The Shoes of Peace
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The Shoes of Peace
The Shoes of Peace
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
eph 6.
Intro: As we continue to study “the whole armor of God,” we continually need to be reminded why this is such an important topic.
SPIRIT-FILLED WARFARE - PART 2d
THE BOOTS OF PEACE
Intro: As we continue to study “the whole armor of God,” we continually need to be reminded why this is such an important topic.
Verses 10-13 introduce the subject of spiritual warfare.
We are told that the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy.
Our enemy is called “the devil,” v 11.
Our enemy is said to employ “wiles,” v. 11. This word refers to “the tricks, schemes, and methods” the devil uses to undermine the faith of the saints, and to attack the glory of God.
God’s command to His people is that they “stand” against the attacks of the enemy,
stand
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
eph 6.13
The word “stand” is a military term.
It means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.”
It is the image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.”
Stand - Hold Your Ground.
It is not the image of someone on the offensive, but rather, it is the picture of a soldier on the defensive, protecting the ground that has already been won.
God had given His people some very precious possessions.
He has given us truth, His church, His Word, His grace, His salvation, His blessing, etc. And, the devil wants all of it.
He will stop at nothing to take everything we have been given by the Lord.
If we are to keep what we have received from the Lord, we must “stand” and hold on to the critical ground we have received from the Lord.
To do that, God says we must “put on the whole armor of God.” This passage tells us about the pieces which constitute this armor. We have already discussed The Belt Of Truth, and The Breastplate Of Righteousness.
The Belt Of Truth refers to a life of total commitment to the Lord.
It refers to a life that is built upon faithfulness to the Word of God and to the God of the Word. It speaks of truth in testimony and truth in living. This “belt of truth” will provide the Christian soldier stability, and it also provides a place for the other pieces of the armor to rest. Without the “belt of truth” the soldier of God will find the other pieces of the armor useless.
The Breastplate Of Righteousness refers to power of a holy life. A holy life, that is, a life that is lived according to the teachings of God in His Word is a powerful defense against the attacks of the enemy.
When we allow sin to dwell in our lives, we give Satan a “beachhead” from which he can attack us and exploit us, . Holiness closes the door to the devil, and it helps protect us from his attacks.
I. WHY THESE BOOTS ARE DESIRED
I. The Need for Gospel Shoes
I. The Need for Gospel Shoes
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
We take shoes for granted, but they are a very important part of our apparel.
We take shoes for granted, but they are a very important part of our apparel. We have different shoes for nearly every kind of activity. I have dress shoes, casual shoes, work shoes, and shoes that I wear when I go walking. I have lots of shoes. My wife has lots more shoes than I do. What I plan to do on a given day determines the type of shoes I put on.
We have different shoes for nearly every kind of activity. I have dress shoes, casual shoes, work shoes, and shoes that I wear when I go walking.
I have lots of shoes. My wife has lots more shoes than I do.
What I plan to do on a given day determines the type of shoes I put on.
I don’t often think about my shoes, but I am grateful for them.
They protect my feet from the dangers of walking around barefooted.
Running shoes
Neutral
pronation
pronation - inward
sipernate - outward
cushion - low, medium, high
heel to drop - 14mm to flat
the shoes
Think about how important shoes are to certain professions.
Construction workers would be crazy to try and do their job without proper footwear. Could you imagine a football player walking onto the field without his cleats.
Could you see a baseball player doing that? What about a tennis player. No, it doesn’t happen because athletes understand just howe important the right shoes are to what they do.
As important as shoes are to an athlete, a construction worker, a business man, a housewife, or even a toddler, they are even more important to a soldier.
• The soldier’s life could depend on his shoes.
• Soldiers are required to march long distances, fight battles in all types of environments, walk through jungles, over rocks, cross stream beds filled with sharp, jagged rocks, slog through the snow, and cross burning deserts.
• If a soldier’s feet become swollen, tender, cut, or blistered, that soldier would be greatly hindered in the day of battle.
• That soldier might not be able to stand and fight.
• He might not be able to march.
• He might not be able to properly handle his weapons.
• He certainly could not advance on the enemy.
• Sore feet would undermine the soldier’s ability to stand firm.
The Roman soldier, the image Paul is using to illustrate “the whole armor of God,” wore leather boots that protected the feet and ankles. These boots, called the “caliga”, were a half boot that allowed the soldier to advance toward the enemy undistracted about what they might step on. This piece of the armor was essential to the Roman soldier’s “preparation” for battle.
These boots usually had hobnailed soles, which means they had bits of metal, or nails, driven through them. These hobnailed soles gave the Roman soldier great traction as he climbed hills, and fought on uneven terrain. The boots worn by the Roman soldier gave him great stability as he engaged the enemy.
If we are going to stand against “the wiles of the devil,” we must have on the proper spiritual footwear.
We can be “girt about with the truth,” and we can have on “the breastplate of righteousness,” but if we neglect to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace,” we are destined to stumble and fall.
II The Gospel Shoes are Defensive
II The Gospel Shoes are Defensive
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must clearly understand the gospel so that we can defend it against attack.
To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must clearly understand the gospel so that we can defend it against attack.
1. To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must clearly understand the gospel so that we can defend it against attack.
1. To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must clearly understand the gospel so that we can defend it against attack.
The good news (that’s what gospel means) is that although we all have sinned against God and deserve His eternal judgment, because of His great love and mercy He sent His own Son to bear the penalty that we deserve. We receive God’s gift of salvation by faith alone, apart from any merit or good works on our part. is one of the simplest and most beloved verses explaining the gospel: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Or, as Paul said to the Philippian jailer (), “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved….”
