By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 6:
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.
The NASB version states:
14 Stand firm therefore,HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The truth can and will stand on its own but we must actively pursue it. In our pursuit of the fullness of FATHER’S Divine Intent for us we must fasten, put on, fit, take up the truth and surround ourselves with it. The truth is quite simple versus the complexity surrounding lies. Those who persistently lie must constantly remember what they have said to others whereas if you stand on the truth, you simply reiterate the truth as you know it.
FATHER is the Author of all truth so in order to know the truth of the matter, our best source is HIM. As we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we will sense in our spirit when a lie is being expressed in our midst. There are times to challenge the lie and there are times we are to remain silent. This discernment requires wisdom from Above.
In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 Paul wrote:
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Love and truth go together. The truth may hurt but Love denies the “self” and embraces the truth, whatever it is. It may hurt or embarrass me but I would rather live my life based on truth than to proceed toward death and destruction by being unwilling to let go of a lie. I have been lied to by many over my lifetime and the truth is I have lied under pressure in my immaturity. Is there any among us who can claim they have never lied? However as I crucify the old man, my eyes are opened to the disastrous impact of lies and thus I pursue only the truth now. As my revelation of Love increases, so does truth.
You must understand that the unrighteous will lie to you for it is part of their makeup. They are simply following the father of lies… Satan. They are walking in strong delusion because of their rejection of the love of the truth. As a result, they believe the lie. Once your eyes are open to this reality, your peace will increase as you deal with those who are constantly spewing out lies. They are receiving their just reward by FATHER so you don’t have to spend time and energy correcting them unless FATHER anoints you to do so.
There is a temporary pleasure in unrighteousness but it never satisfies the soul. Those who pursue the love of money never have enough so they build “bigger barns” to hoard their money without realizing that they are on the path toward death and destruction. A delusion is a belief that is held with strong conviction despite superior evidence to the contrary. A “strong” delusion would indicate the evidence is overwhelming yet the conviction held by the individual cannot be rationally explained. As I pursue the fullness of Love and truth, I become even more amazed how people hold on to a lie so firmly. I know that only by FATHER opening their eyes will they receive the truth which is expressed all around them. An atheist is the epitome of someone with a strong delusion. You only have to get a microscope or telescope and observe the Intelligent Design of the vastness of creation to see the Truth, assuming you can’t see it with the naked eye.
How can we minister to those who are blinded? By speaking the truth in Love. By THE SPIRIT, Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 4:
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
You don’t have to beat people up with the truth because they typically won’t receive truth without Love being the motivating factor. Instead, they will resist the truth because you have just given them cause to reject it by your lack of Love. Love opens the door to receptiveness therefore as our Love walk grows, so will the willingness of others to receive truth increase. Yes brother and sister, Love is the answer.