The Belt Of Truth Series

INTRO:Fads today: Bungee jumping, tight jeans (ankle), video games, nude berkly Past: Big bell bottoms, hola hoops, frisbees, 3-D glasses, streaking (take all your clothes off and put on a mask and run)

Song about this: Ray Stevens "The Streak" [play it]

- Many have come to church nude spiritually speaking and you are beat up and battered and you are confused and don’t know why.

REVIEW: Dressing for Success "Spiritually speaking" PRAY

1. Eph. 6:10-18 (read) Theme: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power!" HOW: Putting full armor of God

WHY: So we can stand against our adversary

WHO: Devil and his clan

WHEN: Day evil comes

Interesting: 4 times were told to. stand (sit, run, flee)

II Timothy 2:3 "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus"

2. All soldiers know what GI stands for government issue equipment they will need to engage the enemy). GI - God issued [God gives us to stand against the devil]

A. 6 pieces of armor - first 3 [belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, Gospel shoes of peace) are in the past tense!

- Meaning strong indication GK grammar that upon being born again (exception Christ as your Savior) or conversion experience

1. Read 14-16 (NIV); should actually read "Having girded your loins

about with the truth, and having put on the breastplate of

righteousness, and having shod the feet with the preparation of

the Gospel of peace."

2. Paul writes book of Ephesians from Rome where he is under house arrest there. He had some soldiers who watched over him.

- I imagine Paul as he’s writing to the church at Ephesus, he is observing guards that are watching him and he begins to reflect on the parts of his equipment and relates this to the spiritual weapons God provides us.

I. Belt of Truth - about 6’ to 8’ wide wrapped around his waist.

A. Begins belt truth - I believe one of the most important pieces of equipment.

- Most of the other pieces of equipment where dependent on this. ex.. Truth is like China - it can be broken. It can be mended. But it can never be the same again!

B. Truth may appear different at times.

ex.. Eric breaking light bulbs, blaming on Felicia because she was not watching him (his mind believing she was really at fault).

1. How many times do we think something as truthful, but years later it was error.

- Christians are weak

- Parents don’t know what they are talking about. I’m right.

- God, you missed this one. You made a mistake, You’re wrong.

2. See this religiously - Saul who was persecuting the Lord’s disciples (turn Acts 9:1-6 read)

a. Saul - Pharisee of Pharisee (commitment to God was unmatched for people his own age).

- Thought he was right (doing the truth) eliminating God’s enemies.

1. So devastated - didn’t eat or drink for 3 days because he knew the scriptures. How could he miss the Messiah?

**He thought he knew the truth but he was wrong. In fact he was used by the enemy.

THOUGHT: Being used by the enemy, where in fact we are children of God, followers of Christ.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Matt. 16:13-18 (read)

1. Question: Jesus is trying to show them something "who do you say I am?" Peter has right answer, learned it by going in prayer to God the Father.

a. Complemented by Jesus - "On this rock I will build my church."

*Complemented for learning this spiritual truth!

[Read 16:21-23]

2. Peter rebuking - implying that he knows more of God’s will than the Messiah himself.

a. Jesus rebukes - "Get thee behind Me satan!"

Temptation Jesus was already tempted with (kingship with no suffering)

1. Satan using Peter to tempt Jesus, he gets fired up and rebukes

- Interesting look at types of rock (rock church be built on) know calls him a different kind of rock (stumbling block).

II. Enemy attack

A. Most popular - deception, deceit purpose to discredit ex. Adam/Eve

1. Gen. 3:13 "Did God really say. You must not eat from any tree in the garden" - enemy trying to bring doubt!

* Discredit God’s word

Gen. 3:5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good & evil."

*Discredit God’s character

B. Attacks mind - to discredit others as well as our own self.

1. Discredit ourselves- my opinion one of the most unrecognized sins is low self image

"Telling yourself the truth" William Backusa. Misbelief - something you think is the truth but it’s really not. 3 stages process to overcoming

1. Locate misbelief

2. Remove it

3. Replace misbelief with truth

*Satan is going to do his best to turn, twist, hide the truth.