Ephesians 6:14 “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”
Truth is the absence of a lie. Truth is reality and it is in agreement with fact. In recent months the new catchphrase is “fake news.” With the internet and all the savvy techie people, there are ways to manipulate pictures and stories to say whatever you desire. Once a story is published, no matter how many times it is proven wrong, some will still believe it.
Paul tells us that the armor of God is needed to live the Christian life. The first item of our armor that he mentions is truth. We need to have “our loins girt with truth.” This is crucial because Satan is the “father of lies.”
John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
The sash or girdle was used to “girt” up or gather up the outer garment, and it was a big deal with the ancients. It was a very important part of their attire. They wore loose flowing robes, and it was necessary to girt them up so they could run or work. The girdles were often highly ornamental, and it was the place where they carried their money, their sword, writing instruments, etc. I think the most important function of the sash was to keep all the other parts of the armor in place.
Paul was allowing the reader to understand how important truth is. Truth must be the foundation of all we do. Without truth, everything built is subject to failure. Isn’t it interesting that he used the illustration of the sash that holds every part together to compare it with the truth? Truth holds us together, and truth protects us. If we always tell the truth, we don’t have to remember what we said, because it will always be the same.
Truth is vital. In I Thessalonians 5:21 we are to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
As Christians, we are to test all things and then hold on only to that which is good—the truth—then discard everything else. We need to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. They read and tested the word. They wanted to make sure what Paul and Silas were telling them did not conflict with the written word. They were seeking the truth from God, and that should be an example to us. We need to search the word so that we will know the truth.
When you know the truth it will set you free! The liberty that truth brings allows you to fight and win!
John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
