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Let’s read Dan 8:1-12.  The interpretation of the vision Daniel saw is in Dan 8:19-25.  The interpretation reveals the coming work of the antichrist.  Look again at Dan 8:12, when the antichrist comes, he will “cast down the truth to the ground.”  

Like Pilate, you might ask, “What is truth?”  In Jn 18:37-38, Jesus said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.  Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.”  Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?  

Truth is clearly defined in the Bible.  In Jn 17:17 Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”  Ps 119:160 says, “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.”  In Jn 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  And he is the Word of God, Jn 1:1, 1 Jn 5:7.

The battle between Jesus Christ and the devil is for the truth.  Truth has always had an enemy.  Jn 8:44, the devil “abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for his is a liar, and the father of it.”  John wrote in 1 Jn 2:21, “I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.”  

The devil cannot stand the truth and has not changed his attitude about the truth to this day.  Until the devil himself comes to personally and visibly fight against the truth in the Tribulation, he uses anyone he can to fight against the truth.  The devil uses people like:

• False teachers – 2 Pet 2:2 “by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”  
• Ungodly men – Rom 1:18 “who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
• Foolish Professors – Rom 1:21-25 “who changed the truth of God not a lie.”
• Transgressors – Is 59:12-14 “In transgressing and lying against the Lord… truth is fallen in the street.”

All of these will take you down if you are like the weak Christians of our day, 2 Tim 4:4, who “will not endure sound doctrine; but… shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”  

The battle is for the truth, therefore you must:

Know the truth – Jn 8:32 “ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”  To know the truth you have to read and absorb the truth.  Meditate on it and think about it.  The Holy Spirit will bring these words back to your memory and these words will speak to you and guide you in your life, all along the way of truth.

Gird yourself with the truth – Eph 6:14 Loins girt about with truth.  In spiritual warfare, we stand against a liar and against his lies.  Having a Bible and not be girded with it is like having a license for concealed carry and not carrying.  When you need the truth, it needs to be with you.  Read the word in the pages of your Bible so that you can find what you’re looking for where you saw it.  The Holy Spirit works in a unique way when you read the words in your Bible rather than on your phone or on a computer.

Be valiant for the truth – Jer 9:3 “but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth.” Jer 9:5 “they will not speak the truth.”  The approach to the lost and weak of the world today is to ask to see their Bible.  The trouble with those who are falling away is that they are not valiant for the truth.  When you don’t take a firm stand for the truth, and fight for the truth, you can see the truth taken away from you.  With a loose grip on your Bible, the Bible will have a loose grip on you.  Don’t let them take this book out of your hand or out of your heart.

Answer with the truth – Prov 22:21 “That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee.”  In Dan 10:21 the angel said, “I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth.” This book is not a fairy tale.  In Dan 11:2 Daniel said to Darius, “And now will I shew thee the truth.”  Daniel wouldn’t answer the king until he knew the interpretation, 2 Pet 1:20.  He didn’t venture a guess.  So many have been taken down with lies.  The world doesn’t need your opinions or your observations; they need the truth.  So, answer them with the truth.

Conclusion: if you are lost, the question is “Will you believe the truth?”  Acts 28:24 some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.  In 2 Thes 2:10 they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved.  In 2 Thes 2:13 salvation is through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.  If you are saved, you must take a firm stand in the battle for the truth against those who lie against the truth.