TOS016 Belt of Truth with Rebecca Brandes (Part 2); for Audio;
BELT OF TRUTH The truth not only sets of free; it keeps us free during spiritual attacks. “The first piece of armor in the full armor of God found in Chapter 6 of Ephesians, verses 10-17, the Belt of Truth.
This passage begins by St. Paul saying “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.”” And this is key to understanding the armor of God. The Belt of Truth is defensive in nature and helps us stand firm against the schemes of the devil. John 14:6 “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Without truth we are lost. Our best defense against Satan is the Word of God, His Truth & His Promises. God’s truths are revealed in the Word of God. “Gird the loins of your mind” 1Peter 1:13 NAB and tuck away and rid yourself of anything that gets in the way of focusing on the Lord. The devil lies and tries to confuse so it’s important to know the Word and the Truth. This is the best way to discern Satan’s lies from the word of the Spirit. of God. In Paul’s analogy of Roman armor, the Belt of Truth holds the Sword of the Spirit, the Word. They are tied together. Jesus is the Truth. Stand firm in this Truth – it will set you free!
“Therefore, put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth”. Ephesians 6:13-14.NAB
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Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I’m Patti Brunner.
This episode we continue our series on the Armor of God given in Ephesians chapter 6 in the New Testament. I have invited our spiritual formation team from Patriarch House to join me on this series. Each episode you will hear details of the specific armaments that the Lord has given us to use spiritual warfare against spiritual attack. Today we invite Rebecca Brandes to join us who will share about the Belt of Truth. The truth not only sets of free; it keeps us free during spiritual attacks. Welcome, Rebecca.
BELT OF TRUTH “I am very happy to have the privilege of presenting to you the first piece of armor in the full armor of God found in Chapter 6 of Ephesians, verses 10-17, the Belt of Truth. This passage begins by St. Paul saying “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might”. And this is key to understanding the armor of God. The Belt of Truth is defensive in nature and helps us stand firm against the schemes of the devil. John 14:6 “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” Without truth we are lost. The chief weapon of Satan is the lie. He perverts, twists, masquerades as the Angel of Light with the main objective of manipulating the truth. He attempts to make man the center of all importance instead of God. The deceiver waits until we are most vulnerable and with his lies makes his suggestions seem good and beautiful. He knows our need for fulfilment so his lies show us a way that promises happiness. He doesn’t give up. Only though truth can we escape from this deception.
In darkness our perceptions can be manipulated. The enemy persuades us to see not as God sees but through our own perspective. . The devil lies and tries to confuse and obscure the truth so it’s important to know the Word and the Truth. If Satan can keep us from the Word of Truth then how we see life can be altered. Without seeing as God sees, it is difficult to walk in the Truth.
Without the Spirit of Truth the rest of the armor would be of no use. John 8:31-32 “Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” God’s word is true. If he says something, there is no force that can keep him from doing what he says. And he will do what he says he will do! You can do what he says you can do. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is inspired by God.” Jesus told his disciples in John 16:13 “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”. In Isaiah 14:27 the prophet proclaimed: “The LORD of hosts has planned; who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out; who can turn it back?”
In Paul’s analogy of Roman armor, the belt was designed to protect the loins and was made of metal and leather and held the soldiers sword and other weapons. The Belt of Truth holds the Sword of the Spirit, the Word. They are tied together. Praying to the Father for us Jesus prayed in John 17:17 “Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.”
Jesus is the Truth. A belt firmly circles the body. Does truth circle you? Is your belt secure? [Mercy and truth can be forsaken if we reject them.] Proverbs 3:3-4 “Do not let love and fidelity forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. Then will you win favor and esteem before God and human beings.” Truth must go beyond an outward appearance. Luke 12:35-37 “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.” In 1Peter 1:13 “Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Girding your loins is tucking in your long garment so they don’t get in your way as you move quickly. I like Peter’s analogy to tuck away and rid yourself of anything that gets in the way of focusing on the Lord or seeing the truth.
What are the dangers of not wearing the Belt of Truth? Romans 12:2 “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Satan has gotten the world to think that truth is what we make it and that there are no absolutes. He tells us that every opinion is valid. But the bible, approved by the Magisterium of the Church, teaches that the truth is God’s word. There are eternal and absolute truths that are uninfluenced by opinions. 2Timothy 2:15 “Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation.” A belt with a section missing or a broken piece cannot do its job. Even when it is a small section! [Minor lies and deceit can lead your mind and heart to fall as trust fails.] Without the truth and the Word of God we will not be able to combat the lies of Satan.
2 Peter 2:1-3 “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.”
Remember this: Ephesians 4:14-16 “no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love.” Remember: Truth has been given to us out of God’s great love for us.
When you are tempted to lay down the Sword of the Spirit or lower the shield of faith, you’ve lost one of your shoes of peace and the helmet of salvation seems a little shaky, and the breastplate of righteousness is caked with your own sin, then tighten that belt of truth because the enemy of your soul will bombard you with lies that you will never win the battle. But the truth is, the Father will always lead you into triumph in Christ. Hold on to the truth; recall the things Jesus has said that are completely true, and stand firmly in the truth. Victory belongs to you.
Stand firm in this Truth – it will set you free! “Therefore, put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth”. Ephesians 6:13-14.NAB
–You may have been praying the scripture to put on the Armor of God for years. But understanding each part and bringing the facts of what they mean strengthens the spiritual armor. And without the truth we have nothing. Remember the analogy—your belt is not going to stay up with notches out of it! It will be weak. We have to make the effort to cinch up that belt so it does hold up our sword, so we are not undefended.
If you would like to read the blog of this episode, you can find it on my website: PatriarchMinistries.com. I’ll list some of the reference material and small group study questions for you.
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner. I invite you to subscribe–its free!– and come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there is always more!
Belt of Truth scripture quotations are NAB
Discussion Questions:
1. After hearing our speaker, do you know where you stand with Truth?
2. What are you fighting against and with what?
3. How do you deal with temptation and deception?
4. Truth opens ears thru grace – the heart speaks in its abundance. What truths do you know definitively?
5. Do you have any other comments about this talk or topic?
