well Ephesians chapter 6 if you will Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 14 and I notice there on the back of your bulletin the fill-out sheet that's back there and we are getting into the armor tonight and We have been talking about the enemy, we've been talking about why we need the armor, and Satan's attacks, and all those types of things, but we're gonna get into the armor itself, and we're just asking the Lord to do a great work in our hearts through this. But Ephesians chapter six and verse 14, notice the Bible says, stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate righteousness. Now we're just going to talk about the loins being girt about with truth this evening, but there's a whole message that could be preached on just the first two words of that verse, stand therefore. There's an awful lot of believers today that are not standing. Believers today that are not doing things for God. They're not taking a stand for things. They're not standing for what's right. They're being blown about, as the Bible says, with every wind of doctrine. And that doesn't need to be said of us as believers. We have a reason to stand. We have a Savior that came. He loves us. He died for us. He paid our sin debt for us. And we have trusted Him as our Savior. Hopefully you've done that tonight. If not, you need to do that. But if you've trusted Him as your Savior, then understand you're a child of God. You are in this fight. You're in the battle, whether you want to or not. But the question is this, whether or not we're going to stand, whether or not we're going to fight. an awful lot of believers sitting down on the battlefield. Let's go to Lord in prayer, and we'll get into the message here this evening. Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you, and we thank you for who you are. We thank you for all that you're doing. And Lord, I thank you, Lord, for just giving us the opportunity to study through this armor tonight. Lord, I do pray that each one of us would see that each part of the armor is, Lord, just essential to our Christian walk. Lord, I pray you'd help us, dear God, to put these things on each and every day, and even throughout the day. And Lord, that we'd be prepared for battle. Lord, we know that Satan desires to sift us as wheat, and I pray, Lord, that you would bind him, and Lord, that you would not allow him to get the victory. And Lord, I pray that you'd remove every distraction from this room tonight. Be with the prayer time here in just a little while. And I pray that you would answer each and every one of those requests in your will and in your way. We thank you for who you are. Thank you for all you're doing. Thank you for dying on the cross for us. And we'll be careful to give you the glory, the honor, and the praise. And we ask all these things in Jesus' name, amen. Well, as we look at this part of the armor tonight, the loins girt about with truth, it's important for us to understand that every piece of armor is important. And there's a couple of aspects and if you're anything like me, which we're all human beings, so no doubt you have had at least some of this thought as well. When I hear about the armor of God, my mind automatically thinks of, okay, what does that look like on the outside? When you think of the shield of faith, our mind does not go immediately, at least mine doesn't, It doesn't go immediately to what that means on the inside. I think of a shield. I think of someone holding a shield. When you talk about the helmet of salvation and those types of things, I think of something on the outside. And in reality, oftentimes we see it as the outward piece of armor, but it is rather an inward piece of armor. Every one of these things are something that we must put on, but we cannot put it on physically, we must put it on spiritually. Why? Because we're not in a physical battle. The Bible says we battle not against flesh and blood. We are in a spiritual battle. When a believer is joyful, we would say that they're joyful on the outside because they have Jesus on the inside. We would say that something has happened on the inside that is causing them to act a certain way on the outside. When someone is miserable, we would say, well, they obviously have something wrong on the inside. And I don't understand people who claim to be believers, yet they are constantly living in a state of complaints and living in a state in which they're always putting others down and things like that. I don't understand that. Life's too short. We need to live the joyful Christian life. You may be saying, well preacher are you telling me that you never complain? No, me and Brother Cuddy were talking about this just before service. I got plenty of things to complain about. Amen. But the reality is this, we've got so much more to thank God for than we have to complain about. And many times we will go right to our complaints rather than going right to thanking God. And we need to ask the Lord to help us with that. Understand that by the grace of God, we need to complain less and less. Why? Because we have Jesus on the inside. Because what's inside, it needs to come out. We should be joyful people. So as we look at the armor, we're going to see what the outward armor, what this outward piece, as we go through these things, the outward piece, what it means for the inside. And if we don't have it on the inside, I can guarantee we're not wearing it on the outside. Guarantee it. So as we think about the loins that are girt about with truth, I want us to think about the hip area. Now, when you think of the loins being girt about with truth, so think about this area here, and I want us to notice this for just a moment here. I'll tell you, Brother Nicolai, as I'm studying through the armor of God, the Lord just turns some light bulbs on in some areas every time you read his word, as you're trying to learn and as you're trying to draw closer to him. But understand when you look at the loin