Ephesians 6:13-14 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

We Battle An Enemy We Have No Power To Defeat

The Bible tells us that we humans are in a great spiritual battle. Our battle is not between black and white, or Republican or Democrat, or rich or poor. We were previously told in this chapter:

Ephesians 6:12 For we WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Our enemy is an ancient foe, one who manifested himself in the Garden of Eden as a crafty beast of the field, a serpent. Again, our battle is not against flesh and blood. The serpent was not a serpent, though it looked like a serpent to Adam and Eve. The serpent was a possessed creature, possessed of an angelic being named Lucifer, Satan, the Devil (Revelation 12:9). In the end God will imprison that old serpent (Revelation 20:2), and will ultimately cast it into hell. Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 25:41 (LSB) {God} will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS

There will come a day when Satan and the fallen angels will be cast into a Lake of Fire forever, a day when God will re-create the earth without sin and sinners. But until that day, Satan “our Adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We have no ability within ourselves to do battle with a spiritual being like a fallen angel. We cannot, within our own abilities, wrestle with satanic forces and win. It is impossible. But our Lord Jesus said:

Luke 18:27 The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (also see Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27)

We cannot wrestle with nor defeat Satan or his demons within our own strength. But God can. God sent Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son – and Jesus is greater than Satan.

1 John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

Colossians 2:15 Having SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, JESUS made a show of them openly, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT

What We Cannot Do, God Can Do

Humans cannot defeat the powers of evil. BUT we can submit ourselves unto God and let Him dress us in His armor. We are told WHEREFORE!

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore TAKE UNTO YOU {analambanō} the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

Word Study: Wherefore. Since we cannot defeat demonic forces, we are to turn to God. We could not save ourselves – God must. We cannot defeat our enemy, Satan. God must! The phrase “TAKE UNTO YOU” is the Greek analambanō which means “to receive what is offered so as to use or enjoy”. The word is used in the Septuagint (the earliest translation of the Hebrew scriptures to Greek) to describe Elijah’s last day on earth.

2 Kings 2:11 (Brenton’s English Septuagint – BES) as {Elisha and Elijah} were going, they went on talking; and, behold, a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and it separated them both; and Eliu {Elijah} WAS TAKEN UP {analambanō} in a whirlwind as it were unto Heaven.

When God took Elijah up into Heaven, He took him as he was.

Elijah gave himself to God as he was, and
God took him as he was.

In the same way, we who are saved take to us the armor of God as it is. We do not modify it, or change it in any way. Though we have looked at the armor of God in several Vacation Bible Schools, always showing a picture of a Roman Soldier in armor, we need to remember that the physical armor shown is just an illustration. Paul was led of God to look at the Roman army, and its soldiers, and describe the armor of God by paralleling it to what the soldier wore. But remember, the armor that we are learning about today is spiritual and real. We are to take this armor to ourselves without modification. It is the “armor of God”. It is not man made. It is God made. It is from God. It is spiritual, but real, and powerfully effective.

Illustrate: When God took Elijah off of the earth, He took the whole Elijah – not just a part of him. We are told to take upon ourselves “the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD”. No soldier would go to battle with just part of the armor. Each piece worked together with the other pieces to help the soldier do a dangerous thing as safely as possible. No battle is won by a dead soldier! We as Christians are involved in deadly work! The spiritual forces of evil hate us.

Have you ever noticed that people don’t mock or make fun of Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus or even Jews and Judaism … but they readily mock and vilify the genuine Christ follower.

In St Paul, Minnesota, the forces of darkness stormed Cities Church on January 18, 2026. You do not hear of mosques or temples being stormed – only Churches. There’s a reason for that. Satan and his followers don’t care if you follow an idol. He does not care if you follow a man made religion. An idol is a man made god. The Bible says of the idols:

Psalm 115:3-9 (LSB) OUR GOD is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. 4 THEIR IDOLS are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; They have noses, but they do not smell; 7 As for their hands, they do not feel; As for their feet, they do not walk; They do not make a sound with their throat. 8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in Yahweh; He is their help and their shield.

