The Belt of Truth (2)

“The Belt of Truth”

Text: Ephesians 6:10-17 (KJV) 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

I. Each and every one of us in engaged is “Spiritual Warfare.”

Illustration: Famous painting of a chessboard with Satan on one side laughing and the other side a young man in agony wringing his hands. The title was checkmate.

12 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.

A. We are fighting a battle we can only see the symptoms of.

* The troubles and trials we are going through are results of battles that are being played out in the spiritual realm.

* Job went through terrible trials because of a battle between God and Satan. Our trials are no different.

B. The Holy Spirit was given to us so that might be able to work and move in this spiritual realm.

C. Satan and his demons do not want you to know about this spiritual realm. “The Screwtape letters”

* Satan wants to keep you in the realm of the 5 physical senses, but God wants you to live in the “spiritual” realm. The Biblical term for this is “Satan wants you to live in the flesh.”

Ephesians 3:9-13 (KJV)

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Romans 8:1-9 (KJV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

D. The reason Satan and his demons don’t want you to know about this “spiritual” realm is that he know that the only power he has over us is deception.

II. The battlefield where we do battle with Satan and his demons is the mind.

A. Our text is telling us how the clothe the mind for battle. In other words- “How to dress for spiritual success.”

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day

B. Our text tells us to “Be Strong.” If the battlefield is our mind, then we are being told to “Be strong in mind” or in other word be “fully persuaded”

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Job 13:15 (KJV)

15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

2 Timothy 1:11-14 (KJV)

11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

C. We are told to stand, and not run off like a child at the park.

. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

D. What enables us to stand fast in our mind is the belt of “Truth.”

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,

E. The Devil operates with deception. He messes with your mind!

* Pilots are trained to fly by their instruments because it is so easy to let their senses fool them. You might be flying upside down and think that you are right side up!

* Like the pilot that relies on his own senses, when we try to live our lives without God’s truth belt, we may be living contrary to God’s truth, and think that everything is fine between us and God.

* The Devil has already been defeated, but he does not want you to believe that. He wants to con you into thinking he has power over you.

* The devil and his demons can do nothing other than what you allow them to do. “The Devil made me do it does not apply”

* The Devil will trick you into giving him a stick, then beat you with it!

* Demons ride horseback on lies. If you have believed what someone says to be the truth, and it does not agree with God’s truth, you are being demon led. * The world is pounding into the mind of our children that God may have made them gay, but God’s truth says you may have homosexual feelings, you are not gay. I did not make you that way.

* It doesn’t matter how many people voted for it!

* It doesn’t matter how popular it is!

* It doesn’t matter how many people agree with it.

* Unless what you are calling true is what God says is true, it’s not the truth!

III. The first and most important part of the spiritual armor of God is the “Truth.”

A. If this part of the spiritual armor is not in place before you put on the rest of the armor it will cause you to fall. This is what enables you to use the rest of the armor.

* If you start out wrong, none of the other pieces of armor will work right.

B. The truth of the Word of God will hold your life together as you go through the troubles and trials of life.

IV. What is truth?

A. This world we live in is full of opinions of what the truth is.

B. The world we live in now has adopted the position that “truth is relative” The world and it’s humanistic system will tell you that there is no one truth, that truth is different for every person.

C. The definition of “truth.”

* “An objective standard by which reality is measured”

* “Truth has nothing to do with how you feel, or what you think.”

* Truth is an “objective standard.” That’s why pilots are taught to fly by their instruments, and not by what they see. That’s the reason we have control towers.

* If you have not set God’s truth as your standard that you go by, Satan will have you flying upside-down all the while you are thing you are right-side-up.

* To “Gird up your loins with truth” is to make the God’s truth your final authority.

D. Feelings cannot determine what truth his.

Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

E. Science cannot determine what truth is.

* You can’t count on science. It’s always changing. Science used to say the world was flat.

* Our educational system says science is “truth” because it is fact.

* Fact does not constitute truth. Facts can be arranged to in such a way as to infer a lie.

* A man told his wife he caught 20 trout today. When she asked how he told her he went to the fish market and had a guy throw him 20 trout.- That all evolution is taking certain facts and arraigning them into a system that infers that the record of creation is a myth.

F. Man’s intellect cannot determine truth. Man does not have all the information.

* Man has to constantly update his data. How many times have you rushed to judgment, to find you didn’t have all the facts.

* Like a child that thinks he knows how things should be in the home. Then he proceeds to tell you this is how his friends feel about it.

* God is the only one who has all the information.

V. The truth is what we use to tear down “spiritual strongholds”

2 Corinthians 10:2-5 (KJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations (reasonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God (truth), and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

A. Every time we believe a lie Satan sets up a fortress in our mind.

* This fortress gives the demons a place to work from in our mind. Like when the alcoholic becomes convinced he can’t stop drinking, or the person with homosexual desires believes he can’t change his behavior.

B. The “every high thing” refers to a “partition.”

* Satan wants to set up partitions in our mind.

* God’s side/Man’s side. Bible side\What people think side.

* Satan doesn’t mind you knowing God’s truth on Sunday, as long as he can flip you over on Monday.

* These partitions “block out” God’s truth:

5 Casting down imaginations (reasonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God (truth),

C. These strongholds and partitions must be torn down for the truth of God to give us victory as we fight in this spiritual warfare.

and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Conclusion:

Have you made the God’s truth, the Word of God, your final authority?

Do you flip back and forth in your mind who to believe, what people say or what the Bible says?

Has Satan conned you into believing the lie that you cannot change what is keeping you from being right with God this morning?