Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Ephesians 6:14 (ESV)
How does truth help us to fight against the schemes of the devil? The devil is the father of lies and has been from the beginning (John 8:44). One tactic he uses against believers is to put doubts in their minds about the truthfulness of God. That was exactly what he did in the Garden of Eden. He deceived Eve in believing that God didn’t really mean that they would die if they ate of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1-4). Adam also set aside the truth of God and the rest of mankind inherited a sin nature as the result (1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Peter 1:18).
Satan also attempted to deceive Jesus by twisting the truth of the very words of God. Jesus, knowing the whole truth, was able to recognize the deception. He was not deceived by the scheme of Satan and did not succumb to the temptation (Matthew 4:5-7).
In the latter days many will depart from the faith and give themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). And you can count on the fact that many of these “teachings of demons” will look very close to the truth. Paul told the Ephesians that speaking the truth in love would enable them to grow up in Christ and not be children tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:14 ESV).
Putting on the belt of truth not only means knowing the truth of the scriptures but also living a life of truthfulness. God abhors a deceitful person (Psalm 5:6) but delights in truth in the inward being (Psalm 51:6). Those who dwell in God’s presence are those who speak the truth in their hearts and are not deceitful (Psalm 15:1-2; 24:3-4). Our worship is genuine only if we worship in truth (John 4:24); the truth about who God is, the truth about who we are in him and living a lifestyle of truthfulness.
How do we know truth? Jesus is truth (John 14:6); he was full of truth (John 1:14). Everything he said is truth (John 1:17). Jesus was the word of God and the word of God is truth (John 1:1-2; 17:17). We can put our trust in the words of Jesus and in the teachings of the bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The bible was written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He only speaks what he hears from God. He guides us into all truth. Jesus told his disciples, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13 ESV)
God did not leave us helpless in our fight against the works of darkness. He gave us the belt of truth. Believing the truth of the scriptures and living a life of truthfulness are strong weapons against the schemes of the devil.
Do you spend time studying the scriptures that you may know the truth? Are you living a truthful life?
Scriptures for meditation:
John 8:32; 15:26
Romans 1:18, 25; 2:8