The True God, the God that our Lord Jesus Christ manifested to us, “IS IN THE HEAVENS”. He is all around us. There is no where where God is not. “THEIR IDOLS” are from the earth. They are made of “silver and gold, The work of man’s hands”. They are made of items that the worldly consider valuable, but they are earthly things subject to rust and corrosion. These idols “have mouths, but they do not speak”. Jesus said:

John 10:27-28 (LSB) My sheep HEAR MY VOICE, and I KNOW THEM, and THEY FOLLOW ME; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Among the Catholics worshipers bow down and pray before statues of the virgin Mary, of the Church fathers, images and statues of Christ on a cross. This is idolatry. Hindus make gods of silver and gold. Buddhists make idols of themselves, believing they can achieve godhood. “THEY follow idols”. These idols, these statues, they have eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet – but they cannot see, nor smell, nor taste, nor touch, nor feel, nor move of their own accord.

Our God not only knows us, but He prays for us at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8:34). Our God not only cares for us, but He indwells us and speaks to us (Romans 8:27). Our God is a personal God Who shed His Blood for us and, on calling us into His family, expects us to follow Him.

There are many who profess to be “Christian”, who attend a local Church somewhat regularly, but who have devolved into idolatry rather than Christ following.

You cannot live the Christian way of life in your ability and in your power. You, like Elijah, must give yourself to God. You cannot modify the Armor of God to suit what you think is best. A man made armor will not survive a battle with highly superior angels! We are told to do TWO THINGS to defeat the demonic forces that want to damn us:

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore TAKE UNTO YOU {analambanō} the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and HAVING DONE ALL {katergazomai hapas}, to STAND {histēmi}.

Word Study: Your duty as Christians is to first take the WHOLE ARMOR to yourself. To make sure that you are fully suited before going to battle. And the other thing you are to do is “STAND”. This is the Greek histēmi, which means to “make a stand, set your position and hold it, stay in your place, to be ready and watching”. You are to visibly set against the enemy. You are not to hide, run away, go undercover, compromise, be tolerant, or yield. You are to stubbornly stand firm, cloaking yourself with the armor of God. You are to understand that you are in a battle that matters. When you “STAND”, you rest in the power of and certainty of God. But you do not rest in your own abilities. To “STAND” means to get out of your seat and do what God has called you to do. The Christian is a representative of the Kingdom of God, a sheep of Christ. We ought to baa loud enough so that others know we love our Lord, and He loves us. I cannot defeat Satan, but God can through me.

We are to “STAND” knowing that the power is of God, not of ourselves. Jesus told the parable of a Pharisee and a publican (telōnēs – tax agent). The Lord said:

Luke 18:10-13 (LSB) Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] “The Pharisee STOOD {histēmi} and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ [13] “But the tax collector, STANDING {histēmi} some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

Both men were standing – but only ONE was standing in the right place. The Pharisee was standing on “I” and what he had accomplished in his own power. The forces of darkness love these people, these religious characters that stand on “look at me, see what I’m doing”. Someone recently said to me, “I’ll be preaching on such and such a day. Make sure you come and hear me.” Would I be coming to hear you, or to hear my Lord speak through you? Idolatry is sneaky – and one of the devil’s greatest tools. He twists it so that we make it about ourselves. I have no doubt that the Pharisee was sincere in what he said – but everything he said glorified himself. He was proud that “I am not like other people”. He’s the top dog! He’s not broken like everyone else. Like God, the Pharisee is the Great “I AM”. At least he thinks he is. He fasts and pays tithes, not because he loves God, but because it is part of a checklist that he follows that magnifies himself in his own eyes.

But what of the tax collector? He “STOOD” also, but he stood in humility, as he was. He stood far from the holy place, and lowered his eyes, humbling himself before God. He struck himself in the chest, the center of the soul, near the heart. His prayer was simple:

God, be merciful to me, the sinner!

This man stood powerless before God, humbled before God, and asked God for the armor necessary to bless his life. Our Lord Jesus said:

Luke 18:14 (LSB) I tell you, this man went down to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other, for EVERYONE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED, but HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED.

God can use you, but only if you submit, and put on the armor He offers His children. You must take the whole armor as it is, without modification, and let God put it on you. Then you must take your stand for God, glorifying Him, not yourselves.

