The Whole Armor of God, Part 6

Today I continue my series of articles commenting on the concept and principles involved in the Armor of God, which the apostle Paul described in the New Testament. This is the topic of the Sunday school lesson I am currently teaching.

The Armor of God - Truth

1. Truth: Having your loins gird about with truth (Ephesians 6:14).

Truth is reality. It is not determined by what you believe. Either you believe truth or you believe non-truth (fiction). People must correctly judge truth from non-truth. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, is showing truth to be like a belt used in the military on which other equipment is kept.

For something to be logical it has to be based on truth. Reasoning that is not based on truth is illogical. Fiction in an argument makes the argument illogical. If you base your life on something other than truth at some point you will fail. The United States of America put men on the moon and brought them back to earth safely. This required the correct knowing of the truth of physics, chemistry, and navigation as well as working within its confines.      .

A. Know what the truth is.

Jesus is the 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.”

John 8:32” “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

John 8:36: “ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That He took your sins and everyone else’s in his own body on the cross and received the wrath of God against himself for those sins (I Peter 2:24).

Repent of your sins and invite Jesus into your heart if you have not done so yet (Luke 24:47).

B. Love the truth.

In II Thessalonians we read that those who do not love the truth will have drastic consequences in the future which will last forever.

II Thessalonians 2:6-10: “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

C. People forsake their own mercy by believing lying vanities.

Jonah 2:8: A vanity is something that is useless, empty, and without substance. A lying vanity is something that useless and not true. It appears to be true when it is not. A mirage would fall into the category. All the world’s religions except Christianity would fall into this category. Someone who has the truth would not believe a lying vanity.

D. God desires truth in the inward being.

Truth needs to be internalized within a person. This can be accomplished through scripture memory, thinking about scripture, reading God’s word and listening to good preaching and teaching.

Psalm 51:6: “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

E. Do truth.

Jesus says that doing what He says will enable a person to encounter the difficulties in life without being destroyed. King David writes that by obeying .God's word a person is rewarded.

Mathew 7:24-27: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

F. Recognize who a person is in Christ.

The person who is has the truth in Christ knows that they are a saint, set apart for God and a part of the body of Christ. They have assurance of salvation and know they are going to heaven. By having believed in Jesus a person becomes a new creature and the righteousness of God in Christ.

Luke 7:28: “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than is greater than he. Each and every Christian is then greater than John the Baptist.”

II Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”