For our Scripture reading tonight, turn with me to John chapter 8. John chapter 8, as we read together verses 31 through 47. And we will also turn over to our text found in Ephesians chapter 6. John 8, beginning at verse 31. Hear now the word of the Lord. To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. They answered him, We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants, yet you are ready to kill me. because you have no room for My word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham's children, said Jesus, then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does. We are not illegitimate children, they protested. The only Father we have is God Himself. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me. For I came from God and now am here. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil. And you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. And turning over to Ephesians 6. Our text is the first half of verse 14. We begin at verse 10 of Ephesians 6, which includes our text from last week. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with a belt of truth buckled around your waist. Dear people of God, Now, the Apostle Paul, we know, wrote a number of his letters to the various churches as a prisoner. In fact, this letter which we are considering, Ephesians, this letter he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit while in captivity for the sake of Jesus Christ. In verse 20 of chapter 6, he describes himself as an ambassador in chains. Often, more than once, more than twice, he was in the physical clutches of Roman soldiers and therefore it's not surprising that as he studied the protection of their physical armor, he was led by the grace of God to see the protective suit of armor that clothes each child of God. That which he writes about in Ephesians 6. And we can be sure that Paul himself stood firm, clothed with the full armor of God, knowing that his spiritual armor was much more secure and protective than that physical armor of the soldiers who guarded him. Paul stood firm because by God's grace, he stood with the belt of truth buckled around his waist. Now, it's no accident, congregation, that Paul lists the armor in the order that he does. He doesn't haphazardly order the pieces of spiritual armor in some sort of way without any rhyme or reason. He lists the pieces of armor in the order in which they were to be put on or in which they were to be taken up in the hand. And the belt was foundational. And therefore, Paul begins with the belt and he describes the spiritual belt as truth. Beloved, God commands His people to stand firm, girded with a belt of truth. And as we consider this tonight, let's consider first of all the belt's function. Secondly, the belt's nature. And in the third place, the belt's necessity. First of all, what was the function of the Roman soldier's armor belt? Remember last week we said that no doubt Paul uses this description of armor and it is to lead the people to think possibly of the full suit of armor that the Roman soldiers wore. So what was the function of the Roman soldier's belt? Well, his belt wasn't simply for appearance. It wasn't just a fashion statement. As we think about the fashions and styles over the last 20 or 30 years, even 10 years, and how these have changed, we know that even the styles of the belts that we wear have also changed throughout the years. But the emphasis here in our text is not on style. It's not on fashion. Now some of us, whether young or old, still wear belts for the intended purpose. And that is to tighten up our trousers, to keep them in place. And that's a little bit closer to the idea of the armor belt. Yet, this piece of armor was also much more than that. The belt, or girdle as it was also called, protected the lower abdomen or stomach. As well, it was used to gather up the long, loose garments that even the men wore at that time. The robes, the outer garments and so forth. And to keep these garments in place and out of the way so that work could be done. In 1 Kings 18, verse 46, after Jehovah sent fire from heaven to destroy the altar on Mount Carmel, we read, Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. You see, when a man was relaxed, his clothing was ungirded and it hung low to the ground. But when he became active, it was pulled up and fastened and secured with his belt. If he didn't gird up his garments, Those long garments would get in the way and they would hinder his work or activity. He could easily stumble on his garments. He could trip on them. He could get tangled up in his garments. The very putting on of the belt or girdle in and of itself braced one up for action and was a sign that one was prepared for action. You may recall Moses' command to the Israelites for eating the first Passover meal in Egypt. He said, and thus you shall eat it with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, so you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. The idea of being ready for action. For the Roman soldier, an important fact was that putting on the armor belt freed him for action. But also, the second piece, the breastplate, was attached to the belt, which then kept the breastplate in place so that one could not put on the breastplate until the belt was first put on. And therefore, the breastplate was dependent upon the belt. And when the sword was not being used, the sword was also attached to the belt. And with the belt secured in place, the Roman soldier was then ready for action. He was free to put on his helmet, to take his shield in one hand and to take his sword in the other hand and to go forward into battle without worrying about tripping or falling, knowing that everything was in place. Jesus also gives us the idea of being ready for action spiritually. In Luke 11 when He says, let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, and you yourselves be like men who wait for their Master when He will return from the wedding, that when He comes and knocks, they may open to Him immediately. In other words, congregation, don't ever be caught in a condition or a situation in which you are not ready for action. So now, how does this play out spiritually? What is the nature of this spiritual belt which Paul speaks of? The text says again, Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. Now, what is the truth that Paul is speaking of here? What does he mean by truth? Is it simply being truthful? Or being sincere? Or being honest? Or is it something more than that? Well, in order to answer this, we need to understand once again who it is the Christian soldier is to stand against and then search the Scriptures for the only truth that is able to stand against the enemy. In verse 11 of chapter 6, Paul makes it clear who the enemy is. