We live in a world of lies and falsehood. Much of our entertainment surrounds this principle. Good drama is based on lies and discovering the truth. A popular game nowadays called Truth or Dare forces the truth to come out eventually.

If a person is unwilling to tell the truth that they don’t want to tell, they will have to do shameful tasks until they finally release the truth. Interesting that the game uses shame to get to the truth. But before we met Christ, we didn’t know the truth either.

As we are putting on the armor of God through prayer, after preparing ourselves for war and praying for clarity, we will now focus our prayers on arming ourselves with the truth. Ephesians 6:14 tells us to fasten the belt of truth around our waists.

Paul wrote this in the present epistle of Ephesians. It may be likely that he was tied to a Roman centurion or soldier fully armed and ready for battle at any moment. He may have used the soldier’s armor to illustrate the importance of these key traits for Christians.

But how do we pray for the truth? How do we arm ourselves with truth? Any cursory search online or in books will tell you there are different kinds of truth. They state that there is objective and subjective truth.

Objective truth is the idea that there are things that are true for everyone. These are hard and steadfast laws that do not change no matter the culture or time. No one can get away from them or violate them without penalties.

Subjective truth contains ideas like, “That may work for you but it doesn’t work for me.” People claimed that there are certain rules that work in some places but not in others. Situational goals may work here but not there.

Many Christians rail against subjective truth. They believe only the black and white of objective truth. They say things like, “Gravity can’t be changed. If you want to test it, then jump off of a cliff and see what happens every time.”

But a person advocating subjective truth might counter, “Gravity on the moon is different than gravity on earth.” And the objectivist would respond, “But gravity still exists on the moon.” These arguments will go round and round longer than I can stay awake.

In one of the most interesting passages in Scripture, Pilate is talking to Jesus and he gets fed up with Jesus’ answers. He was a notorious pragmatist. If it served him, it was the right thing for him to do. He asks, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). But before he allows Jesus to answer, he gets up and storms out of the room.

The ironic thing is that he was sitting in front of truth incarnate. Jesus earlier in John told us that he is “The way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Aside from objective and subjective truth is truth wrapped up in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the truth. The truth is relational and personal.

So when we pray for truth, to be surrounded and enveloped and wrapped in it, we are praying for the truth of Christ to prevail in our hearts. The world tells us what it thinks of us. The devil lies to us about who we are. But only Jesus tells the truth about the world, the devil, and us.

You will face challenges to the truth. You will hear lies and falsehoods all day long. But lies and falsehoods distort reality. They try to convince us to take the wrong path. If we will follow God and be victorious in the truth wars of our time, we must be armed with the truth of Christ.

When you pray for truth to prevail in your life in every circumstance, you can arm yourself by replacing the devils lies with God’s truth:

Address Lies

• This world. The world says that you are worthless unless you are rich and powerful. It tells you that you have nothing to contribute. It tells you to get in line and do what you’re told. It tells you not to stand up for anything.
• The devil. He tells you that you can’t do anything right. He questions your salvation and whether God loves you or not. He challenges every truth you know. He will try to wrap darkness around you. He will look for your weak spots and attack.
• You. You wonder if God is still there. You haven’t heard him for a while when you pray. You begin to let doubt and fear creep into your heart. You feel all alone and you can’t hear God’s voice. Your world is full of dangers and sabotage. You lack the courage to walk in God’s power.

Affirm God’s Truth

• This world. God’s Word says that this world is fading away (1 John 2:17). It is full of darkness and we must be God’s light (Matthew 5:13). You have value in Christ alone. Your riches are in Christ and your treasure is laid up in heaven. God provides for all of your needs lavishly (Philippians 4:19).
• The devil. God gives you the ability to do what’s right. He’s only a prayer away and he will guide you. The Lord determines your steps (Proverbs 16:9) and has a plan for your life (Jeremiah 29:11-13). The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Nothing he says is true. He mixes the truth with lies but it is still a lie. You walk as a child of light (Ephesians 5:8). The devil is defeated already and his days are numbered.
• You. Declare your identity in Christ. You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16). You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). You expose the darkness (Ephesians 5:11) and season your conversation with God’s goodness (Colossians 4:6). You are a child of God (John 1:12-13). You are a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are Jesus’ representative in this world (2 Corinthians 5:20). You are victorious in Christ because he has already won the battle and you stand in his victory.

As you pray against the lies of our environment, raise scriptures about the truth of who you are in Christ and the reality around you. You are in the midst of a war zone, the spiritual realm. All around you the devil is stealing lives left and right.

Ask God to give you wisdom to discern the truth from the lies. He will give you his ability to see the truth and to act on the reality of every circumstance. He will expose the lies around you. He will give you the right questions to ask to get to the bottom of the lies.

You need to have a clear head and know your mission. The belt held the tools for the soldier. It kept everything in place. Without the truth in our lives, we cannot stand on solid ground. And if we can’t stand on solid ground, we can’t move or fight.

Truth is the foundation to victory in Christ. When we know who we are and what reality is, nothing can keep us from advancing God’s kingdom. You can carry the truth into your situation or trial. You can carry it into relationship issues at work or at home. You can carry these prayers for truth with you always.

Affirm and stand on the truth. It is the path to victory in Christ. It is the path to the devil’s defeat. With the truth, you can be secure, standing firm, as Paul says. So arm yourself with the belt of truth by praying for God’s truth to invade the lies of this world.

Leave a comment and tell me how you prepare for battle by putting on truth and walking in God’s truth.