"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth...." (Eph 6:14)
Friends, I'm learning more and more that much of what we do, feel, suffer, and fight for revolves around Truth. I'm coming to understand more and more that the less sure we are of what is true, the more susceptible we are to drama, pain, and demonic deception.
When preaching on this verse a few months ago, I said:
1. The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. Just as a belt anchors all areas of the body for combat, truth anchors the Christian for spiritual battle.
2. The belt of truth “around the waist” speaks to the core strength of a warrior to move physically and powerfully into battle.
3. I cannot overemphasize this point: if you do not know the truth, you cannot be free and you cannot fight!
4. Christianity is being assaulted from all sides: vain philosophies, paganism, atheism/agnosticism, and even relativism and pantheism. People are starving for truth but they don't know what to believe anymore. And in the absence of leadership, people will make up "truth" to sooth their tired souls.
5. The fight today is ultimately for truth! Satan peddles and spreads lies; you and I are called to fight for truth. The church is called the “pillar and buttress” of truth! (1 Tim 3:15)
6. What is truth then? Christ! He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life! (John 14:6) There are NO other ways to heaven! To put on truth is to put on Christ!
7. As Os Guinness wisely stated, “Christianity is not true because it works (pragmatism); it is not true because it feels right (subjectivism); it is not true because it’s “my truth” (relativism). It is true because it is anchored in the person of Christ.”
8. Without knowing that Christ is “true,” you have no chance to successfully engage the devil.
I'm beginning to understand why a church must publish a doctrinal statement and also why many churches adopt confessions and declarations. It's not about "boring people to death with doctrine." (Although I think doctrine is fun! LOL.) Nor is it about drawing lines of division. I'm coming to see that it's about protecting the church! Truth is what we do!
