It is this issue that we need to spend some time on. How do we arrive at various decisions of life?

2 Cor 10:5 (KJV) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Here are the questions we have to ask ourselves if we are going to keep the belt of truth on all the time:

• Where do we look for help when we are living our everyday life?
• Do we cast down our own imaginations and suppositions?
• Do we take all the “high things” that we consider authorities in our life and reject them?
• Do we replace every philosophy and system of belief that exalts itself against the knowledge of God?
• Are we bringing our every thought into obedience to the plan and will of Jesus Christ?

Heb 12:2-4 (NIV) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who FOR THE JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him Who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Who do we typically seek advice from for day-to-day life decisions; is it our self, our friends, our spouse, a worldly counselor, the internet, magazines or books on the world’s wisdom, parents, authorities, or Jesus? Jesus allowed the joy He would receive from His heavenly Father, if He obeyed Him, to motivate His life. He suffered rejection, ridicule, pain, and death in order to be obedient to the will of His Father. If our Jesus can do that for us, let’s be willing to “do whatever it takes” to make Jesus’ Truth our Truth. Let’s use Jesus’ Truth to guide our life and decisions.

2 Tim 4:3 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

This is the kind of information we are surrounded with most of the time. Most of the common decision-making concepts that we are taught in school, business, and sports comes from thoughts and principles that people want to hear. Selfishness, lying to people, pressuring people, winning at the expense of other people, competing against people, using people, intimidating people, ignoring people, and committing adultery and fornication with people, are all acceptable practices taught by our peers and leaders. Putting on the belt of truth requires that we reject ALL of these concepts and letting others know we are rejecting them.

1 Th 5:17 (NIV) Pray continually.

If we are going to keep our belt of truth on, we are going to need to be talking, consulting, and communicating with Jesus continually. It is easy for us to do what we have always done. When we need to make a decision, we often forget to include Jesus in our thought processes. Rather than thinking, reasoning, and trying to figure things out in our mind BY OURSELVES, all we have to do is include Jesus while we are thinking. Thinking alone only brings our opinions and philosophies into play. When we think something like, Jesus what do You want me to do in this situation? His understanding, knowledge, and wisdom come into our thoughts and feelings. Keeping the belt of truth on means we are always adding Jesus to our conversations in our thoughts with ourselves.

Psa 1:1-3 (NIV) Blessed is the man who does not walk in the COUNSEL of the wicked or stand in the WAY of sinners or sit in the SEAT of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he MEDITATES day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

On what do we spend our time, efforts, and money during the week? Is it on the things of Jesus or the things of the body, world, and devil? The belt of truth is kept on by spending our time, money, and efforts on the things of Jesus. Does our day’s planning and fulfillment look like the days of people who do not serve Jesus? Are our philosophies and principles line up with people who don’t live according to the Bible? Do we feel the same way about people as those who aren’t involved in Jesus’ love?

Gal 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Keeping the belt of truth on is accomplished by not getting tired of doing things Jesus’ way. Sometimes it seems like Jesus’ ways aren’t working. It challenges our faith in Jesus and His ways, when things don’t work out like we think they should. However, if we wait on Him and let Him work it out His way, a miracle will come that will be awesome. It takes some faith and patience in Jesus to just wait and not use some of our old systems. But, we will “reap a harvest” of miracles and brilliant results “if we do not give up.”

Rom 13:12-14 (NIV) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Here is a list of all the popular methods of living our lives. The world rewards itself with pleasures of the body. After a hard day’s work, they want to experience the pleasures of the wrong types of sex, drugs, alcohol, and various other sins. They either want to do them, watch others do them, or both. We must go Jesus’ way and set our eyes on the joy that comes through serving Him. The belt of truth will keep the pleasures of the world from motivating us to do evil.