We now look at the second use of the word “truth.”
Loins girt about with truth
Loins refers to our inmost being. Girt about refers to putting on a belt. This piece of armor served two purposes. One, it held the rest of the armor together. Two, it acted like a back belt to enable a soldier to fight without injuring himself. The word truth has two applications. The first application is doctrinal truth; we looked at this last week. The second is principal truth which we will examine this week. Principal truth would be a life lived out in accordance with the truth (3 John 4.) We could also call it integrity, honesty, transparency, or sincerity.
Hypocrisy, Satan’s attack against the belt of truth
In order to better understand this idea of truth it is helpful to look at it in its opposite form, hypocrisy. Perhaps the greatest accusation of Satan against the church and the individual Christian is that of hypocrisy. This simply means that our lives do not match our profession. We all know the damage this does to the cause of Christ.
Truth is the principle upon which Christianity rests
Christianity at its core is based upon truth. It is the principle upon which everything rests. To put on the belt of truth means that my entire life is built upon truth. This means that what is true matters more than:
- Comfort. We are a comfort loving people. However, living in accordance with the truth means we may have to do many things that are outside of our comfort zone.
- Gain. The truth many times prevents us from gaining money, positions, etc. However, the Christian life is based upon what is true, not what is profitable in this life.
- Loss. Many Christians fear that the truth will destroy the reputation of the church or cost them greatly in this life. However, we are to “buy the truth and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23.) We will gladly pay the price or loss if it is for the sake of the truth.
Make truth the principle of your life. “Is it true?” must be the question we ask in everything. What is comfortable, advantageous, or damaging is irrelevant.
Application:
How do I put on the belt of truth? As it relates to the principal of truth here are several ways:
- Study. Study God’s Word to know what He requires in each situation. Also, study each situation and issue to make sure that you are not believing a lie.
- Confess your sins to God and man. Do not make excuses. Acknowledge what you have done.
- Be honest in all of your dealings.
- Focus on your private life more than your public life.
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