Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,

Ephesians 6:14a

Last week a pastor friend relayed an interaction he had with another pastor who was instrumental in undermining his denomination’s faithfulness to Scripture as it relates to God’s plan for marriage between one woman and one man. As my friend asked him to respond to the truth of Scripture, it did not matter. The other pastor did not hold to the authority of Scripture.

Whether it is an idea we dreamed up in our head, an ancient myth, or the authority of the Bible as Scripture, what we regard as truth does matter because it forms the foundation for our beliefs, doesn’t it?

So I find it interesting that Paul’s description here of the armor of God begins with the belt of truth. Just as the belt holds everything in place, our commitment to the truth is critical in our battle with the “father of lies” –

“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” (John 8:44)

Contrast Jesus’ words above with the words He spoke earlier in the same chapter –

“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”(John 8:32).

In the beginning, Satan’s first tactic was to undermine the truth spoken by God with a lie….’Did God really say…?”(Genesis 3:1).

And so our commitment to what Francis Schaeffer referred to as “true truth” is critical to our ability to stand firm. So the question for us is how wholehearted is our dedication to the Truth?