What we can expect when we follow God's plan

Intro: At the time of the writing of the New Testament, we sometimes refer to this period as the time of the Apostles, or even the Apostolic period. It was a time of great power, working, and men were found to live very productive Christian lives, through their pursuit of God. From the days time of the Apostles unto today, we have seen a great decline in power, working, and productivity and let me assure you, the problem is not the One, giving the power… Today, the result of the society that we live in, I would say this, that we live in the time of Apathy or Apathetic period. Rather that a time of great power, working, and productivity, there is a great lacking of all of those things, and no concern or longing to see them restored.

Are we more concerned with comfort or accomplishment?

We are in a holy war… The Bible say,

Ephesians 6:12 KJV 1900

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Not only that, but that we are to...

2 Timothy 2:3 KJV 1900

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

It then goes on to put in order for us the garment for the spiritual battle in which we face… It declares first…

Ephesians 6:14 KJV 1900

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

We understand the girdle to be like a belt, and so we have the picture of fastening or securing (in this case truth). Biblically; what we see the priest would gird his coat and ephod, men of war would gird a dagger or sword to their thigh, sometimes we even see the girding of sackcloth and ashes at times of mourning. However, the girding of the loins seems to be closely connected with the action for which we are girding for...

The (Virtuous Women)

Proverbs 31:17 KJV 1900

She girdeth her loins with strength, And strengtheneth her arms.

At the Passover the nation of Israel were commanded to eat with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, their staff in their hand and they were to eat it in haste… (Exodus 12:8-11)

Luke 12:35 KJV 1900

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Here in Ephesians it is a belt of truth, that is to be equipped for the battle that we face every day of our lives. Here’s what neat about it. First, is that it isn’t armour, nor will it protect you from enemy in any way. Notice that it is the very first garment that is mentioned, meaning that before we put on the breastplate, helmet, shield or sword, we must first gird out loins with truth. But, if the girding of my loins with truth is not armour, and it will not protect me from the enemy, who will it protect me from? I am glad you asked…

Here we have the description of the garment of the soldier that is ready to arise and go fight. The corners of his tunic or robe are pulled up through his girdle and tightened down, so much so, that they will not fall out during his grueling hand to hand combat with the enemy. Which the idea here is that the corners of his garment will not fall out and get in his way.

This thing, this girdle ins’t in place to protect you from the enemy, it is there to protect you from yourself. Peter says it like this...

1 Peter 1:13 KJV 1900

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

The girding of our loins with truth, is dealing with our attitude towards the battle we are about to go and fight because there isn’t anytime for us to be apathetic towards the spiritual battle we are facing. The Christian life is without a joyful life, and it is an abundant life, but I think sometimes we miss the fact that it is also a serious life, and maybe most importantly, it is a purposed life.