We’re still studying the second part of verse 4: “His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.”
We can all agree that we live in a fallen world where there is deception and lies and that the Word says things will go from bad to worse. (see last blog entry) We talked about the importance of not just being aware of this, but most importantly, knowing the Truth in order to detect the lie. Now, let’s shift over and hone in on one word—truth. There was so much gold to mine on that one word. I will attempt to summarize as briefly as I can without losing any of the nuggets. Here goes…
The Hebrew word for truth is the word emeth. It means certainty, stability, rightness, trustworthiness, faithfulness, and comes from a root word that conveys the idea of something being firm, permanent, established. Emeth/Truth is certain, stable, reliable, sure, dependable and faithful. Why not read that again and take a moment to let each word sink in…firm, permanent, established, certain, stable, reliable, sure, dependable, faithful. Just writing and reading those words brings peace inside. That is because…Truth is Who God is. Truth doesn’t change. God doesn’t change. It’s on God’s truth that we stake and build our lives. Truth is the standard that we measure everything against. It’s our plumb-line. Without truth, we are prone to deception and lies.
The Greek word for truth is actually derived from the opposite of a negative word that means “to be hidden” or “to escape notice”. It is the opposite of anything false or fictitious, so truth is reality, accuracy, and like it’s Hebrew meaning it is dependable and certain.
The good news…there’s always good news…is this…We can learn the Truth, know the Truth, believe the Truth, build our lives on the Truth and become spiritually discerning so we can live an overcoming life of victory and are not among the naïve, silly, weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women mentioned in 2Tim 3: 6 who get sucked into deception. By the way…look at that verse…it says that deceivers “worm their way into homes”…how do they do that now a days when most women know not to answer their front door? Answer: the internet, of course and the TV, duh, and any other form of media. OK…nuff of that…we’re going after the good news…
Since we are New Testament people let’s go there.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself….and The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his divine greatness—the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth.”
John 8:32 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”
John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
It’s the truth that we know that makes us free. Truth is found in Jesus (I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life). There is no other place to find truth other than in Jesus and the Word. He is the living Word of God (John 1:1).
Jesus, the Word of God, is our standard of measurement. We have to know the Word or we have no standard of measurement. So the answer to being spiritually discerning is to study God’s Word. There’s just no other way. We have to become students of the Word of God.
Got it?
But…Jesus left…He’s in Heaven at the right hand of the Father. Yup. But He did two very important things for us to assure our protection against deception. First, He prayed for us BEFORE He left (John 17:15-17) and secondly, He sent us His Spirit…Himself…the God-head…the Holy Spirit..WHO…just happens to be called…hold on….
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. This is a good place to shout out…Thank you, Lord!
Listen to our Savior’s heart as He prayed for us knowing what we’d face after He left the earth:
John 17: 15-17 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world. Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.
AND….
John 14:15-18
If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—
The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you.
AND ONE MORE…
John 16:12-15
I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now.
But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
In Ephesians 6:11 we are told to “Put on God’s whole armor that we may be able to successfully stand up against all the strategies and the deceit of the devil.” Why? Because we’re not wrestling with physical opponents only, but against spiritual forces of darkness, wicked spirits, the evil rulers of the unseen world. It’s interesting to note that the first piece of our armor is none other than THE BELT OF TRUTH! One version says, “Tighten the belt of Truth”…keep it ready, keep it tight because it holds every other piece of armor in place. Another piece of our weaponry is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. We are to use that sword, the Word of God, against the deceitful strategies and lies of the enemy.
Remember in the desert when Satan came to tempt Jesus. Every lie Satan hit Jesus with, Jesus, the living Word, responded with the Word of God. We are to do the same…so…
when the lie comes…answer it with the Truth.
The battle ground is in our thoughts. When you’re feeling a bit “off” and your emotions aren’t the best, check in on what you’ve been thinking about. Our thoughts effect our feelings and emotions. Check in on what you’ve been watching and listening to….that is how things good and bad enter our souls. We are to take our thoughts captive and bring them to Jesus—the Truth. If they don’t line up with the Word, then answer that thought with what is true.
Something I learned from Gloria Copeland a long time ago really works when I remember to do it. When you discover that what you’ve been thinking is not what you know to be true…Say out loud, “That’s not MY thought.” And immediately say what you know is the truth. OUT LOUD. When I was dealing with cancer, the battle in my mind seemed constant and overwhelming. Fearful thoughts bombarded my brain…you’re not going to make it….this is too hard, just give up. It seemed I was constantly saying, “That’s not MY thought. I will not die, but live. No weapon formed against me can prosper. My Father has promised me a long satisfying life. He heals all my diseases. Jesus bore my infirmities and carried away my diseases and by the stripes that wounded Him, I am already healed and made whole”. There were days I just couldn’t seem to get my head above it all and then…a friend would call and begin reminding me of the Truth. I can’t tell you what that did for me to hear someone else speak the Truth for me. Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of the Anointed One—the law of love. Never underestimate the power of the spoken Word! I’m alive today because of the help of others who knew the Truth, stood in the gap for my life and constantly reminded me of what the Word of God says! Thank you Jesus!
So let’s tighten that belt of Truth and pull out that Sword of the Spirit!
Know Jesus-Know Truth.
To be continued….until then…peace to you and your family.
