Battle Ready Part 4
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Recap
Recap
So far we have talked about the fact that the battle we are in is not against flesh and blood, but against the devil. We have covered the first two pieces of the armor of God so far. Paul is giving us the gear that we need to be battle ready, to be ready for the mission which God has called us too. Remember we started with the belt of truth, girding ourselves with the truth of God’s word. Truth is the only way to combat the lies of the devil. Then we talked about the breastplate of righteousness, protecting our vital organs. Remember in ancient Jewish thinking they thought of the heart and guts as the center of our emotions and thoughts. These are two places satan will attack, our emotions and our thoughts, and we are protected by righteousness, practical righteousness, that stems from our relationship with Christ. Today we are going to be talking about our feet, more specifically our shoes. You may be asking what do our shoes have to do with being battle ready, well lets dive in and see.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Remember we are to take up the whole armor of God not just a couple of pieces but all of it. Also this is something that we do each and everyday, it is not a one and done. We must put our armor on every single day. The pieces of the armor help us to stand firm, and resit the schemes of the devil.
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Our VBS this year was about foundations, I was listening to Mrs Raydene teach about one of our foundations, our feet. They give us support, balance and mobility. When we think about it in today’s world we have shoes for everything. Athletes have shoes for different types of sports, and some have different types of shoes within the same sport for different types of fields. We have running shoes, hiking boots, snow boots, water shoes, rubber boots, work boots. All these different types of shoes give us an advantage in what we are trying to accomplish. For a soldier their feet are very important, ancient Romans soldiers sandals were made of leather and would have bits of metal imbedded in the bottom of them to help with traction. But a soldier who did not protect their feet, would be rendered ineffective, they would not be able to move forward and may even be barely able to stand. Paul again draws from a familiar sight, the Roman soldier to illustrate the things a believer needs to be ready for battle.
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
We are to put on the readiness that is given by what the Gospel of peace. Paul uses the Greek word for preparation “Hetoimasia (hetoymaseeya)”, which has the meaning of readiness, we are to be ready at all times, ready to fight, ready to defend, and ready to serve. As believers we are to be active, if we were not why would we need shoes. Just as a soldier puts on their boots and prepares for battle so should the believer put on our shoes and be ready for what God has called us to, His kingdom work. Our shoes help us to gain the advantage that we need, they help us to gain traction and stand firm in the battles that we face each and everyday.
Titus 3:1 (ESV)
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
Here in Titus Paul uses the same word. We are to be ready, we are to be ready to face not only every good work, but also the battles that come. Readiness always being prepared to stand against the attacks of satan. And ready to serve our LORD.
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
There are some commentators that say that Paul is talking about preaching or teaching here. But that is not the case, he is speaking of standing firm against the schemes of the devil. Ready for whatever he throws at the believer, because we are at war. Well if we are at war why does Paul say the “gospel of peace.” When sin entered the world we became enemies of God, the relationship was fractured. But thank God for His plan of redemption through Christ, the relationship was restored for all those who believe, and we have peace with God. We have been reconciled through Christ, and it is the peace that we are rooted in, knowing that God is now on our side. We have a confidence of God’s love for us, His union with us, and His commitment to fight for us. Without a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ we cannot have this peace, we remain at war with God, His enemies, slaves to sin and vulnerable to the attacks of the devil.
2 And Yahweh said to Gideon, “The troops that are with you are too many for me to give Midian into their hands; Israel will boast, saying, ‘My hand has delivered me.’
Here we have an OT example of how God not only rescues us but also fights our battles. God’s people had been oppressed by the Midianites for their disobedience to God. Then Israel cried out to God and He sent a prophet to tell them why they had been oppressed (They did not obey His voice Judges 6:10). God then called Gideon. Once Gideon had trimmed his troops down to just 300 men to face the Midianites, He was ready to show them how He would win the battle for them. It is God who has won the war, just as He defeated the Midianites.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Remember what Paul has told us at the beginning of this section. We as believers are to be strong, but it is not in our own strength, but in the strength of God’s might. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to stand.
Ephesians 6:14–15 (ESV)
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
We stand in the might of the Yahweh’s strength, using the tools that He has given us, He has given us what we need to be battle ready and to stand firm. For the believer who stands in our Lord’s power and strength need not fear anyone, even satan. When he attacks we are rooted in the foundation of the gospel of peace, through which God changed from our enemy to our champion, or defender.
Romans 8:31 (ESV)
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul has been talking about God’s everlasting love in this section of Romans and closes that thought with these verses. In order for us to put on the whole Armor of God, and stand firm in His might we must know that we are truly secure in Him. Our battle belongs to the God. Remember what David said when he faced Goliath “the LORD will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” 1 Samuel 17:37. Standing firm in His strength, protected by His armor, we are battle ready.
Battle Ready Part 4
Battle Ready Part 4
I would like to ask everyone a few questions. First of all do you have a relationship with Christ, because that is the most important question, and that is where it all starts. If you do already have that relationship let me ask you this. Do you get up each and everyday ready to do battle, mission focused each and everyday, putting on the Armor of God everyday. Ready for the work that He has called us to. Are you standing firm in the strength of His might, focused on the things of God not the things of this world. Fearing not what man can do to us, but being bold and courageous sharing the good news with the world.