In John 8:12, Jesus tells us the truth will set you free. In our cosmic battle, two competing narratives exist for people’s hearts. One narrative comes from our creator and is filled with truth; the other is a stream of lies and deception from our enemy, satan.
Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden because they believed the deceptive lies told by satan. Genesis 3:1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day the serpent asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” [1]
As you look at this verse, what is our enemy satan doing? He is attacking the truth when he says did God really say, meaning the Lord is not telling you the truth. Putting doubt into people’s hearts about the truth of God’s word is a tactic our enemy uses routinely, so people question the truth of God’s word.
The Belt of Truth
As a believer, you may be familiar with Ephesians chapter six, where Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. How can we put on God’s spiritual armor in our world? Ephesians 6:14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. [2] As you reflect on this passage, it can be applied to our lives today just as it could when it was written almost 2000 years ago. In a figurative sense, Paul used the armor of a Roman soldier to help us understand the spiritual armor the Lord wants us to use. Our enemy, satan, wants to destroy us, so we must put our faith into action and put on God’s spiritual armor. Because our spiritual battle is in the unseen realms, many people do not understand the depth of the struggle.
The Importance of Truth
The Roman soldier used the belt to store his weapons; it is the foundation of the armor, and the truth is the foundation of the Christian life. As believers, we must keep God’s truth close to us so it can permeate our very being. When we spend time with the Lord and His word, we can distinguish what is true and what is not. We need to know God’s truth and be people of character so that truth comes from our lips, not lies that undermine us.
When we lie or deceive others, we give the devil a foothold in our life to tear us down. This is why we must always look to the Lord and repent when we have fallen into sin. With the Lord’s help, He will help you speak the truth even when difficult. As you give yourself to the Lord, the truth becomes your fallback position. Jesus is the light of the world and the light by which we see the truth and determine what is true in the world around us and our daily circumstances.
To learn how the truth can set you free, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/live-strong
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.