Chico Alliance Church
September 17, 2006
Pastor David Welch
"Spiritually Aware, Alert, Armed and Aggressive" Pt 8
“Girded with Truth”
I.Be Aware
II.Be Alert
III.Be armed & aggressive
A.Be fully empowered
B.Be fully armed (Put on / Take up God’s complete armor)
Put on the full armor of God, vs 11
take up the full armor of God, vs13
Every believer is a soldier in the Kingdom. Every soldier has been instructed to put on the WHOLE armor of God. God provides all the necessary armor. We must put on every piece of armor to engage in the war to destroy enemy fortresses and recapture occupied territory for Kingdom. The armor enables us to stand firm against the enemy’s schemes and to engage in battle. We are to be continually on the offense against Satan’s schemes. The “having done everything stand firm” refers to “taking up” the full armor of God. The enemy we face is not flesh and blood but unseen forces of darkness and wickedness operating in the spiritual dimension of life but affecting the world of men.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies (unseen spiritual dimension). Ephesians 6:12
C.Stand firm – engage the enemy
The command to stand firm is to stand your ground. Learn the proper stance to do battle.
The war against the enemy has to do with confronting the lies and false perceptions perpetuated by the enemy. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Satan’s schemes center on words and thoughts which generate feelings and motivate behavior. Satan perpetuates thinking contrary to kingdom principles. The foundational truths revealed in the pieces of armor from this passage counter the major schemes used by Satan to defeat the church. The armor both protects us from bondage and also breaks bondage.
•Truth addresses perception issues. Do we see as God sees?
•Righteousness addresses issues related to obedience to God’s standard. Do we live like Christ?
•Peace addresses relational issues. Are we at peace with God, others, ourselves?
•Faith addresses trust issues. Who do we really trust?
•Salvation addresses the issues related to our salvation in Christ. The power of the cross!
Most all of our problems can be traced to a breakdown in one or more of these areas. Most every fortress that the enemy establishes will relate to one or more of these areas.
God provides the armor. We must “take it up”. The words used mean to receive, take up, embrace, employ, use, or apply to ones self. These pieces of armor are appropriated by the “sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God spoken to the soul and against the enemy and by the fervent and continual prayers of the saints. Jesus confronted the enemy with a verbal declaration of God’s truth. Scripture continually demonstrates the power of “Thus saith the Lord!” The whole point of God writing down His perspective on life is to dispel ignorance and confront the devil’s deception.
1.Stand firm having girded your loins with TRUTH
The power of God’s TRUTH
The loins were protected by a metal girdle. The loins represented vitality, posterity, life.
The only thing that can guard our vitality is gaining and maintaining God’s perspective.
The only place we can get God’s perspective is from God’s word. What does God’s word have to say about the power of truth? There are numerous verses that address the power of God’s truth.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. Psa119:160
Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. Psalms 57:10
"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. John 17:17
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Psalms 51:6
But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth. Psalms 69:13
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. Psalms 145:18
The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Continual exposure to the truth of the Scripture is absolutely essential.
It is our only hope of restoring the right-thinking that produces right living.
God’s Word is the source of our rebirth.
God’s Word keeps us from sin.
God’s Word exposes sin.
God’s Word produces continual growth.
God’s Word restores the soul makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever.
God’s Word brings revival, transformation and restoration.
God’s Word is absolutely essential for effective ministry to others.
God’s Word is our only sure defense against the enemy establishing fortresses of deception and offense to shatter and demolish the fortresses already established.
Truth is reality as God reveals it in His word.
The full application of this piece of armor includes:
Knowing and embracing the truth
Discerning the lie
Speaking the truth
Living the truth
Praying the truth
What truth do we need to know? What truth is vital to our understanding?
God has revealed truth about Himself, how we can know Him, what He expects. God has revealed truth related to his creatures and how He designed them to live and best function.
God has revealed truth about life – its substance, source, purpose, meaning and future.
God has revealed truth about our enemy – his origin, purpose, schemes, defeat and judgment.
Knowing the truth as God has revealed it is absolutely vital to victory over Satan. John wrote to those in various stages of spiritual development. Children - Young men - Fathers
Young men – strong in the word and have overcome the evil one.
Paul talked about the futility of zeal without knowledge. Romans 10:2
Paul wrote about the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God. Romans 11:33
Paul prayed for a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. Eph 1:17
Paul prayed that they would know the love of God which surpasses knowledge leading to a filling with the fullness of God. Eph 3:19
God gifted the church with teachers to teach the word of God until all would come to the unity of faith and the knowledge of Christ. Eph 4:13
Paul prayed that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of his will leading to a pleasing walk and an increase in the knowledge of God. Col 1:9, 10
Paul talked about the wealth comes from a full understanding resulting in a true knowledge of Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:2-3
Paul talked about our new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge. Col 3:10
Paul shared with Timothy the secret to freedom which is proclamation of the truth with gentleness so that God may grant repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth and that day may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been held captive to do his will. 2 Tim 2:24-26
Paul prayed that the fellowship of the Philemon’s faith would become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which God put in him. Philemon 1:6
Peter reveals that grace and peace are multiplied through the true knowledge of God and Jesus.