The Belt Of Truth

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH …

The BELT, though not actually a part of the armor, was integral to the armor. Jesus spoke of the “belt of truth” when He said:

Luke 12:35-37 (KJV) Let your LOINS BE GIRDED ABOUT, and YOUR LIGHTS BURNING; [36] And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. [37] Blessed [are] those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

The belt was the first thing the warrior put on. It was central to the armor, as all of the other parts of the armor attached to it.

Why is TRUTH the first thing that the Christian puts on?

Truth is under attack today. People talk about “you live YOUR truth, and I live MY truth”. People think that truth is fluid, not fixed. Because they believe this, we see strange things on the television. We see men dressed as women, treated as women, allowed to participate in the same sports that women are in. People say that this is fair though we know that men are structurally created stronger than women. But the majority of dark voices have spoken. Men can be women, and women can be men. This is “truth”.

Based on this “truth”, men can get pregnant. Men can have menstruation periods. Men can breast feed babies. Is it “true”? We are told, yes, because it is “our” truth. We hear “there is no difference between men and women”. And feminists mock men, saying “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”. Is it “true”? Well, yes, it is “our” truth. Raging mobs can burn down buildings while news people report “these are mostly peaceful protests”. Someone’s livelihood was destroyed, but it’s a peaceful protest. And it’s true, because we say it is.

Before Pilate executed Jesus, a Man he judged as innocent, our Lord had this discussion with him:

John 18:36-38 (LSB) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be delivered over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here.” [37] Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You yourself said I am a king. FOR THIS I HAVE BEEN BORN, and FOR THIS I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD, TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH. EVERYONE WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE.” [38] Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”

The world says “What is TRUTH? It is fluid. We make the truth. What we say is true, is true.” Truth is not fluid. Truth is from God. Truth is in the Bible. As I prayed over this message, God showed me a correlation between creation and the truth. The Bible tells us that the very first thing that God created was LIGHT. “God said, “Let there BE LIGHT, and there WAS LIGHT” (Genesis 1:3). The Light was separate from the darkness. Light was created on the FIRST day of creation. But God did not create the sun or the moon until the FOURTH day (Genesis 1:14-19). Light existed first. Light comes from God. Darkness was there in the absence of God. Darkness is natural, but Light is from God.

When we look at the Armor of God, we see the BELT OF TRUTH is the first piece we receive from God. The order given is:

Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Gospel covered Feet
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit, The WORD OF GOD

Just as God created LIGHT first, then later the Sun and Moon, God gives us TRUTH first, and as the crowning touch THE WORD OF GOD. Everything binds to the BELT OF TRUTH. The WORD OF GOD is the manifestation of God’s Truth, just as the Sun is the manifestation of God’s Light. It all begins with TRUTH.

Without the BELT OF TRUTH, the armor will not stay in place. If the TRUTH is man made, the God made armor will not be supported. I have seen young people walking around with no belts on, their underwear hanging out. They could not do battle, as their droopy drawers would get around their legs and trip them up.

What is TRUTH? Pilate asked. The God of the Bible is truth. God is the Source of Light and of Truth.

Who is the Source of darkness and lies? Listen to our Lord Jesus speak to the idolatrous Pharisees:

John 8:44 (LSB) You are of [your] father THE DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and DOES NOT STAND IN THE TRUTH BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [nature], for HE IS A LIAR, AND THE FATHER OF LIES.

The source of darkness and lies is the devil. The Source of Light and Truth is God our Father. What He says is true. Jesus said, “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE” (John 14:6). The Bible says of God,

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just, A FAITHFUL GOD WHO DOES NO WRONG

God is called “the GOD OF TRUTH” (Isaiah 65:16). When God came to Moses and told him to go to Pharaoh, to lead His people out of Egypt, Moses asked Him “If they ask me Your Name, what shall I tell them?” God answered simply, “I AM WHO I AM. Say to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:13-15). Among the ancients, the name was always descriptive of the person. “Moses” or Mosheh means “one who is drawn out”. He was saved from the river by the princess of Egypt (Exodus 2:10), who said “I named him ‘Moses’ because I drew him out of the water”. God is the great I AM. There is no one like Him. God cannot be understood by comparing Him to something else. Truth comes from God. He establishes Truth.

God was not created. There was a time when you did not exist. I was born in 1958, but before that, there was no David. I became a created being when God allowed me life, and I constantly receive life from God. But God has always been. There was no time when He was created.

