You are to intercede "having girded your waist with truth" (Ephesians 6:14 NKJV). Being belted up with the truth, protects us from lax views of God and His dealings with us. Held together by truth about our God, His righteousness, faithfulness, and love for us, we can resist the devil's lies, by believing in the character of God. Many a prayer life has dried up when the accusations of the enemy against the character of God were accepted, because the intercessor failed to be belted up with truth.

It reminds me of the story of a father and mother who, with their 10 year-old son, came to a river in flood. The river was in full spate, in places washing over the low bridge. Leaving their car, the man decided they would try to cross the bridge by holding on to the wall of the bridge that was not wholly covered with water. They were making steady progress. The boy was waist high in the water. His father said: "Hold on to the wall, the river is not as high as I thought." Suddenly the boy was caught by the full force of the river as part of the wall gave way, and he was swept off the bridge into the river. Almost without thinking, the father dived in after his son. The mother saw her loved ones washed away, out of sight. Blinded with her crying, she stumbled on, and later, could not recall how she made it to the other side. She was found hours later, searching the bank of the river for her husband and son. Their battered bodies were found washed up on the banks of the river the next day.

That Christian mother was not seen crying at the funeral of her loved ones. Hardness like iron had crept into her soul. The belt of truth fell from her waist. She blamed God for the loss of her husband and son. She gave up going to church, and would allow no-one to speak of God in her home. Some 15 years later, a visiting preacher met her at a barbecue during his stay in that town. She had become a very successful businesswoman. The preacher was to learn later, that it was in the interest of this woman that he was at that barbecue.

Moving around and talking to different people, he noticed this woman who seemed to be isolated in the crowd. He did his best to include her in the social conversation. He felt compelled in his spirit to reach out and help her, and said to her: "Would you mind if my host and I called on you tomorrow afternoon for tea. I believe there is something you want very much to tell me." She responded that she didn't think so, but she would like to talk about the preacher's background, as she hoped to visit his country the following year.

At the home of the woman the next day, the preacher's host excused himself and said he wished to walk around the garden for a while. He knew that the Lord wanted the preacher to minister to the need of this hardened soul. The preacher began by saying the Lord had revealed to him that there was a covered-up storm of hate against God within her, and would she not tell him about it as he would like to be of help to her. He would not easily forget the hate in the eyes that held his. He waited patiently in the Spirit. Then the dammed up emotion burst into a flood; the story of her loss poured out in bitter, hateful sentences. Almost shouting, she accused God of taking her husband and son from her; He was cruel, indifferent, deaf to cries of help.

The preacher let her go on, then quietly said: "Lies, lies. All lies of the devil, to rob you of God's comfort and God's best for you." "What did you say?" she asked, through her tears. He repeated: "Lies. Lies of the robber, the devil." She broke as the Spirit made it real to her, and anger turned to broken repentance. "Oh, God," she cried, "forgive me for my hate, and acceptance of the lies of the devil." The preacher's host came in at that moment, and they ministered to this delivered woman till late into the night. The belt of truth was buckled around her waist once more. The silent years of prayerlessness were over, and a life of loving intercession had begun.

Intercessor, keep the belt of truth well buckled around your waist. It will frustrate the devil who lies about God's character. Because we are made strong by the truth that girds us, we will be able to throw him right out of the contest ring during intercession. Being belted up with the truth also means complete openness in our intercession before the Lord. Paul was able to say of his openness with the Corinthian church:

2 Corinthians 1:13 "You don't have to read between the lines of my letters; you can understand them." (Moffatt)

He was transparently honest with them. From his recorded prayers, it is obvious that Paul was just as clear and open before God in his thankful praying for them. In 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, Paul is belted with truth as he thanks God for these saints. There were things about these Corinthians for which Paul was not thankful, that find expression in the letter to them. There was no pretence before God in his prayer of thanksgiving.

	As he looked backward, he thanked God that they "were enriched in everything" (1 Corinthians 1:5 NKJV).
	As he looked at the present, he thanked God that they were "behind in no gift" (1 Corinthians 1:8 KJV).
	As he looked forward, he thanked God that they would "be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:8 NKJV).

Our intercession for others must be with all openness. Nothing is hidden from God, He cannot be deceived. Belted up with truth, there can be no trailing half truths with which the enemy may accuse us. Straight, sincere asking not only receives answers, it causes the devil to tremble.