area, you're thinking of the hips and the area surrounding the hips there. And all of us know this to be true. The hips are the area that the upper body and the lower body swivel upon. Everything is contingent upon what the hips are doing. Now you may say, well, the hips just don't quite work like they used to. Well, Brother Delaney told me it doesn't get any better either, amen. He's told me that over and over. He said, I've got bad news for you. It's not gonna get any better. But the reality is this, when we think about the hips, the upper and the lower body without swiveling on those, they could not do their job right. Now think about it when it comes to spiritually speaking, the loins are a picture of truth. So think about what God is drawing for us here. He's drawing a picture for us that he longs for us to understand. If our physical body The upper part and the lower part, if they are both swiveling on the hips there, everything is surrounding the hips. Everything. That is the one swivel point. So spiritually speaking, if we have our loins girt about with truth, our lives as believers should swivel on truth. And that's it. Only on truth. Boy, that's quite contrary to what this world says. This world doesn't care about truth. Oh, they say they do. We're uncovering truth. No, this world is uncovering lies, and more and more lies the further and further we get into this thing. But think about this for a moment. If the loins physically are a picture of the hips, and the hips are what the body swivels on, then Spiritually, our loins are a picture of truth. Therefore, our life should swivel on and revolve around truth. This is dealing with our morals. This is dealing with the way that we live our life, our moral compass, if you will. Did you know Satan doesn't want you to be a moral person? He doesn't want you to be. He doesn't want you to live your life the way that the Bible says. He doesn't want you to talk the way a Christian's supposed to talk. He doesn't want that. So he's going to attack our morals. Look at Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 4. Hebrews 13 and verse 4. Hebrews 13 and verse 4. Notice, we're talking about morals here. And in Hebrews 13, verse four, it says, marriage is honorable in all, in the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. You may say, why in the world did we read that verse? It's because it has to do with a lack of morals. In the second part of that verse, we would say there's immorality found in the whoremongers and the adulterers, the ones that God is going to judge. They're going to be judged, but they are immoral people. God hates sin, and God is going to judge sin. Satan knows that oftentimes better than we do. We live our lives in immorality, and we act as though nothing's going to happen. But understand, God is going to judge sin. He's going to. It's going to happen. And when we look at our life as a saved person, can I help us here tonight? It should be completely different than what it was when we were unsaved. You know, when I was unsaved, it didn't bother me to sin. It didn't bother me. Not the way it does now that I'm saved. It should be a completely different thing. It should be a 180. Why? Because something has happened. We should not continue to live in sin. Look at 1 Corinthians 6, if you will. 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6. Notice verses 9 through 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 9 through 11. It says, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor rivalers, or I'm sorry, revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you're washed, but you're sanctified, but you're justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Understand in those, in those verses there, we're reading about immorality. We're reading about people. who are living their life and their moral compass is pointing in the complete opposite direction of where it's supposed to be. They've left that long behind and we're reading about drunkards and thieves and all of these ones, fornicators, idolaters, and all of these people there that are living their life in an immoral way. They did not have their loins girt about with truth. And if we are actively involved in these sins that we just read there in those verses, can I help you here tonight? You don't have your loins girt about with truth either, because you're not living your life in a truthful way, in a moral way. Satan has always attacked the morality of mankind. Always. Since the beginning he's done that. He did it with Samson. He's done it with David and Solomon and Amnon and Judah and the woman at the well. Think about that. She had five husbands and the man that she was with was not her husband. Many others that we can say Satan knows that the body of the believer is the temple of the Holy Ghost. It's supposed to be kept clean. It's supposed to be consecrated. But in reality, you know what Satan's trying to do? All that he can do to defile the temple. That's what he's trying to do. And if he can get us to buy into his lies, rather than living our lives on the truth, the temple will be defiled. How can we be pure? Well there in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 in verse 18 through 20 it says this, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Live in a moral way. Live in a way that is going to, to make God happy. Not in a way that's going to, that's going to make him sick. So if our lives as believers, if we're supposed to be pure, if we're supposed to be undefiled, and we know that we are to have our loins girt about with truth, if our life is supposed to revolve around truth, then we need to know where that truth can be found. Well, there's three places, and notice you've got three Roman numerals there on the back of your paper there. The Bible talks about three things, or people there, that are mentioned as truth, and these things need to be what we're aimed at. We need to have our eyes set on these things, and we need