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. We are called to stand firm against Satan and his schemes. Satan, as you recall from last week, I trust, is the enemy. He's the great deceiver. He's the accuser. He is the original liar and he is characterized by the lie. That's his chief tool. Remember again what John 8, verse 44 says. You belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Congregation, because of Satan, there is much fuzziness, much cloudiness, much gray area in the world when it comes to religion and Christianity and theology and morals and ethics and you name it. Well, we know that in reality it shouldn't be there, but because of Satan, it is. And Satan's task is to see to it that the world relativizes truth, makes it relative for you and me. How it relates to you may be different than how it relates to me. What may be true for me might not be true for you. You see, he doesn't want you and me to believe that there is absolute truth where things are cut and dried, black and white. Why is this? Because Satan is absolutely false. And we know from God's Word that Satan is powerful. Peter describes him as a roaring lion prowling about looking for the kill. And of course, Peter should know. You remember what Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22, Simon, Simon, indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. We are called to stand firm against Satan, against his schemes, against his army. And congregation, our truthfulness and our sincerity and our honesty will not do it. In and of ourselves, we cannot stand against Him because apart from Christ, as we considered this morning, we are bound to sin. Apart from Christ, we don't stand against Satan. We stand right next to him, with him, bound to his clutches, without the truth, without sincerity, without honesty. And the only thing that can stand firm against and overpower the absolute falseness of Satan is the absolute truth of God. And that is the truth that Paul is talking about here. The only truth that can make up the Christian's spiritual belt is the truth of God. in our Lord Jesus Christ. The absolute truth of God's Word, which Paul later on calls a sword, is the only thing that can accurately cut away all that is false and all that is the lie of Satan. John 8, verses 31 and 32 says again, to the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, if you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples, then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Only the truth of the Word of God, which is the whole Christian doctrine of truth, is able to make one free from the schemes of the devil. Jesus also says in verse 36, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Maybe you've put this together. In this chapter, Jesus says that both the truth and the Son make one free. And therefore, He is saying that He and the truth are one. And He confirms this in John chapter 14 when He says, I am the way and the truth and the life. And in His high priestly prayer recorded in John 17, verse 17, Jesus prays for His disciples and says, Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. And Peter says in 1 Peter 1, verse 13, Therefore gird up the loins of your mind. The idea of girding again, being ready. But the loins of your mind. Be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Congregation, the mind deals with the knowledge of the truth. And the hope Peter speaks of is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. That good news which is that incorruptible, undefiled, unfading inheritance which is reserved in heaven for God's people. Beloved, God calls His people to stand firm, girded with a belt of truth. Our platform is to be the truth of God. We know that politicians have platforms. They take their stands on different issues like abortion or nuclear arms or education or a patient's bill of rights or foreign policy or whatever they might take their stand on. And they base their campaigns and they base their hope of winning on their positions, on their platforms. Well, the Christian is also to have a platform. And congregation, our platform is to be the truth. And this truth is a belief in and a knowledge of the absolute truth of God as it is in Jesus Christ. Did you hear that? You must know that truth. That truth. In order to truly believe the truth of Christ, You must know it. And that knowledge, congregation, comes by the grace of God through reading and studying God's Word both personally and in Bible studies with others. It comes through the preaching of the Word of God and that includes preaching and teaching the truth of God's Word as it is summarized in our Reformed creeds and confessions. Now notice again, Paul speaks of this truth that it is to be buckled around your waist. Buckled firm. The idea of being tightly fit. Not being able to slip it off. God commands His people, those He has justified by grace through faith, to desire His truth. To seek His truth. To become stronger in His truth through the operation of the Holy Spirit. By the grace of God, His truth is to live in me. I am to be mastered by His truth. I am to be held firm by His truth. It is His truth and His truth alone that is to bind me to Him. His truth alone puts me on my feet and gives me strength and vigor to stand firm, prepared for the battle. His truth alone gives me firm confidence against the enemy. And then His truth governs my attitude to our three sworn enemies. the world, our flesh, and to the devil, and governs our attitudes toward everything else that happens. His truth is to govern our lives, congregation. And having this truth, His truth buckled around my waist then, out of me, is to flow truthfulness, sincerity, and honesty. Beloved, only when you stand firm in the truth of God can there be truth in the inward parts, as David says in Psalm 51. Paul says