God does not receive life, light, love or being. He has always been life, light, love and being. We are born, then we become. God never becomes. He is I AM. Everything exists according to His will.

God does not need us. He is self sufficient. He is I AM. God did not need Adam and Eve, nor did He need Israel. He does not need you or me. God did not create humans because it filled up some deficiency He had. Everything we have and hope to be comes from God. When we give to God, we give back to Him what He has already given us. When King David praised God, he said:

1 Chronicles 29:11-14 (LSB) Yours, O Yahweh, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the kingdom, O Yahweh, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. [12] Both riches and honor [come] from You, and YOU RULE OVER ALL, AND IN YOUR HAND IS POWER AND MIGHT; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. [13] “So now, our God, we are thanking You and praising Your glorious name. [14] But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as willingly as this? For ALL THINGS COME FROM YOU, and FROM YOUR HAND WE HAVE GIVEN YOU.

When David was confronted by the Prophet Nathan over his murder of Uriah, his adultery with Bathsheba, David repented, saying, “I have sinned AGAINST THE LORD” (2 Samuel 12:13). That has puzzled me till now. David sinned against God, because he robbed Uriah of what god gave him – his wife and his life. Everything we have, we have of God. Sin robs God!

The BELT OF TRUTH is that God does not NEED us,
but God LOVES us.

The Apostle said “For FROM HIM and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM are ALL THINGS” (Romans 11:36). Our God told us “every beast of the forest IS MINE, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). We are not doing God a favor when we serve Him. The BELT OF TRUTH tells us that God doesn’t need us, but we desperately need God. The Doctrine of the Aseity (pronounced “uh-SEE-uh-tee”) of God is found in God’s name “I AM WHO I AM”. God’s love is free and gracious, not needy. His promises are unshakable. What God has said He will do, He will do. The idols require the service of their followers. But the Apostles knew that “Our God is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything. The Father has life in Himself” (Acts 17:24-25; John 5:26).

The Belt of Truth is that our God is all powerful, all knowing, all able. When God told Moses, “Tell them ‘I AM’ sent you”, he was being told (and now I quote Samuel G. Parkison):

“God} is the infinite Source and Giver of all life and being. Moses could not appeal categorically higher than to this Being for help in his task to deliver Israel from slavery. Who could help Moses more on this mission? Sure, Pharaoh was the king of the greatest earthly superpower—Moses had seen that up close. Sure, no living man was more powerful than he. Sure, Moses was a jaded, humiliated, failed deliverer coming to this people with a deficit of credibility to lead them. But the Being who commissioned Moses in Exodus 3 is the One who gives life and breath and being to everyone, including Pharoah. Moses had the help of the Infinite Maker of heaven and earth behind him: He should almost feel bad for Pharoah! No competition against “I am” is even fair.”

It is THIS God Who saved us by His Grace. This Infinite God knew who you were, and who you would be, when He called your name. He knew you were broken, and called you to salvation through His Son Jesus Christ anyway. This is the BELT OF TRUTH. Some of you run about, trying to save yourselves or to keep yourselves saved. You cannot. You could not make yourself born, nor could you make yourself born again. God did it all. He did it all through Jesus.

Though Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden, and though from that time WE think we have the answers, the truth is that this is a lie from Satan. We know nothing. Social justice warriors know nothing. Politicians (I’m sorry, Jerry) know nothing. Everything we have and hope to be comes from God, from Jesus, from the Holy Spirit given to us at New Birth. We are NOTHING without God.

We breath God’s air, and drink His water. We walk on the planet He made. And it is our privilege to be able to serve Him. It is not a chore, but an honor. It is also the safest place to be. God made Light and Truth. God made the TWO genders. God sent His ONLY Son Jesus to be our Messiah. If you do not humble yourself, and put on the BELT OF TRUTH, your pants will fall down. And the Devil will destroy your life.

We need God. We need Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t need us!

Zach Williams sings a beautiful song “Heart of God”. Go listen to it! God doesn’t need YOU, but YOU need God. Come to Jesus Christ, bow before Him as Lord and Savior. Receive the salvation that He purchased for you on Calvary. Let Him send the Holy Spirit to you, and bring you into His Kingdom. As His Children, His Sheep, follow Him, because YOU NEED HIM. What He has said is truth. What is written in God’s Sun, the Bible, is TRUTH.