Stand Firm

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 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.  





TRUTH. 


Imagine for a moment that your everyday clothing consisted of a shapeless dress called a tunic.  That one piece of fabric was responsible for covering your entire body and it hung to your knees.  If you were a Jewish man in the first century, this was what you put on every single day.  And if you had to work, or run to take care of an emergency, or Lord forbid, have to protect your home, your family or your country, you would pull up the length of your tunic and tuck it into your girdle.  If you were a laborer, you would tuck tools alongside your tunic into your girdle.  By doing this, you were "girding your loins," or getting ready for work or battle.  

Gird your loins with truth.  Get ready for work with truth.  Get ready for battle with truth. 



STAND FIRM therefore, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PREPARED YOURSELF WITH TRUTH. 

If you study the rest of the Scriptures associated with this action in Ephesians 6, you'll notice that our apostle instructs us to stand firm in truth, protect our hearts with the truth, be ready with the truth, taking up your "conviction of truth" to defeat the enemies lies and finally, protect your hearts and minds with the truth.  

TRUTH: What is true in any matter; opposite of false or fictitious. 

FAITH: Conviction of truth. 

Stand firm.  

Are we standing firm? Are we lovers of truth?  Are we protecting ourselves and our people with truth? Are we fighting with truth? Defending with truth? Protecting with truth? 



Or are we celebrating what leads to death with a dying world while abandoning lovers of truth and trusters of Jesus?  

Don't stand firm on kindness.  Don't stand firm on love.  Don't stand firm on support or encouragement or what makes a person feel good about themselves.  STAND FIRM ON TRUTH.  

Stand firm on the gospel. 

Stand firm on ekklesia. 

Stand firm on being convicted of the truth. 

Stand firm on Jesus. 

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