Unfortunately, as I pointed out to them, the interpretation of what constitutes “the whole Gospel” varies widely. In a perfect Church, to say “we preach the whole Gospel” would be enough, but in a sadly divided, often backslidden and definitely far from perfect Church, I want a somewhat clearer definition of beliefs before I sign on the dotted line.

When Paul wrote about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the first item he mentioned was the belt of truth. This was for a very good reason. For a Roman soldier, the belt was not just the thing that held his toga up! His weapons hung on his belt, and it even had straps going over the shoulders so that his breastplate also hung on it. For us also, everything hangs on truth, both our weapons and our breastplate of righteousness.

Very simply, what we do, and how we live, depends on what we believe. If we believe that Jesus was just a good man, then we will never look to Him for salvation, because we know that no man, no matter how good, is able to save us. If we believe that satan does not exist, we will not be prepared to resist his attacks; on the other hand, if we believe that he is so big and powerful that we don’t stand a chance against him, then we will give up the fight before we even start.

Some time ago there was a popular song that said, “You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals, so let’s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel.” That song, and the sentiments it expressed, was a logical result of a belief in evolution.

What we believe matters, and defining what we believe matters. If we don’t define what we believe, we can never define what we don’t believe. If we don’t define that Jesus is God in the flesh, then we have no defence against those who say he was just a good man, or a prophet. If we don’t define that the Bible is the Word of God, we have no defence against those who say it only contains the word of God, which means by definition that some parts are not (and generally results in people discarding the bits they don’t like.)

We do not have the liberty – or the responsibility – to determine for ourselves what is truth. God has already presented it to us in His Word. What we need to do is to become so familiar with the Word that it becomes an integral part of our lives, so central to our thought processes that everything we do flows out of it.

Truth will then become the belt of our armor, holding up our weapons and supporting the righteousness that is ours in Christ.

Called to Battle Spiritual Warfare Seminar
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Free e-course: Put on the Armor of God
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There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)