Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness
[Rev. Dwight Yoo]
Review of previous sermon (The Unseen Battle)
The Reality of our Battle - The moment we become Christian, we are thrown into a spiritual war.
The Nature of our Battle - Spiritual, not physical
How to Win the Battle - Even though there are battles still, Jesus has won the war.
"Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth" - Technically, the belt is not a part of the armor. Back in those days, men wore tunics. They were just a single piece of fabric with a hole for your head. It's a flowing garment. This was everyday wear. If you needed to run or fight or do some sort of activity, they would pick up the loose portions of their garment and tuck it into their belt. In some translations, it is called "girding your loins." This tucking is what those translations are referring to. How do we prepare for battle? We start in the truth.
What does Paul mean when he refers to truth? Some scholars believe it refers to objective truth. You need to know the content of the gospel. Other scholars believe it refers to an attitude of truthfulness, subjective truth. You need to be living out the truth. You are sincere and committed to the gospel. For myself, I believe it means both. You need to understand both the content and also be living out of the gospel.
Objective truth means understanding the central message of the Bible. The gospel. Understanding sanctification... so we aren't guilt-tripped by the devil. This isn't a Sunday school quiz. Not just knowing the names of all the books of the Bible, or who is the oldest person in the bible, or the names of the minor prophets. But more like things such as what is God's purpose for me? or the fact that Christians are adopted into God's family... and we no longer need to live as slaves.
Subjective truth means taking what we know and letting that inform our lives. Here is the truth and I want to see that shape my life. Not living lives of hypocrisy but sincerity. What you believe will impact how you live your life. Even if it is a lie. Imagine your old brother plays a prank on you. He tells you that you are adopted. For that time when you believe it... your life is impacted.
Ephesians 4:17-24 tells how the combination of the two views of truth looks:
"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
The devil does not fear people who only understand the objective truth. People who only know objective truth can become proud of their knowledge. This is dead orthodoxy.
"To enter on this spiritual conflict ignorant or doubting would be to enter battle blind and lame. As the girdle gives strength and freedom of action, and therefore confidence, so does the truth when spiritually apprehended and believed. Let not any one imagine that he is prepared to withstand the assaults of the powers of darkness, if his mind is stored with his own theories, or with speculations of other men. Nothing but the truth of God, clearly understood and cordially embraced, will enable him to keep his feet for a moment, before these celestial potentates. Reason, tradition, speculative conviction, dead orthodoxy, are a girdle of spider-webs. They give way at first onset." - Charles Hodge
The devil loves when we only pay God lip service. When all we have is head knowledge. There is no consistency in our lives. We know the right answers. But when the tough times come, they have to say: I really don't believe it.
Why Satan loves hypocrites:
- Hypocrites have no grounding.
- Hypocrites have no power in private.
- Satan will use the hypocrisy of hypocrites against them.
- Satan uses hypocrisy to damage Christ's reputation and His bride.
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