Truth is not non-existent.

a.      Some boldly say that absolute truth does not exist.

b.     Response:  Is your statement true?

1)     If they say, “Yes,” they contradict their statement about truth being non-existent.

2)     If they say, “No,” we have no need to believe them.

3)     NOTE:  They have involved themselves in what is called a logical contradiction.

4.     Other things truth is not.

a.      Truth is not human reasoning.

b.     Truth is not pop-psychology.

c.      Truth is not man’s opinions.

d.     Truth is not man’s wants, longings, and desires.

e.      Truth is not half-truths.

f.      Truth is not error.

g.     Truth is not false doctrine.

h.     Truth is not the lies Satan seeks to pawn off on society.

 

III.            TRUTH MUST BE GIRTED UPON US

 

A.    It takes effort to bind truth upon us and our lives.

1.     Example:  Belt rack in my closet.

a.      I walked by the rack, but my belt did not jump on me.

b.     I looked at the belts, but one did not come around my waist.

c.      I touched them, but not one of them secured itself around me.

2.     Truth does not jump on us when we are baptized into Christ.

 

B.    To have truth girted about us will require effort on our part.

1.     We have to seek after truth (Jer. 5:1).

 

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

 

2.     Truth must be studied (II Tim. 2:15).

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

3.     Truth must be obeyed (Gal. 3:1).

 

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…

 

4.     Truth must be continued in (James 1:25).

 

Whsoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

 

IV.            THE PURPOSE OF THE BELT OF TRUTH

 

A.    Just as a belt brings order and décor to the soldier’s armor, the truth brings order and décor to our lives.

 

B.    God’s truth directs many things in our lives.

1.     Our attitudes

a.      Be kind (Eph. 4:32)

b.     Do not be soon angry (Prov. 16:32)

c.      Be positive (Phil. 4:13)

2.     Our words

a.      No lies, just truth (Eph. 4:25)

b.     No corrupt communication (Eph. 4:29)

c.      No foolish talking or jesting (Eph. 5:4)

d.     Edifying (Rom. 14:19)

3.     Our behavior

a.      Live like Jesus (Phil. 1:21)

b.     Treat others the way we want to be treated (Matt. 7:12)

c.      Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first (Matt. 6:33)

d.     Be a minister (Matt. 20:26)

e.      Abstain from sin (I Thess. 5:22)

 

C.    The belt of truth giving order and décor to the church (ex., worship).

1.     The right day (Acts 20:7)

2.     The right attitude (John 4:24)

3.     The right elements (Acts 2:42)

4.     The right leaders (I Tim. 2:8; I Cor. 14:34-35)

 

D.    If a soldier were to remove his belt, everything would be out of order.  The armor would not be set for his protection in battle.  They enemy could easily strike a ruthless and deadly blow.

1.     Individuals have removed the belt of truth and their lives are out of order.

2.     Homes have removed the belt of truth and they are out of order.

3.     The church has removed the belt of truth and it is out of order in many places.

4.     Our nation has removed the belt of truth and it is out of order.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    God’s truth is foundational to the Christian soldier who seeks to be strong in battle.

1.     He girts it tightly about him and does not take it off.

2.     Proverbs 23:23

 

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

 

B.    It is not surprising that truth is so important to the child of God.  It was the truth that set him free from sin in the first place (John 8:32).

 

C.    My friend, if we will learn, obey, and continue in the truth, it will preserve us (Ps. 40:11).

 

Withhold not thou thy tendermercies from me, O Lord; let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.