THE CHRISTIAN’S ARMOUR-EPHESIANS 6:11-18.

Girding our loins with truth (part 2)

In recent weeks, during our morning prayer time, Mary and I have worked through a booklet received from The Barnabus Fund entitled “Praying for the persecuted Church.” Each morning we have prayed for the Christians on one of the thirty-nine countries where persecution is taking place. It is very moving to read what our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering, and yet, standing firm in their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, even unto death.

“But,” you might say, “what has this got to do with girding up our loins with truth?” It has everything to do with it. These Christians have girded up the loins of their minds in such a way, that they are willing to both suffer and to die for their faith. Am I? Are You? Who knows what the future may bring for us, who at the moment live in such a free country.

To gird up the loins of our mind with God’s truth means that we also need to courageously profess it. It has been said that truth without courage makes a man like a swordfish; he has a sword in his head but has no heart to use it.

To have our loins girded about with truth is to be empowered with holy boldness from heaven, to draw the sword of the Spirit and with naked boldness profess the truth, even if it means persecution or death.

How do we maintain a steadfast profession of truth? This, we are instructed to do in Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

It is easy to make a good profession within the calm of a Christian Fellowship. But does a yachtsman spread his sails in the calm? No, he does not. It is when the wind begins to blow that he raises his sails, even if there is a storm brewing on the horizon. So it should be for the Christian when we are experiencing hostility, even hatred, opposition, sneering, outright nastiness, or anything else which the unbelieving world can throw at us. Then is not the time to run back to a safe harbour feeling sorry for ourselves. It is the time to obey the Word. ”Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth”.

It is strange to think that we might whinge or cringe mentally when we think about possible opposition to our selves or our faith; but from my own experience, when opposition happens faith often rises in the heart and the Holy Spirit inspires a boldness which we did not think we had. Again, let us be reminded of something Paul said, “With the heart man believes unto righteousness; with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,” Romans 10:10.

How can we have a heart inflamed with love for truth?

(a) Meditate much upon our union with Christ.
When we were born again we received a new nature and this nature was filled with God’s truth and is in union with Christ Himself, who is the personification of the truth of God. Therefore, our new nature is in a union with Christ, which union, can never be broken. However, like in a human marriage, it has to be worked at.

In a human marriage we have two persons who have barely known each other but can leave both family and friends to enjoy a special relationship with each other. Although the relationship may be strained at times through mistakes or misunderstandings the union can grow stronger and deeper as the years pass.

With the Christian a far stronger mystical power is at work between the soul and Christ, the soul and truth. Is this Christian the same person who at one time would not give a fig for Christ or His truth? Like a good marriage, a secret work of the Spirit has now been working in knitting his soul to Christ. So now, he can willingly leave the world and the world’s ways which he once loved so much for the oneness with his beloved Saviour.

A persecutor once taunted a martyr by asking him if he did not love his wife and children too much to die. “Yes,” answered the Christian, “I love them so dearly I would not part with them for a king’s ransom; but for Christ’s sake and His truth, farewell to them all.”

(b) Ask God often to fill our hearts with His love.
In a marriage, one sees what is precious to ones loved one and acts for his or her sake to bless them. This can also happen outside of a marriage, for instance; David’s love for Jonathan made him enquire about his friend’s descendants so he could show kindness to them for Jonathan’s sake.

As God fills our hearts with His love, so we will want to search His Word, and seek Him in prayer, and find out what is dear and precious to Him. It will not be long before we discover that He cares very much to preserve His truth.

God has never let His truth be lost. No matter what revolutions have taken place in the world, God’s truth has never been lost. Even in Stalin’s Russia, or in Communist China and North Korea, God’s truth still exists. A story which touched me while listening to an Anglican Minister who had just come back from visiting Russia in the 50’s was as follows:-

Having attended to his meetings and business this Minister was waiting for his train (obvious to all he was a foreigner) to take him to the Airport and then home. As he stood on the platform just thinking about what he had seen and done, he felt a gentle tug on his coat sleeve. Looking round, he saw a very elderly, shabbily dressed, lady. He waited for her to speak and after a moment or two, in broken English she said, “Do they still believe in God in England?” The Minister told her, “Yes, many do.” At that the lady’s face lit up and she shuffled off, her face beaming with delight.

Why is it that in some thirty-nine countries in the present world, no matter what the authorities do, be it Communism, Islam, Hinduism or any other ‘ism,’ there are still those who love the truth of God as it is revealed in Jesus and are willing to suffer persecution and death to hold it dear. The answer to this question I stated earlier, “God has never let the truth get lost!”

God’s truth is pure- “Sancitify them through Your truth; Your Word is truth,” John 17:17.

God’s truth is sure- “Not one word,” said Joshua, “of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, and not one of them has failed,” Joshua 23:14.

God’s truth is free-Truth will not be bound. “The truth will make you free,” John 8:32.

God’s truth is victorious- It will prevail no matter what men or devils believe or say or do-hallelujah!!.

Let us therefore stand firm and gird up the loins of our mind with this pure, sure, free, and victorious truth of God. Dare we do anything less?

God bless you,

John