Spiritual Warfare - Part 4

The Belt of Truth

Hold to Christ's Teaching

Walk in His Protection

Live in His Blessing

Max De Pree?(October 28, 1924 – August 8, 2017) was an American businessman and?writer. A son of?D. J. De Pree, founder of?Herman Miller?office furniture company, he and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadership of the company in the early 1960s, with Hugh becoming CEO and president in 1962. Max succeeded his brother Hugh as CEO in 1980 and served in that capacity till 1987; he was a member of the company's Board of Directors until 1995.?His book?Leadership Is an Art?has sold more than 800,000 copies. From Wikipedia.

"The First Responsibility of Leadership"

When experienced business owners want to improve their strength, profit, and growth, emerging from the rivalry with their competitors as industry leaders, they study the strategies of their competitors and analyze the industry forces impacting their company’s ability to grow and thrive.

Once they define the truth (reality) and understand the impact of those industry forces, they can develop a strategic plan to outwit the competition.

In like manner, if you want to outwit the forces of darkness and defeat them, the first thing you must do is define reality. See Part 3, last month, and define reality concerning God's resources and His power available to you. The Bible calls those resources the full armor of God. To take advantage of the armor, you must learn how to use it.

Set your mind on believing Scripture and obeying it. Jesus Christ is King of God's Kingdom, in Heaven and on earth. He is the leader and has already defined reality, and He will help you walk in it!!

Putting on the Belt of Truth

The important question is: Will you believe the Holy Spirit, "the Spirit of Truth" and the word of God (the Bible), or Satan’s ("the father of lies") lies and temptations?

The enemy will do whatever he can to manipulate your feelings and decisions, including using other people to influence you to believe his lies. Learning to discern whose voice you are listening to and obeying is a matter of developing sound judgment through daily awareness and practice. Putting on the full armor of God is critical to our ability to stand firm against the enemy. These articles look at this armor, piece by piece.

Paul instructs us to, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist." So let's define reality!

“The belt—known as the cingulum or balteus—played a crucial role in the effectiveness of a soldier’s armor. It was the belt that held the scabbard, without which there would be no place to put a sword. That is, in the spiritual war, universal truth or the body of truth (reality). Imagine an overzealous soldier, fired up and charging out into battle—but without his belt, and consequently without a weapon! In addition, the Nelson Study Bible says from the belt ‘hung strips of leather to protect the lower body.’ The Matthew Henry Commentary says the belt ‘girds on [secures] all the other pieces of our armor.’ Truth should cling to us as a belt clings to our body.”

Paul begins his instruction of God’s armor with the Belt of Truth because Satan’s chief weapon is his lies. In his book, Leadership Is an Art, Max DePree says, “The first responsibility of leadership is to define reality.” Before you can take any effective action, you must first know what the truth (reality) of the situation is.

When facing the manipulation of Satan's schemes, you need to know the truth to recognize his lies and strategies. The word of God agrees that defining reality is your priority: "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). In the Greek, the word used for truth is aletheia, “signifying ‘the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable (absolute) essence of a matter.’”

Therefore, the Belt of Truth, which holds your weapon, the Sword of the Lord, is to be seen as representing reality (the truth behind what we can see) – the reality you can believe in, put your trust in, live your life by and make your decisions by. God gave us the Bible – His Word (truth) – and the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of truth – who Christ says will lead us to all truth (John 16:13). He gave us the Word to lead us safely through the darkness, the maze of lies and deception of the enemy, who the Apostle Paul says masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Satan’s lies are not only inter-mixed into our Christian lives but in the entire world. That is why God gave us His Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us to all truth (reality). According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, the Belt of Truth “girds on [secures] all the other pieces of our armor.” Truth is foundational to all the other pieces of our spiritual armor. To know reality and be prepared to make sound decisions at work each day, you must read the Bible and seek counsel from the Holy Spirit."

Satan's Schemes and Your Preparedness

From a spiritual perspective, Paul tells Christians to reject (not receive into our mind or emotions) any thought that will cause us to stumble or fall during our daily battle. Satan and Christ are both communicating to you in your mind (Read John 10). The Apostle Peter clarifies this, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’" (1 Peter 1:13-16 NKJV).

Satan, in his quest to destroy your career or business, wants to make you believe that exercising self-control over your mind and Christ's control over the old nature is a futile endeavor. I have had many Christians, including some pastors, tell me humans can't be holy. Really? Do they believe God would ask us to do something impossible? "With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

Satan lies or spins the truth about anything that will accomplish his objectives, attempting to make his lies appear as reality. "...He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). What makes him dangerous is that Satan himself "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Knowing truth (reality) is the foundation of your battle with Satan. Peter and Paul tell us to prepare our minds and emotions for battle by putting on the Belt of Truth, which begins by girding up the loins of your mind by putting God’s word in it!

There are many ways to put God’s word in your mind, including:

1. Memorize key passages of Scripture. Even if you can’t memorize easily, Jesus says, "the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My (Jesus) name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (in the Bible or in your mind) (John 14:26).
2. Study the Bible regularly, even for a short time, if that's all you can manage.
3. Meditate on passages of Scripture. "Keep this book of the Law always on your lips: meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
4. Hear the Word preached. Consequently, "faith comes from hearing the message..." (Romans 10:17).

There is only one way to prepare your emotions for the oncoming battle, and that is to make a permanent decision to have your mind set on what the Spirit desires, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).

Paul confirms that we can "put off our old self and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" in Ephesians 4.

Then he instructs us to: "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, by putting on the full armor of God," in Ephesians chapter 6. Putting off your old self, putting on your new self, and setting your mind on what the Spirit desires is imperative to putting on the full armor of God so that you have His protection from Satan!