He further indicated that God’s divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and excellence. 2 pet 1:3
He revealed that we can escape the defilements of the world by the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
There are foundational truths that we need to know!
•We need to know that we have been identified with Christ in his death and his resurrection. Rom 6:3
•We need to know that if we present ourselves as someone as a slave we become their slave. Rom 6:16
•We need to know that God causes all things to work together for good. Rom 8:28
•We need to know the things freely given to us by God. 1 Cor 2:12
•We need to know that we are a temple of God indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 1 cor 3:16
•We need to know that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump. 1 Cor 5:6
•We need to know that we will judge angels as well as the world. 1 Cor 6:2, 3
•We need to know that the righteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9
•We need to know that when this body wastes in way that God has a renewed body. 2Cor 5:1
•We need to know the grace of God that though Christ was rich yet he became poor for our sakes so that through His poverty we might become rich. 2 Cor 8:9
•The eyes of our hearts need to be enlightened so that we might know what is the hope of our calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us to believe. Eph 1:18-19
•We need to know Him and the power of His resurrection life. Philip 3:10
•We need to know how to respond to every person with grace. Col 4:6
•We need to know how to process our own vessel in sanctification and honor not in lustful passion as the Gentiles who do not know God. 1 Thess 4:4-5
•We need to know whom we have believed and be convinced that He is able to guard what we entrust to Him until that day. 2 Tim 1:12
•We need to know how to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Jam 1:19
•We need to know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. Jam 4:4
•We need to know that he who turns a sinner from his ways will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Jam 5:20
•We need to know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him for we will see Him as he is. 1 John 3:2
•We need to know that He appeared in order to take away sins. 1 John 3:5
•We need to know that we passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. 1 Jn 3:14
•We need to know how much He loved us because He laid down his life for us and we ought to do the same for each other. 1Jn 3:16
•We need to know where true life is found.
This is eternal life that they may know you are the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3
Whenever we discover a truth, Satan will already have tried to perpetuate a corresponding lie. God’s truth brings life. God’s truth brings freedom. God’s truth brings transformation.
Paul commanded the Romans to be transformed by the renewing of their thinking. Right thinking generates positive feelings which motivate right living. Right living always comes from right thinking. The only way to change destructive living is to change perverted thinking. The devil erects fortresses in our thinking that leads to destructive living and can only be overcome by speaking God’s truth. Paul talks about the weapons of our warfare that demolish fortresses when we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Look for the fortress. Look for wrong thinking. This can be done for ourselves and our family.
The devastation of Satan’s LIES
Satan started out with lies. He himself rejected truth and embraced self-deception.
He deceived Eve to seek life apart from God.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3
Anytime we reject God’s truth and embrace Satan’s lie, there will be destructive consequences. Satan managed to get Eve to believe a lie about God’s character. He also managed to get Eve to believe a lie about where true life was found. Paul wrote to the Romans about those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Later he wrote about those who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. Paul warned Timothy that in the last days there will be those who turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths. There will be those who continually pursue learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as God has revealed it.
Satan promotes lies about God.
Satan perpetuates lies about himself.
He doesn’t exist. He’s not all that evil. Serving him is beneficial. His ways will bring inner fulfillment.
Satan also encourages us to embrace lies about ourselves.
Your sin is not that bad. That is just human nature. You will never change. You are hopeless, evil, helpless, condemned, unlovable, unacceptable and rejected. You’re better than anybody else. You don’t need anybody’s help. It’s not your fault. They made me do it.
Your happiness depends on other people’s helpfulness. There really won’t be consequences for your behavior. Foolishness is the belief that my behavior will not bring about destructive consequences. God says if we do not acknowledge the presence of sin in our life, we are only deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Practical Application
1.Pursue God’s truth every chance you get.
Study, listen, absorb, read!
2.Discover the lie and uncover the fortress.
3.Shatter the fortress by speaking the truth.
Speak the truth to yourself. “Soul why are you depressed?”
Speak the truth in love into the fortress in the lives of others.
Speak the truth against Satan’s lie.
4.Live in light of the truth.
In light of God’s truth I will…
In light of God’s truth I will not…
5.Pray!
Use your struggle to pray for others.
This piece of armor must be worn continually.
This is a lifetime of learning.
This is a continual exposure to the truth.
Without it, you will be tossed around and manipulated by the lies of the enemy.
He knows what he is doing.
He devises pretty elaborate schemes that begin from childhood to engrain destructive thinking that leads to miserable living.
Take up the armor and go after him.
Shatter his deceptive fortresses and thoughts with the Sword of God’s spoken word.
Fight for yourself and your loved ones.
Defuse the strong man and then demolish his house.