to understand that what God says is truth doesn't matter what man says. What God says is truth is the absolute truth. and we need to follow those things. That moral compass that we were talking about, understand it needs to be pointed at these things. First of all is this, the son of God, the son of God. Look at John chapter 14 and verse six, John chapter 14 and verse six. John 14, 6, the Bible says this, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, notice, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. You know, every other religion is going to try to convince you that, well, He may be truth, but we've also found, no, anything apart from God and His Word is not the truth. This is the truth that we are to live by. Understand that the Lord Jesus Christ, He says, I am the way. The way to what? The way to heaven. I am the truth. I am the one who's teaching the way that you're supposed to live. I am life. What life? That's life everlasting. It's only found in Him. Only found in the very Son God. The Lord desires that we know the truth. He desires that we know Him because He is the truth. But if we're living a life of immorality, understand those chains cannot be broken by some self-help book. It's not going to help you. Those chains will not be broken by some counselor or some psychiatrist or anything else. They can only be broken by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because He is truth. I think we would all agree that this world is getting worse and worse. We would agree that this world is on the downward trend, if you will. We're seeing things today that just make us sick to our stomachs. And we wonder how these things could be happening, sinful acts and sinful behaviors. They're blasphemous to the God of heaven. And it's easy for us to look into this world and say, where have all the morals gone? Where are they? Why are people acting like this? It's because they're following what the Bible says, their father, the devil. So what the Bible calls them, look at John chapter eight, verse 41 through 44. John chapter eight, verse 41 to 44. It's the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. Starting in verse 41 of John chapter eight, it says, ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, we be not born of fornication. We have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, if God were your father, you would love him. Well, there's a slap in the face, amen. I don't think that Joel Osteen would preach out of these verses, amen. But understand it says, if God were your father, you would love him. For I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word, ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it." Understand there, he's, this is the Lord speaking to them and he's, of course he's told them that he is truth. Up in verse 32 it says, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. What was he speaking of? The truth. He was speaking of himself. You shall know the truth. But these individuals here, they didn't want anything to do with that. They were following Satan. Statistically speaking, in America, over the next 12 months, there's going to be over 1 million teenagers that will become pregnant. Why is that? Because of immorality. because they're following the devil. 95% of those pregnancies are what they consider to be unintended. 33% of those will end in abortion. Another 33% will have a miscarriage of some sort. And the last 33% are going to be born. But understand also the divorce rate in America is over 50%. Why? Immorality. That's exactly why. Because people are not following the truth. People need the Lord. But the worst of those statistics that I just gave there is the fact that a lot of those will be with teenagers and marriages who claim to be believers. They claim to be Christians. They claim to be religious. How can that stuff happen? Because they're not following the truth. Because they're not allowing their life to revolve around the truth. They're paying more attention to what their teachers are saying in school about all this nonsense today that they're teaching about gender and all of those types of things. They're spending more time listening to that than they are in the Word of God. Spending more time on social media than they are and studying the Word of God, and being in church, and being in teen class, and all those types of things, understand this is where our world is going. A lot of that could be escaped if we would get back to the Bible's way of living. If a young man and a young woman are not married, understand they should not even touch each other, and that goes for adults as well. Adults that are not married shouldn't even touch each other, it's what the Bible says. You may say, well, don't you think that's kind of old-fashioned? That's not the way people live anymore. Well, last I checked, God's Word didn't change because of the age that we're in. God's Word is true. God desires for us to be a separate people. He desires for us to be a peculiar people. Understand, we have a world that is filled with immorality. We have a world that is full of broken marriages and pregnancies out of wedlock because people are following the devil. Yes, people need Christ, but we as believers, we have got to get to the point where this is our guidebook. This is where we're swiveling around. But many believers are not even following the word of God. Then we get so upset on what's going on in this world. Church, we've got to get back to the word of God. People need Christ. Believers have got to get back to Christ. I agree that this world needs the Lord. They need the truth. But who are we as believers to complain about immorality when we are so willing to live immoral lives ourselves? If you're saved tonight, that means you've trusted Christ as your personal Savior. Therefore, you have the truth in you. Understand the Holy Spirit indwelt you the moment you trusted Christ. And so if we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we