The Only Authority
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:14
Originally preached Jan. 28, 1962
Scripture
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Sermon Description
Modern teaching says that what a person believes matters little if they live a good life. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:14 titled “The Only Authority,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that this attitude is the exact opposite of the exhortation from the apostle Paul to “put on” truth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones boldly proclaims that putting on truth will put the Christian at odds with the world. Doctrine will divide while the world will fight to put unity above truth. Paul said that the Christian must hold on to truth, for without it they are already spiritually defeated. The great question today is the question of authority. Modern authority is human reason based upon modern knowledge but that is inadequate. Human minds are too finite to be trusted as ultimate authority. Authority cannot be based upon feelings either because they are so variable and unreliable. It also cannot be the pragmatic test of what makes one feel better or live better. That is entirely subjective. Authority cannot be reason or feeling. The Christian must preach the gospel faithfully to warn people and to bring them to the knowledge of truth as it is in Christ Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul exhorts believers to "stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth." This means believers must know, possess and be governed by the truth.
- There is confusion today about what the truth is. Many emphasize a general spirit of love and unity over particular truth. But you can't put on a vague spirit, you need something concrete like truth.
- Some say truth can't be defined or analyzed, only felt. But feelings are subjective, variable and unreliable. We need objective truth.
- Others say criticism and defining right and wrong doctrine is wrong. But the Bible clearly defines truth and condemns error. The church has always done this.
- The question is: what is the truth and how can we know it? It can't be based on human reason, feelings or any church. Only Scripture is the authority.
- Human reason is inadequate and always changing. We can't rely on our own reason against the devil's subtlety.
- Feelings are subjective, variable and unreliable. They can be counterfeited. If we rely on feelings, we have no answer to false teachings.
- The Roman Catholic Church claims the church's authority is final, but they have added to Scripture and contradict it. They teach unbiblical doctrines like the worship of Mary as co-redemptrix.
- We must gird ourselves with the truth of Scripture alone. Relying on anything else will lead to defeat. The truth can be known and defined from Scripture.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Girding Your Loins with Truth
What does it mean to "gird your loins with truth" according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, girding your loins with truth means being governed completely by the Christian truth. As he explains: "What the apostle is really telling us is that we must be governed by the truth. We must know it, we must possess it, and it must possess us so that all our thinking, all our reasoning, our whole outlook, all our actions, are governed and determined by the truth." It's about making certain of the truth, knowing what it is, and being careful to be guided by it in every aspect of life.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticize the modern approach to Christian truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticizes the modern approach because it emphasizes a "general spirit" rather than particular truth. He states: "The whole emphasis today put upon some general spirit rather than upon particular truth. A general spirit of attitude and of friendship and of love and of worshipping together." He argues this vague approach is inadequate because you can't "put on a vague spirit" as armor. He also criticizes the idea that "the life is more important than the belief" and that unity should be put before doctrine.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the false authorities people turn to instead of biblical truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three false authorities people turn to instead of biblical truth: 1. Reason: "My authority must not be reason. That's the authority today, human reason based upon modern knowledge." He argues reason is inadequate because it's finite and limited compared to the devil's subtlety. 2. Feelings: "Our feelings are so variable, they're so changeable, they're so unreliable, they come and they go." 3. The Church: "The authority is not the church either." He specifically addresses the Roman Catholic Church, arguing it has "departed from the early church" and added teachings that contradict scripture.
Why is truth important in spiritual warfare according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, truth is essential in spiritual warfare because without it we are defenseless against the devil. He states, "If you don't [gird your loins with truth], you're defeated." He emphasizes that we're not merely facing human opposition but spiritual powers: "We are not merely arguing with men, we are arguing with the subtlest mind in the whole universe." Truth forms the foundation of our spiritual armor, and without it, we cannot effectively stand against the devil's attacks or put on the whole armor of God.
What is the connection between truth and morality according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that truth and morality are inseparably linked. He quotes 1 Corinthians 15, "Evil communications corrupt good manners," and states: "There's no greater fallacy than to think that you can hold on to the morals and the ethics and shed the truth. The whole Bible testifies against that." He believes it's impossible to maintain Christian morality while abandoning Christian truth, calling this connection "indissolubly linked" and saying "there is no hope at all apart from a firm grasping of the truth and living our lives in terms of it."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the true authority for Christian truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the Bible as the only true authority for Christian truth. After dismissing reason, feelings, and church tradition as inadequate authorities, he states, "I am here to tell you that the truth can be known, that there is an authority. It's not reason, it's not feelings, it's not the church, any church. What is it? It is this book [the Bible]." He maintains that biblical truth can be defined, stated in propositions, and must be defended against false teaching.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the ecumenical movement of his day?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones is deeply concerned about the ecumenical movement of his day, which emphasized unity above doctrinal truth. He says: "We are told the hope for the church and the hope for the individual is this general spirit... that the life is more important than the belief." He believes this approach is dangerous as it leads to accepting any teaching as valid if the person claims to be a Christian. He specifically criticizes the prayer movement for reunion with the Roman Catholic Church, arguing that unity should not come at the expense of biblical truth.
What historical precedent does Dr. Lloyd-Jones cite for defending doctrinal truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to the early church councils and creeds as historical precedents for defending doctrinal truth. He states: "This is not only taught and taught very plainly in the scriptures, it's something that the church has always realized in every period when she has truly functioned as the church and has not become just a human institution. That is why... you had all those great councils in the early centuries. That's the whole explanation of the origin of the creeds and the confessions of the christian church."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.