Girt About with Truth

What is the first thing you would advise a young convert to do? Witness? Attend church? Speak in tongues? Keep the Commandments? The Christian life is warfare, and the most basic thing of all is to commit oneself to truth. Satan is the father of lies, and if we refuse to live by the facts we are already retreating before him. Long middle eastern robes had to be tied with a belt to allow activity, so the Christian must bind himself with truth if he is to be any use to Christ. Some truths seem inconvenient - but we must act on them. Committing ourselves to truth has great advantages - we will feel secure and be less likely to go astray. It includes the truth of God's character - 'The people who know their God will do valiantly' (Daniel 11:32). It includes the truth about human nature and human sin. Above all, it is the truth of Christ Jesus - only when we commit to that will we have peace ans strength to persevere. Putting on the truth involves truth in the inner man (integrity) as well as knowing the truth - both information and honesty. We should work the truth into the fabric of our lives by what we do. it means accepting God's Word and avoiding any attempt to circumvent it or get our own way. Jesus is our great example. He committed himself to the truth, hence he was able in Gethsemane to continue to the cross, saying, 'The prince of this world has nothing in me.' That is the foundation of our strength for the fight.