January 2, 2022
Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth. Ephesians 6:13-14a
There are other English translations that speak of putting on the belt of truth. The metaphor is intended to highlight the wholistic nature of truth. A belt goes all the way around. It is a fact that Satan’s counterfeit doctrines contain elements of truth coopted from God’s Word. Such ideas are presented as truth with the intention of leading the hearer to a wrong conclusion. This is the composition of the most convincing of deceptions. In the eyes of the Lord, a “partial truth” is a complete lie. The same God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son into the world (John 3:16) makes clear His hatred for falsehood and deception (Acts 5:1-10; Revelation 21:27). A thoughtful pondering of the God of love who hates lies will render a greater understanding of the intensity of His love for us. He does not want us to die! If we provide any sort of leeway for falsehood, we subject ourselves (and possibly others) to deception: the enemy’s broad road to ruin.
The truth of God’s identity as our Creator came under fiery attack when Darwin’s theory of evolution was placed before the eyes of the world in 1844. At the time, there were pockets of genuine spiritual revival on nearly every continent. With divine light shining into many hardened hearts and blinded spiritual eyes, God’s power to release souls from habitual selfishness allowed for a disposition to accept the Savior’s invitation. It was unmistakable! But we need never think that any commitment to the Lord can be put into place apart from a bitter protest on the part of Satan.
This attack upon God’s title of Creator continues up to this very minute. The fourth commandment is a reminder of God as our Creator, but the majority of professed Christians single out the fourth commandment as the one that is “outdated” or no longer matters, teaching that remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy is “legalism” (see Matthew 5:19; James 2:10).
The study of God’s Word with the help of His Holy Spirit has an enlightening, correcting, and uplifting power. His Truth has the characteristics of purity and simplicity that tie all of the truths of Scripture together without contradiction. The words of eternal life (John 6:68) empower us to be honest with ourselves, each other, and the Lord. On the other hand, any lack of honesty subjects minds to false teachings, to every wind of doctrine….(Ephesians 4:14) A single false doctrine leads to another and still another, creating the appearance that scripture contradicts itself. This is how our enemy undermines the faith of many.
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20-21