that the first piece of armor that is to be put on is the belt of truth, and rightly so. Because without the truth of God as our stronghold and our support, we lose before we even take one step into that battlefield. We know that opposing teams always study each other. They plan their strategy around their opponent's weakness. Congregation, we are to know the truth. If we don't know the truth and we step out weak, without this truth, we don't know who we are fighting against. We don't even know why we are fighting. And without this truth, there can be no righteousness, no gospel of peace, no faith, and no salvation. And therefore, without this piece of armor, the other pieces are useless. One will not know what is false and what is the lie unless he first is sure of the truth. But with a belt of truth buckled around your waist, God through His Holy Spirit gives you a sure conviction and certainty and clarity and removes all doubt so that in truth you can confess with the Apostle Paul for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. And he also says, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. Beloved, you must know the truth in order to fight against and stand firm against what is false. You must know where you are standing and upon whom you are standing in order to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. And the devil, along with his schemes, is exactly why the belt of truth is necessary. We are not to forget why Paul commands Christians to be strong in the Lord and put on the full armor of God. He says again, beginning in verse 11, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Again, as Jesus said, Satan is the father of lies. And as the ruler of this dark age, as Paul says, he has brainwashed the world with his lies. His method of presentation is through the lie. Trying to confuse man. Trying to lead him astray. Don't kid yourself. Satan is subtle. He's also eager in his work. He works through false teachers. He works through manipulation of the truth. Sometimes through those who are closest to us. Sometimes even through our brothers and sisters in Christ. He doesn't care how or what He uses to get us to believe His lies. He only cares that He gets us. And He began that already in the garden. Maybe God didn't really mean what He said. You see, Satan calls into question the authority, the reliability, and the accuracy of God's Word of the truth. And if we scan church history, it's possible to find many times when Satan was sowing seeds of doubt and uncertainty within the church. In Acts chapter 15, we read that the church was confused. The church in Jerusalem was confused about including and accepting Gentiles into the church. The Jerusalem Christians at that time held on to the belief that circumcision was absolutely essential as well as observing other parts of the law. In John 10, Jesus speaks of thieves and robbers invading the flock. In Acts 20, Paul confidently tells the elders of the Ephesian church, the very church he writes to about the armor of God, he writes to them confidently that he had preached the whole counsel of the truth of God. But then he exhorts them, Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. And indeed, savage wolves and false teachers in the Corinthian church taught that there would be no final resurrection. That's the reason that Paul wrote that beautiful chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians to counter their false attack. Later church history also reveals more false teachers used by Satan. The church has dealt with heretics like Pelagius, as we mentioned this morning. Arius, Apollinarius, Nestorius, and of course Arminius. And much of their heretical teaching, not all of it, there's more, but much of their heretical teaching was against either the full deity or the full humanity of Jesus Christ, or both. And we know that the Protestant Reformation was a struggle against the false teachings and the sinful additions to the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. The congregation, the Lord has blessed His church with the fruit of these struggles, even through all of these heretics. The fruit of these struggles being our creeds and our confessions of God's Word, which He has given to strengthen His people in the truth of His Word. Through all of these historical struggles, the church has learned more and more what it means to stand firm, girded with the belt of truth. And Satan's schemes today, in this country, are many. But his schemes include kindness. Kindness. Boys and girls just say, what? Satan being kind? What do I mean by that? Beloved, many of us have never been persecuted for Jesus' sake. Some, yes. But most of us here, I dare say, have never truly been persecuted for Jesus' sake. Oh, you might lose, or maybe some of you have lost your job if you're not willing to work Sunday. But most of us have never had our lives on the line because of our faith. For the most part, Christians are being accepted in this country. Think back to our study of the seven churches in Revelation. We don't lose our jobs often because of the faith. The world still does business with us. We're able to come out and worship in freedom as we please. Or you say, well, there are so many laws that continue to go against our Christian standards and values. Yes, that's true. But for the most part, Christians are being accepted in our country. Christians today in many places are not seen as a threat to their unbelieving neighbors. How many of your neighbors, when they see you coming, run for the house, locking the door after them, because they're afraid that you're going to witness to them or invite them to church again? Beloved, Satan has used the kindness of our neighbors and the kindness of the world to make us believe, to soften us up and make us believe that there's really not much difference between Christians and non-Christians. His goal is to erase the distinction, to sugarcoat the antithesis. But in reality, people of God, there is a world of difference between heaven and hell. The result has been that in the fear of offending the world, the church is tempted to water down the truth of God instead of speaking it boldly. When our neighbor speaks what is false and contrary to God's Word, we are afraid to stand up powerfully for the truth of God's Word. And