are indwelt by the truth. I think it's about time that we live like it. Church, if we are to live the life as a believer should and have our loins girt about with truth, we must be all about Jesus. You know, if we're all about Jesus, it doesn't leave any room to be all about ourselves. If we're all about Jesus, it doesn't leave any room to be all about anything else in this world. Let's be all about him. When people ask, why are you going to church? Because of Jesus. Why do you live that way? Let me tell you what Jesus did for me. Why are you always carrying that book around? because this is where truth is found. But unfortunately, there's a lot of people, a lot of believers in today's world that live their whole life, and some of their closest friends won't even know that they're Christians. Why? Because we're not revolving around truth. Because though we've heard it over and over and over again, put on the whole armor of God, we look at it as a suggestion. It says, put on the whole armor of God. It's a command. Stand therefore, have thy loins girt about with truth. And people ask, why do you do that? It's because of Jesus and what he's done for me. So first of all, we see the truth is found in the son of God. Notice second of all, the truth is found in the word of God. Look at John chapter 17 and verse 17. John 17, 17. The Bible says this in John 17, 17, sanctify them through thy truth, but it doesn't stop there. Thy word is truth. That verse doesn't say thy word contains truth. It doesn't say some things in thy word are true. It says thy word is truth. We have the truth that God wants us to have. We have what God wants us to know right here. But are we studying it? If you have a Bible, you're blessed. A lot of people around this world do not have Bibles. If you don't have a Bible, I'll give you one. me after the service I'll give you a Bible. But if you have the Bible understand you have the truth and you have something that is more powerful than any cleaning agent that's ever been invented. We've all seen commercials about cleaning agents. You know every one of them claim to be the best. Every one of them claim to take the stains out. Everyone claims to take it out, whether it's been sitting there for a long time, or whether it's a new stain, or whatever. What's the Scrubbing Bubbles commercial? We work hard, so you don't have to. Boy, there's all kinds of commercials out there about cleaning agents, amen? But understand what the Bible is. When all of these things in this world claim to be the best and the fastest and the most efficient, understand the best cleaner ever invented can only clean the outside. Notice what the Bible can do. The Bible cleanses, notice, the moral sins of the past. If you've trusted Christ as your Savior, understand you've been forgiven of all of your sins, past, present, and future sins. Christ has paid for all of those. Every one of them. You may say, well, how does the Bible cleanse the moral sins of the past? Well, I'm glad you asked. I was getting ready to go there. Look at John chapter 15 in verse 3. The Bible says this, Now ye are clean, notice, through the Word. What Word? The Word of God, which I have spoken unto you. Look at Ephesians chapter five and verse 26. Ephesians five, verse 26, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. This is speaking of the Word of God. Psalm 119, nine, let's turn back there. Psalm 119, nine. Wait a second. In the Old Testament, the Word was the cleaning agent as well? The Word of God's always been the cleaning agent. Psalm 119 and verse 9. Notice the Bible says this. Wherewithal shall a young man, notice, cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word. You read Psalm 119, it's going to point you to the Word of God all throughout this chapter. It's the greatest chapter, in my opinion, in the Word of God, on the Word of God. But it's a wonderful thing. But it talks about how, all three of these passages, they talk about how the Word of God is what cleanses us. Every one of us, we have filth in our lives. And some may think that well, I can never be cleansed from some of the things that I've done. You don't understand the things that I've partaken. You don't understand the things that I've done, the people that I've hurt and all of that. I just don't know that I can be clean. You can be, why? Because the Bible says you can be. Because the Bible says that you can be cleansed by his word. The Word of God is more powerful than any shout pen ever thought about being, amen. Getting cleansed will make you wanna shout, amen. But understand, too often, though we have the cleansing agent, we never apply it to the stain. There's an awful lot of people today sitting in church pews, week in and week out, that own a Bible, they know the Scriptures, they've never trusted Christ as their Savior, though. They're just as dirty as they've always been. Why? Because they never applied the cleaning agent. You know, if I have a stain on my shirt, and you look close enough to this shirt, you'll probably find one. That's what a suit jacket's good for, amen? If the stain's too far over here, you just keep it buttoned, amen? But if I have a stain on my shirt, it's not going to come out just because I own a cleaning agent. Well, I've got a stain remover under the sink there. Why is there still a stain on my shirt? Because I never applied the cleaning agent. I just don't understand preacher, why I can't get the victory over this sin. Have you applied God's word to it? I just don't understand why it seems like every day I wake up and I say, you know what? I'm gonna live a joyful life today, but I just haven't been able to do that. Something always comes along and something always happens. Are you washing yourself in the word of God? Understand the Bible cleanses the moral sins from the past without the Word of God. Our life is like a glass of dirty water. As we continue to add the clean water of the Word, you find that the impurities begin