Pastor Parker says, “Integrity is achieved when you and I are in private what we appear to be in public.” Isn’t it an impossibly high standard to expect us to be perfect in all our conduct, both private and public? Perhaps it is literally. But not substantially, when you consider that when we confess ourselves to be sinners saved by grace, we take on the righteousness of Christ and His power in us to live?the life He has requested of us.

Thereafter, when we discover sin in ourselves, we can immediately repent and seek forgiveness from the offended one, whether God or man (1 John 1:9).

When we learn to live like that – in private and in public – the devil has no opportunity to get a foothold in our lives. Truth is powerful.

Truth Can Be Divided Into Four Types

In dealing with the spiritual forces, we need to know the truth. Truth can be broken down into the following four types:

1. Foundational truth - Reality. The truth about God, His character, His Kingdom, His power, His promises, His Commands, His blessings and curses, and the way He made things work in His creation and culture. There is only one God and He says, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). He is totally trustworthy and if you obey Him, you will receive what He promises (Deuteronomy 28-30 and John 14 & 15). This is very important to remember in your life and business, especially for business leaders, managers and advisers. Why? Because “the first responsibility of leadership is to define reality.”
2. Truth about Jesus and His teaching. He is the only begotten Son of God, the Messiah, the only way to enter God’s Kingdom, the High Priest in God’s Temple, King of God’s Kingdom, the head of the Body of Christ, and the only mediator between God and man. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people" (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
3. The truth about you as a "born again believer." You are "created like God in true righteousness and holiness"’ that is, "you are once again made in his image, as in the beginning, you are renewed back to man’s original sinless nature" (Ephesians 4:24). "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…" (1 Peter 2:9). Did you hear what Peter is saying? God’s children are royalty - chosen by God the Father Himself! You are the body of Christ, a “holy nation” on earth, a people belonging to God and citizens of His Kingdom. According to BibleHub.com, the word holy means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world." "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are" (1 John 3:1)!
4. Truth in your inner-most being. It takes truth in your inward parts to cooperate with the renewing of your mind, a work of the Spirit of God, your Counselor and the Spirit of Truth. The enemy has schemes to deceive you about yourself and reality. The best way to outwit him is to cultivate a high level of integrity and honesty regarding yourself in your mind and soul. "You desired faithfulness even in the womb; You taught me wisdom in that secret place" (Psalm 51:6).

So how does one learn fundamental truth - the truth about God, His Son Jesus and His teachings, the truth about you, and the truth in your inward parts? Read the Bible, pray, go to a church that preaches from the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth and apply the word of God in your life daily

"If you love me, keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me?that He will receive what He will make known to you" (John 14:15-17, 26, 16:12-14).

Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth concerning something you want to know. I did, and found these verses to be true not only in spiritual matters, but also in learning solid business and professional practices that work without violating God’s precepts and statutes.

Pastor Parker says, “Hypocrisy does not mean saying one thing and doing the opposite. It means saying something that one does not believe. Take the example of getting drunk. Let’s say that someone believes that getting drunk is immoral. Does it make that man a hypocrite if he gets drunk? No, it makes him weak…A hypocrite, on the other hand, is someone who might say, ‘It’s okay for me to get drunk, but not for you.’”

The Apostle Paul confirms that access to knowledge and wisdom is a direct outcome of inviting Christ into your life as Savior and Lord: "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).

Truth in the Marketplace

So how does one apply all of this in the marketplace? Another of Satan’s core strategies is to destroy your finances – at the individual or business level – so you don’t have the resources to thrive and build the Kingdom of God on earth. So let’s define reality concerning sound finances. There are only two principles of finance that work, and they are both Biblical:

1. Spend less than you make. "Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?" (Proverbs 17:16) "Whoever loves money never has enough" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). "Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer" (Proverbs 30:25).

2. Make more than you spend. "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets" (Proverbs 21:20 TLB). "All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none" (Deuteronomy 28: 2&12).

Does this seem too simple? It’s the way to build wealth God’s way. Proverbs 9:9 says, "Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning." I have worked with hundreds of companies and I can say with certainty that the ones that are in the top 25% of their industry are the ones that grasp that there are only two principles of finance that work, and they implement them.

They also build the capital and surplus earnings to:

1) Fund growth and development,

2) Be market leaders,

3) Have discretionary cash flow,

4) Do humanitarian acts of mercy and grace, and

5) Help build the Kingdom of God. The same principles apply to individuals in managing their personal income from their careers.

How to Put on Your Belt of Truth

"All these blessings will come on you?and accompany you if you obey the?Lord?your God:" Deuteronomy 8:2

Following is an action plan on how to put on the Belt of Truth:

1. Read the Bible like it means just what it says, and believe it even if you don't understand it yet.

2. Load Bible software on your computer and research your questions about life and business to help you define reality and make sound decisions.

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth. His leading may include Bible passages to read, a church to attend, people to talk to, books to read, etc. Make the Bible your first priority – it is the foundation for learning Truth.

4. Memorize key verses in the Bible, even if it is only a verse or two at a time.

5. Intentionally set your mind on what the Spirit desires by obeying the truth and basing your decisions on reality.

6. Seek His counsel continuously.

7. Apply His truth daily in thoughts, decisions, and actions.

8. Do not allow Satan to derail you from this process!

9. Quote the Bible and command the forces of darkness, in the name of Jesus, to leave you!

10. Pray to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ daily as you live your life!

Closing Comments

What is your belief system about your life, behavior, and faithfulness to Christ's mission to "make disciples...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded"?

Are you living by His teachings and obeying them?

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Next, we will examine the Breastplate of Righteousness and how to "put on the Armor of God"

Please consider forwarding these articles to your friends and relatives.

*Much of the information in this BobChats is taken from my book, STAND FIRM WITH GOD'S POWER IN BUSINESS.