even within the visible church today, we don't want to be unloving or we don't want others to characterize us as unloving. And we don't want to leave anyone out of heaven. So therefore, many are lowering God's standard and opening, or should I say, trying to open heaven and salvation for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ with a saving faith. In our day, it's more pious to say, I think the Bible says. Or, this is what the Bible says to me. Instead of saying, I know that the Bible says. Or, this is what the Bible says, period. Whatever happened to thus saith the Lord. In many respects, it's hard to tell the difference between some who claim to wear the belt of truth and others who have no idea what the truth is. Beloved, Paul says to the Ephesian church in chapter 4, verse 14, that apart from the truth, man is tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Today, so many, even in the church, are still tossed back and forth because they don't know the truth. Instead, they follow anything or anyone that tickles their ears that says something they can really sink their teeth into, something that makes sense to them. I had someone say that to me. That that's how they decide what to follow. That which they can sink their teeth into. Others are so concerned about physical church growth that they have forgotten about the truth, what the truth is that brings people into the church. People of God as God's people. We are called to stand firm against the schemes of the devil with the belt of God's truth buckled securely around our waist. And that means that when the world or even those in the church say that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle, we say, no, it's not. It is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Our God made it very clear in the very beginning, in the very beginning of His Word, that He created male and female to be together. When we are told that abortion is or should be the right of every woman, we say no. It is murder. And it violates the clear command of God. When your co-worker asks you to call in sick tomorrow to go golfing or shopping or go to the beach, you say no. That's lying, cheating and stealing and disrespectful to God and the authority He has placed over me. When your neighbor says, I don't believe in Jesus Christ. He was a good man. but not God. But you know, I'm still going to heaven. You say no. The Bible says, Jesus says, no one comes to the Father except through Me. Boys and girls and young people, when someone tries to get you to try drugs or alcohol or engage in premarital sex because there's nothing wrong with these things and everybody's doing it and the popular opinion is what we must go with, you say no. Because God says my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and I am called to be holy because God is holy. And I trust through these examples, you get the picture. Beloved, only those who know the saving truth of Christ and believe that truth are able by the grace of God to put on and wear the belt of truth. Apart from Christ, you can only be tossed back and forth and carried about by the trickery of Satan through man. Without the belt of truth, Satan is your leader and Satan is your destroyer. There is no room for a Demas in the army of God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4 that Demas had forsaken him. As well, you may remember from your study of judges at some point in time, the Judge Gideon, that Gideon's army was cut down to size the first time because those who were afraid were sent home. Those in the army of the Lord must come with courage and bold and standing firm, first of all, girded with the belt of truth. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 33, Do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. Did you hear that properly? Evil company corrupts good habits. He didn't say evil company runs the risk of corrupting good habits. or evil company might corrupt good habits. It's a fact. But our culture today says that good habits can be preserved without the truth. And even our government spends billions of dollars trying to figure out why young people smoke or drink or kill each other. I really wonder what they are studying. The only true explanation is they don't know the truth. They cannot stand firm in the battle. In the world today, many truths are claimed which are not true at all. But the Bible says, congregation, that only the truth shall make you free. And that truth is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What is your platform tonight? Are you standing firm somewhere? If so, where? What is your platform? Is it the truth of God? Or is it the lie of Satan? Are you girded with the truth of the Savior? You see, if by God's grace you wear the belt of truth, then you have the foundation for the rest of God's armor. And in the confidence of the Lord, you can stand firm. But unless they repent on judgment day, those who lived according to the lie will be sent by Christ the righteous judge into the everlasting fire prepared for their father, the devil, and his angels. But those who have the belt of truth buckled around their waist will be free to enter the joy of their eternal rest. Congregation, the truth of God's Word. This is the Christian's owner's manual. This is the believer's operating manual for this life and our guaranteed warranty for eternal life. Don't leave home. Don't leave earth without this truth. Beloved, what's in your heart? Is it the truth alone which sets you free? Amen. Shall we pray? Father, we thank You for Your truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Your Word incarnate. and Your inscripturated Word that You have given to us to lead us and guide us by the operating power of Your Holy Spirit. Well, Father, we must admit that so much of Your truth is being distorted today. And so often we find ourselves even being deceived in so many ways. We don't even take Your commandments as serious as we ought to. Father, we pray that You would bring us back completely to the truth of Your Word. We pray that You would buckle Your truth around our waist and therefore attach as well the other pieces of armor and cause us as Your people to stand firm. Father, we praise You for Your truth, Your truth alone which sets us free forever and ever. Amen. Thank you.