to disappear. They get overtaken by the pure So notice not only do they cleanse the moral sins of the past, but notice the Bible cleanses our moral sins for the future. It cleanses our moral sins for the future. You may say, well, how can that be? Well, look over at Philippians, if you will, Philippians chapter four and verse eight. Here's a thought for each one of us. Let's just do what the Bible says. and allow God to be true to His Word. You know, the Bible says that God cannot lie. God tells us how to live. He tells us what to do. Let's just believe the Bible. It's as simple as that. Look at there in Philippians chapter 4 in verse 8. You say, well, how can I be cleansed from moral things for the future? How can I ensure that my morals are clean? Well, in Philippians chapter 4, verse 8, it says, Finally, brethren, Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Now, wait a second, in the very beginning there, whatsoever things are true, think on those things. Where is truth found? It's found in the Word of God. If we spent half as much time in the Word of God as we spend on Facebook, we'd live a different life. If we spent half as much time in the Word of God as we spend with the news channel, we'd live a different life. Many times we allow the news to get us riled up and understand I'm just as red-blooded American as you are, and seeing the things that happen in this country, Absolutely drives me crazy listening to those things. But you know what I found? Not one time have I listened to Fox News and God forbid CNN, amen. But not one time have I listened to those things and it edify me spiritually. But boy, it's gotten me off track from some things that I learned in the scripture earlier that day. Because as soon as I turn on the news channel, No matter how conservative they may claim to be. As soon as I turn that on, I forget all about what I read in the Bible that morning. Because I get so riled up about what's going on in our country and how can people live that way and how can people get away with the things they're getting away with. Whatsoever things are true. Think on these things. Let's think on the word of God. You know what's going to happen if we do exactly what Philippians chapter four and verse eight said? If we're thinking on those things that it talks about, our conversation will change. It'll change. and not just the conversation speaking of the way that we live. I'm talking about the things that we talk about. If we're thinking about the Word of God, the Word of God is going to come off of our lips. It's going to. We are to think on these things, which will be constantly before us if we are in the Word of God. The news cannot cleanse your morals. I don't care what news station you listen to. It's not going to help you live a moral life. Why? because they are led by, and they are promoting immoral people, every single one of them. Lord, help us to pay more attention to your word than we do the things of this world. Look at Matthew chapter 12, if you will. Matthew chapter 12. Matthew 12 and verse 33. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 33. Notice the Bible says this, either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt. For the tree is known by his fruit. Oh well, they can't judge me. The tree is known by his fruit. What's coming off of our lips as believers? What are we putting into our minds as believers? Because what's planted on the inside is going to come out on the outside. Bible says thy word is truth. Proverbs chapter 23 in verse 7, the Bible says, for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. What are we thinking about? Why do we do fleshly things? Because we think about fleshly things. Look at the book of Romans chapter 8, Romans chapter 8 and verse 5 through 8. Romans 8 and verse 5 through 8 the Bible says, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. But they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, for to be carnally minded is death. What's carnally-minded? Well, in the context of the message tonight, carnally-minded is going to be following things that are not the truth that God has set forth. Following the way of this world, following the things that Satan wants us to follow. To be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. I like the sound of life and peace a whole lot better than I like the sound of death. Notice verse seven, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in the flesh, notice, cannot please God. Believers, it's long past time that we return to the Bible. Do you know, not too many years ago, you know what the Baptists were known as? By this world, the Baptists were known as people of the book. Boy, it's not that way anymore. It's just another religion. Oh, they're that group that, yeah, they have three services a week. Oh, they're the ones that, they don't have that rock music like the other churches do. That's the Baptist. Now, we used to be known as people of the book. What happened? We stopped following the truth. We started following man. The world didn't know much about the Bible, but they knew that the Baptist knew the Bible. They knew that the Baptist knew what it said. Why has that changed? It's because we as believers have dropped the ball. Let's return to the book. If we are to have our loins girt about with truth, we must follow the Bible. We must allow the word of God to wash our minds, to cleanse us. We must return to the Bible. So first of all, we see to have our loins girt about with truth, we must know the Savior. Second of all, we must know the Word. And then lastly, notice this, the Spirit of God. So we see that the Son of God is truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. We see the Word of God. Thy Word is truth. And here in the Spirit of God, notice 1 John 5. In verse 6, 1 John chapter 5, in verse 6. I'll get there eventually. 