Why do you think Paul used the metaphor of putting on “the whole armor of God” when exhorting the believer to be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”? Is the "armor of God" more like that of a Roman warrior or that of the Jewish High Priest? Explain. What is truth? How does truth enable the Christian to “stand against” and “withstand” the lies of Satan, the cunning craftiness of the world and the deceitfulness of our own flesh? Why are Christian instructed to “put on the whole armor of God”? Why are we commanded to “stand firm” and “stand against”? What happens when we fail to “stand”?

2. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
➢ “Be Strong in the Lord
➢ “Put on the whole armor of God”
πανοπλία (panoplia)
Remember
Archilles

3. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
➢ “Be Strong in the Lord
➢ “Put on the whole armor of God”
1) “having girded your loins with truth”
2) “having put on the breastplate of righteousness”
3) “having shod your feet with the gospel of peace”
4) “taking the shield of faith”
5) “take the helmet of salvation”
6) “(take) the sword of the Spirit”

4. The Believer’s Battle Commands:
➢ “Be Strong in the Lord
➢ “Put on the whole armor of God”
➢ “Stand” (ἵσταμαι – histamai)
➢ “Withstand” (ἀνθίστημι – anthistēmi)

5. ➢ Function
➢ Identity
➢ Association

6. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might. 11
Put on the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not
wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places.

7. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore,
having girded your waist with truth,

8. Simple Identity:
1. Includes the part of the body between the
ribs and the hipbone on both sides of the
backbone; the mid-section.
2. Biblically includes the sex organs, "the
fruit of his loins" (Gen. 35:11; I Kgs. 8:19;
Acts 2:30)

9. Strategic Importance:
1. Crucial to the provision of strength and
mobility in combat. Deut. 33:11 "Smite
through the loins" (to go for the belly)
2. The bowels are in this region, which to the
Hebrew was the seat of our emotions
("bowels of mercies"), affections
• Isa. 21:3 "my loins are filled with pain"
• Nah. 2:10 "much pain (is) in all loins”
• girding loins with sackcloth was a sign of
mourning (I Kgs. 20:32; Isa. 32:11; Jer. 48:37)

10. Strategic Importance:
3. Modern idioms expressing the same
thought as the ancient Jew:
• Intestinal fortitude = perseverance
• Belly-aching = complaining
• Gut-reaction or visceral response =
emotional response
• Having the stomach, the guts or
gonads for it = strength

11. Satanic Initiative:
1. WHAT? Your Enemy (Satan = adversary) of
your soul - attacks your emotions, affections
a. "Wiles" (methodeia) = strategems,
cunning craftiness, a clever
camouflager, nefarious powers to
undermine
b. "Principalities, powers, rulers...spiritual
wickedness"

12. Satanic Initiative:
2. HOW? Lies
• Jn. 8:44 "He is a liar (Devil = diabolos),
and the father of (lies)"
• I Cor. 15:33 "evil communication
corrupts good manners"

13. Satanic Initiative:
a. Encourages Personal Disobedience
by undermining God’s character &
credibility
• Question & Doubt God – Gen. 3:1
"Hath God said?”
• Contradict God's Word – Gen. 3:4
“you shall not...die”
• Impugn God's motives – Gen. 3:5
“you shall be as God”

14. Satanic Initiative:
b. Confusing us (believers & non-
believers) with false doctrines
• Gen. 3:13 "the serpent beguiled
me, and I did eat"
• Eph. 4:14 "tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind
(spirit) of doctrine"

15. Satanic Initiative:
Eph. 5:6 "let no man deceive you with vain words"
Acts 20:29, 30 "grievous wolves enter in among
you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves
shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw
away disciples after them"
• "Doctrines of demons" (I Tim. 4:1)
• Mt. 7:15 false teachers who come "in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves"

16. Satanic Initiative:
Mt. 24:24 "if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect"
II Cor. 11:14 Satan's greatest disguise has
always been to appear before men as an
"angel of Light"
II Tim. 3:13 "But evil men and seducers shall
wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived" Jude, John, Peter, Paul all warn
us against false teachers)

17. Elements: leather with an
iron, brass or
steel cincture
Size: fitted to the soldier
Function: Service
Indicated: Readiness Truth

19. Daniel 10:5 I lifted my eyes and looked,
and behold, a certain man clothed in
linen, whose waist was girded with gold!
Isaiah 11:5 Righteousness shall be the
belt of His loins, And faithfulness the
belt of His waist.

20. Elements: white linen +
3 colors
Size: 2¼” wide, 48’ long
Function: Service
Indicated: Readiness Truth

21. Familiar Hebrew, idiom:
• Ex. 12:11 When the children of Israel were
called by God to leave for the Promised Land,
they needed to have their “loins girded”
• Prov. 31:17 “she girds her loins with strength”
• Lk. 12:35 The Lord was talking about His
second coming when He said, "Let your loins
be girded about, and your lamps burning.”

22. Content of Truth:
➢ Greek: Alētheia
➢ Latin: Veritas
➢ Hebrew: Amein

23. Jn. 17:17 ”…Thy Word is Truth"
Jn. 8:31,32 "If you continue in My word,
then are you My disciples indeed; and
you shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free."
I Cor. 16:13 "watch, stand fast in the faith"

24. Character of Truthfulness:
1. Doctrine Incarnated - the Son
What is Truth? Pilate’s response Jesus
after asking: "Are You the King of the
Jews?" (Jn. 18:33). "To this end was I
born, "Jesus replied, "and for this cause
came I into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth. Everyone that is
of the truth hears My voice" (Jn. 18:37).
Jn. 1:17 "For the law was given by
Moses, but grace and truth came by

25. Character of Truthfulness:
1. Doctrine Incarnated - the Son
Jn. 1:17 "For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ."
Jn. 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth and the
Life.”
Eph. 4:17-24 "But ye have not so learned
Christ, if so be that ye have been taught
by Him, as the truth is in Jesus."

26. Character of Truthfulness:
2. Doctrine Incarnated in the sons of
God
• "Aletheia" = content or attitude of
truthfulness or sincerity; without
hypocrisy
• Truth (content) applied produces
Truthfulness (attitude).
• Jn. 8:30 "if you continue in My
Word..."

27. • Confess you know nothing
• Confess that Truth is in Christ
• Obey the Word of God

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