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Truth: The Lion That Defends Itself
- dktippit3
- Nov 2
- 6 min read
In a world where opinion often outruns reality, truth has become a rare and radical virtue. It’s not that truth has changed—truth never does—it’s that our appetite for it has weakened. We prefer what comforts us over what confronts us. Yet throughout history, voices from every background—Christian and non-Christian alike—have recognized that truth is the only thing strong enough to anchor both mind and soul.
Before we hear from them, we need to ask a simple question: What exactly is truth—and what isn’t it?
What Truth Is
Truth, first and foremost, corresponds to reality. It’s what is real, whether we like it or not. Truth matches the way things actually are. If it’s raining outside, then it’s true that it’s raining—no matter how badly we wish for sunshine. This is sometimes called the “Correspondence Theory of Truth,” the simple idea that truth lines up with facts. Scripture says it plainly:
“The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.” — Psalm 119:160
Truth is also absolute, not subjective. Something that is true doesn’t stop being true just because culture disagrees or feelings shift. “2 + 2 = 4” doesn’t depend on your location, your language, or your emotions—it’s just true. Spiritually, truth flows from the unchanging nature of God Himself.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8
Truth isn’t something we invent; it’s something we discover. Gravity existed long before Newton gave it a name, and spiritual truth existed long before we recognized it. Truth is there, waiting for us to find it—not for us to define it.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32
Truth is also consistent. It doesn’t contradict itself. Two opposite claims about the same thing can’t both be true. Jesus cannot be both God incarnate and not God incarnate at the same time and in the same sense. When contradictions arise, it’s not truth that’s wrong—it’s our perception of it.
“God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” — 1 Corinthians 14:33
And perhaps most importantly, truth matters. It leads to freedom, clarity, and life, while deception leads to confusion, bondage, and destruction. Think of a doctor who tells a patient the truth about their diagnosis—it may sting, but it gives them a chance to live. A doctor who hides the truth might make them feel better temporarily, but it leads to death. In the same way, spiritual truth may hurt before it heals.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6
What Truth Is Not
Truth is not the same as opinion. Opinions can align with reality—or they can miss it entirely. You can be completely sincere and still be wrong. Believing the earth is flat doesn’t make it flat. Feelings and beliefs don’t alter facts.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” — Proverbs 14:12
Truth is not preference, either. Our generation loves the phrase “my truth,” but that’s just another way of saying “my perspective.” Personal experience matters, but it doesn’t define objective truth. You might prefer to think all religions lead to the same God, but that doesn’t make it true. Jesus’ exclusive claim stands no matter how unpopular it becomes.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105
Truth is also not decided by a majority vote. A million people can be wrong together. For centuries, people believed the sun revolved around the earth—but the number of people who believed it didn’t make it true.
“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” — Exodus 23:2
Truth doesn’t change with time or trends, either. We may grow in our understanding of it, but truth itself is fixed. The moral truth that murder or lying is wrong hasn’t changed—only our society’s willingness to justify it has.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” — Matthew 24:35
And finally, truth isn’t mean or intolerant. Declaring something true isn’t hateful—it’s actually loving. A parent who tells their child, “That stove will burn you,” isn’t being cruel; they’re being kind. Truth without love can wound, but love without truth deceives.
“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.” — Ephesians 4:15
The Timeless Voices That Defend Truth
“The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.” — Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
Augustine reminds us that truth doesn’t depend on us for its survival. We don’t protect truth; truth protects us. It stands whether we stand with it or not.
“For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.” — 2 Corinthians 13:8
“Christians are distinguished from other men … not by country, language, or customs … but by the marvel and confession of the truth which they hold.” — Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373)
The early church understood that a Christian’s uniqueness wasn’t in ritual or culture but in allegiance to truth—truth revealed in Christ Himself.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John 14:6
“Truth is the conformity of the intellect to reality.” — Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
Aquinas framed it simply: truth aligns with what is. When our beliefs align with reality, we walk in truth. When they don’t, we drift into illusion.
“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” — John 17:17
“Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” — C.S. Lewis (1898–1963)
Lewis reminds us that truth is never neutral. Once revealed, it demands a decision.
“Buy the truth, and do not sell it.” — Proverbs 23:23
“Biblical Christianity is Truth concerning total reality — and the intellectual holding of that total Truth and then living in the light of that Truth.” — Francis Schaeffer (1912–1984)
Schaeffer believed truth encompasses everything—science, art, morality, relationships, and faith.
“The sum of Your word is truth.” — Psalm 119:160
“Truth by definition is exclusive. If truth does not exclude, then no assertion of truth is possible.” — Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020)
Every statement of truth, by nature, excludes what is false.
“Let God be true though every man a liar.” — Romans 3:4
“The truth of Christ is too great to be learned by men in a lifetime; but it can be known by the simplest believer in an instant.” — A.W. Tozer (1897–1963)
Truth is both infinite and intimate—the child who believes can know what the philosopher only seeks.
“The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” — Psalm 119:130
“To say that truth is relative is to say that lies are acceptable.” — Tim Keller (1950–2023)
Relativism may sound tolerant, but it erodes trust. Truth builds integrity.
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor.” — Ephesians 4:25
“The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think.” — Aristotle (384–322 B.C.)
Even a pre-Christian philosopher understood what many believers forget: truth is worth more than approval.
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?” — Galatians 1:10
“In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” — Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
Kant recognized a moral law written on the human heart—a truth Scripture confirms.
“They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness.” — Romans 2:15
“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.” — Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948)
Crowds can be wrong, and truth can be lonely.
“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” — Proverbs 12:19
“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” — Albert Einstein (1879–1955)
Einstein’s words echo the wisdom of Jesus:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” — Luke 16:10
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.” — George Orwell (1903–1950)
Speaking truth in an age of deceit will always require courage.
“They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” — 2 Timothy 4:4
“One word of truth outweighs the whole world.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008)
Even one word of truth has eternal weight.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” — Isaiah 40:8
“Tell the truth — or, at least, don’t lie.” — Jordan Peterson (b. 1962)
This simple line captures a biblical command:
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” — Proverbs 12:22
Truth-telling heals what deception breaks.
The Eternal Weight of Truth
Truth doesn’t need an audience to be true. It stands before creation, upholds reality, and will remain long after every falsehood has crumbled. The world may bend its definitions, but God’s truth does not bend—it beckons.
“For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” — Psalm 33:4
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