1 John chapter 5, in verse 6, the Bible says, this is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit that beareth witness. Notice, because the spirit is truth. It's truth. the Son of God, the Word of God, the Spirit of God, They are all truths. They cannot be separated from each other. They cannot be separated from the truth. It's the very fiber that they are made up of. And we as believers, we are indwelt by them and we should be following them. Therefore, we should be living a life that revolves around truth. When a person is saved, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And as believers yield to the Holy Spirit, they're filled with the Holy Spirit over and over. But if a believer is living immorally, understand, It is impossible for them to be filled with the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit cannot prompt a person to do wrong. It's not going to do it. And the devil can't make you do it either. Well, the devil made me do it. No, you didn't yield to the Holy Spirit, you yielded to Satan. The Holy Spirit will prompt a person to do right. called the Holy Spirit just before he ascended. He said that he's going to go away, he said, so that the comforter can come. Now think about that for just a moment. The word comforter, it's not talking about a blanket on the bed, amen? The word comforter means an intercessor. It means one who comes alongside to help. That's what the Holy Spirit is. You know, the Holy Spirit wants to help us understand the Word of God. He wants to illuminate things for us as believers, not some hidden truth that no one's ever found before. No, but to teach us the Word of God. The Holy Spirit helps us with that. He is truth. John chapter 14, book of John chapter 14, verse 16. John 14, verse 16 and 17, the Bible says, And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. That's verse 16 there. Verse 17, Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. That's what we have As believers, the more we follow and yield to the Holy Spirit, the cleaner we're going to be, the more truth that will flow in us and through our lives if we're yielded to the Holy Spirit. So think about the loins girt about with truth. Think about that for just a moment. A Christian to be shielded from Satan's attacks must first know the truth. Why is that? Because Satan is the father of lies. It's what the Bible says. We've talked about all of Satan's devices and the way that he wants to come at us and all of those tactics that he's going to use. Understand he is going to come at you with a lie. Why are so many believers defeated? Because they never allow the truth to change them. They never get into the Word of God and allow the Word of God to wash them. As we read here in these words, it talks about the Word of God washing us. It talks about the Son of God being truth. It talks about the Spirit of God being the Spirit of truth. We must allow these things to guide and direct our lives. Why is it that there are so many believers that go through life and they act as though they can never get the victory? Because they haven't read the manual. Therefore, when Satan tells them something that sounds good, they follow it because they don't know the truth enough to know that it's a lie that Satan's telling them. You know, Satan will come at us with lies all the time. There's an awful lot of believers that when they hear a lie, it doesn't even register as a lie. They think to themselves, well, they're a good person. They're a religious person. Well, they're good people that it must be okay. If we know the word of God and someone says something that's contrary to the word of God, you know what's going to happen? We're going to have a check in our spirit and say, wait a second, something's not right there. We may not know what it is, but something just doesn't sound right. then we can study it out and figure out exactly what it is, why we had that check in our spirit. But understand we'll only have that if we are in the word of God, if we're allowing our life to revolve around truth, thy word, thy will. A person must trust Christ as their Savior to begin the process of having their loins girt about with truth. And then we as believers must get to know the Word of God, allow that truth to flow over us and through us. And then we must yield to the Spirit of God. That means that God has every single part of us. As I was studying a couple of weeks ago, I came across a bunch of different illustrations and like for the armor of God. And this one gentleman, I can't remember his name now, but he had mentioned about a Christian trying to live this life without the armor of God. And he said, this is how funny looking or how foolish looking a Christian looks. living in this world, not wearing the armor of God. He said, get this image in your mind. Think of a turtle without a shell. Think about that. I started thinking about that and I said, I don't know what that would look like. It should also be just as humorous to us thinking about what a Christian, how foolish that would look if we don't live our life with the armor of God on. Think about it. We're told to put it on. We're told to have our loins girt about with truth. We are told to live our lives in a way that is following truth. But yet many times we don't even read the book of truth. Something that we know for sure is that the devil will always lie. Therefore, it is imperative for us to know the truth and follow the truth and allow the truth to change us. How do we do that? Well, personal devotions. reading the word of God, studying the word of God, praying, being in the house of God whenever the doors are open. It's allowing the truth to wash over us over and over and over again. God knows what we need. Let's have our loins girt about with truth. Let's ensure that our lives revolve around the truth. Let's make it to where this book is the most important thing in our life. Because it tells us how to live. It tells us what to do. It tells us who to follow. It tells us what to be aware of. We just have to follow it. Let's have our loins gird about with truth.