by David Chadwick We are taking the next five days to look at the full armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-20. Dear friends, our war is not against flesh and blood. It is against powers and principalities of darkness. Spiritual enemies. Forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, we must fight spiritual powers with spiritual weapons. Paul outlines in these verses the essential pieces of the armor of God to put on every day to “stand” victoriously over the enemy. The first piece is the “belt of truth.” Other pieces are attached to the belt, but the belt must be put on first. It is the necessary first piece for all other pieces to make sense. Followers of Jesus must believe that there is objective truth in God’s world that undergirds everything. Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). To destroy people and cultures, he does whatever he can to convince people that there is no such thing as objective truth. What is clear in nature and God’s Word. But there is absolute truth! It is first embodied in a person. His name is Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Truth is also found in his Word. Jesus says in John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” There are moral boundaries in our lives, like guardrails on a highway or banks on a river for health and protection. Without them, there is destruction on the highways and rivers become illness-infected swamps. But when you know God’s truth in Jesus, you will be set free. With God’s safe boundaries, to live and enjoy life as God intended (John 8:31-32). Put first the belt of truth around your waist. Every morning. Every day. For without a belief in absolute and objective moral truth, you are vulnerable to every lie of the spiritual enemy of your soul.
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