Intercessors, put on 'the breastplate of righteousness' (Ephesians 6:14). Keep it in place. The belt of truth has to do with words. The breastplate of righteousness has to do with works. Paul explains the breastplate as "putting on ... faith and love" in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (KJV). Faith by acts and motivated by love - such works please God. It is true that we are protected in our intercession by the imputed righteousness of Christ; that we stand before the throne complete in Him. But do not miss the fact that our works of faith and love, our righteousness in living, doing and walking in the Spirit, will not hinder our prayers, but will rather help them. Not, of course, by pleading our own merit, but our deeds back up our requests. Practical James makes the challenge:

James 2:17 "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Intercession for a needy brother will be backed up with righteous deeds of faith and love. The devil will be able to render our prayers ineffective, if we pray one thing, but do nothing in faith and love about the matter we express concern for to God. The breastplate of righteousness, faith and love, nullifies and removes the attack of the enemy upon the integrity of our asking. Out of our hearts, issues intercession that does everything possible for the one interceded for, out of love. Such intercession prevails because the intercessor is protected from all attacks upon his pureness of motive and action of love. How the devil hates the "breastplate of righteousness". He cannot get past it with his accusations, to hinder our prayers.

You are to intercede,

Ephesians 6:15 "... having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"

There appears at first reading, little relationship between feet and intercession, but there certainly is, because of attacks from without. It is essential to be able to stand against the shock of attack upon our person, and so prevail. Roman military sandals were furnished with nails that gripped the ground firmly, even when the ground was sloping or slippery. What gives the intercessor grip and stability? They come from a mind steadied by the gospel of peace. We are able to stand firm, because we are kept from fear and flutter by means of the good news that we have peace with God, and,

Romans 8:31 "... If God be for us, who can be against us? "

When the enemy tries to bring the intercessor down to ineffectiveness by attacks upon his relationship with God, the devil comes up against,

Philippians 4:7 "... the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. "

Unassailed peace keeps the intercessor standing firmly upright in persistent prevailing supplication that obtains from God.

It is very important to intercede by,

Ephesians 6:16 "... taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. "

It would appear that this verse puts great stress on taking up the protective shield of faith. The implied warning comes over loud and clear. Unbelief strips us of covering and makes us open and vulnerable to the devil's attacks. Holding on in faith to the promises of God, ensures that we shall obtain all that is needed for victory.

When the destructive arrows of doubt are hurled at us, taking up the "shield of faith" means speaking out the sure promises of God against them. This not only renders the arrows ineffective, but totally extinguishes the doubts. Using God's Word is devastating to the enemy of prayer, because it is expressing the mighty faith of God, to which the evil one has no answer. Therefore in intercession, use the written Word of God as the spoken Word of God. This is taking up the "shield of faith".

You are to intercede putting on the "helmet of salvation" (Ephesians 6:17 KJV). Like the psalmist, the intercessor can pray:

Psalm 140:7 "O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle."

God's provided shield for our head is described as "for an helmet, the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8 KJV). Salvation has a much wider application than what is usually expressed. It is more than deliverance from sin. It is God's saving health, for spirit, soul and body. It is by attacking the mind or the head, that the devil brings debilitating sickness to the body, so that the thing feared, actually comes upon the one fearing. It is a lie of the devil that the bed of sickness aids prayer and intercession. If that were so, the sick would never need to call for elders to come and pray the prayer of faith so that the Lord may raise them up (James 5:16 ).

Putting on "for a helmet, the hope of salvation", brings health to our bodies, as the devil's suggested sickness is put off with the present physical salvation. "With his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5 ). The "helmet, the hope of salvation" (remember, "hope" here means a declared certainty), will protect us from all kinds of intellectual doubt. When we examine our salvation in God's Word, we find it to be a reasonable faith, founded upon the reliable Word of God. Wearing the helmet of salvation not only protects the intercessor, it fits him out with the frame of mind to receive much from God.

You are to intercede by taking the offensive with

Ephesians 6:17 "... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: "

It is important to mark the fact that "word" here means it utterance. Yes, the written Word authored by the Holy Spirit, is the sword of the Spirit, but it must be in use for it to be devastatingly effective. It is the timely, Spirit given utterance that stops the enemy. Carrying the Bible with you is a good habit, using the Word of God by the Spirit is what puts the devil to flight. Again and again, in the temptations of Jesus, He thrust through and wounded the devil with the spoken Word: "it is written", and the devil had to leave Him (Matthew 4:11 ).