So, we’re ready to move on to the next point, right? Well, not so fast! For one thing, while the gospel is simple on one level, on another level, it is deep and profound. It is like the ocean, where a toddler can play on its shore, but great whales cannot plumb its depths. Over the years, I have come to appreciate that preaching the gospel well is not a simple matter! Neither Jesus nor the apostles ever used a simple, formulaic method. They never used the same approach twice. And so there are ever-deepening levels for us to come to in our understanding of the gospel.
Satan hates the gospel and is always attacking it from various angles. We see this repeatedly within the pages of the New Testament, where false teachers quickly perverted the essentials of the gospel.
Paul wrote Galatians to defend the gospel against those that claimed to believe it, but they added the Jewish rite of circumcision to faith as necessary for salvation. Paul rails against them in the strongest possible language ().
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Even Peter and Barnabas for a short while had compromised the gospel by currying the favor of these false teachers, until Paul confronted them ().
The apostle John wrote much of his first epistle to warn his readers against those who were trying to deceive them ().
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1 john
So to defend the gospel message against attack, we must be crystal clear in our understanding of it.
So to defend the gospel message against attack, we must be crystal clear in our understanding of it.
The gospel of peace is the message that Jesus gave to those who trust in Him (; ).
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
It comes with the assurance from God that we are His children and nothing can snatch us out of His hands (; ).
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
explain peace and what this assurance brings
Boat - it will not sink - enjoy the trip and will nor move or leave the boat
Boat may sink - all time exploring other ways to float and stressed out ....
It outlines clearly what is required to become a child of God (; ; ). Any other message is a false gospel.
III The Gospel Shoes Bring Peace
III The Gospel Shoes Bring Peace
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Illustration of security - the Gospel is the Good news that we have our sins forgiven and are eternally secure with Christ
Illustration of security - the Gospel is the Good news that we have our sins forgiven and are eternally secure with Christ
The Gospel of Peace is that we behave that way.....
no matter what is thrown at us we will survive and His plan is perfecrt.
Illustration - death of a loved one
people walk away
God could have saved her but did not ...
done .... life is a mess
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.
ps
In explaining the coming of Christ and John the baptist Ministry John gospel says:
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.
luke 1.
so many people quit the battle because they are not saved.
so many people quit the battle because they are not saved.
They try for a while
They attend church
They give
They serve
They even try the DIY church ----- what a train wreck
But when it comes time to dig in they quit and walk away .....
The “peace shoes” that God supplies His soldiers have two purposes: defensive and offensive.
In order to defend ourselves against the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (), we must have confidence of our position in Christ.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word, regardless of how terrifying the circumstances may be ().
We must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word, regardless of how terrifying the circumstances may be ().
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
We must understand grace without abusing it (), remember that our position in Christ is not based on our own abilities or worthiness (), and keep our belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness securely fastened ().
When Satan attacks with a flaming missile of doubt, such as “If God really loved you, He wouldn’t have let this happen,” we dig our peace shoes into the turf of God’s Word and reply, “It is written:
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
“Remember what you did?” we dig in more deeply and reply, “
“Remember what you did?” we dig in more deeply and reply, “It is written: If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ().
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In addition to standing our ground, shoes are also for moving. God expects us to go on the offensive and take the gospel of peace to others.
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Sharing our faith is one of the best ways to maintain our own sure footing.
God knows that, when we are active in speaking of Him to others, we not only charge into Satan’s territory, but we dig our shoes more deeply into truth and will be much harder to dislodge. W
I believe that sharing the Gospel with the lost advances the kingdom of God.
I believe that sharing the Gospel with the lost advances the kingdom of God.
One of MacArthur’s earliest polemic books was The Gospel According to Jesus [Zondervan, 1988]. He wrote it to counter the serious errors of one of my seminary professors, Zane Hodges (whose book is deceptively titled, The Gospel Under Siege [Redencion Viva, 1981]). Hodges also wrote, Absolutely Free [Zondervan, 1989]. MacArthur countered that book with, Faith Works [Word, 1993].
At the heart of the controversy is the nature of saving faith. Is it possible to believe in Jesus for salvation without at the same time submitting to Him as Lord? Hodges argues that if you say that a person must submit to Jesus as Lord, you are adding works to faith, thus perverting the gospel. But MacArthur correctly points out that Jesus warned of many who would claim to believe in Him, but they are not genuinely saved (). As James and First John clearly emphasize, saving faith necessarily leads to a life of obedience to Christ. Those who claim to believe in Jesus but do not obey Him are deceived ().
B. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM “CHRISTIAN” PSYCHOLOGY, WHICH DENIES THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL.
B. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM “CHRISTIAN” PSYCHOLOGY, WHICH DENIES THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL.
MacArthur wrote Our Sufficiency in Christ [Word, 1991] to counter the error of “Christian” psychology and some other errors that undermine the gospel. This popular movement that has flooded into the church claims that while you must believe in Christ for salvation, in order to deal with your psychological and relational problems, you need the insights of psychology. So the gospel is nice “spiritual truth,” that is fine for your devotional life, but it doesn’t really have much to say to the real life problems that you face. To deal with these problems, you need more than Christ, more than the Holy Spirit, and more than the Bible. You need a professional therapist.
But that view assaults the transforming power of the gospel. It subtly, but surely, attacks the person and work of Christ. Did His substitutionary death and bodily resurrection end the tyranny of sin in the lives of believers or not? Is the gospel promise of new life in Christ just a nice, but useless, platitude or does it really give us a new heart, new desires, and the power to overcome sin? Does the indwelling Holy Spirit produce His fruit in us, or do we need psychotherapy to help Him out?
C. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM THE “SEEKER CHURCH” MOVEMENT.
C. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM THE “SEEKER CHURCH” MOVEMENT.
MacArthur wrote Ashamed of the Gospel [Crossway Books, 1993] to show how the seeker church movement has softened the offense of the cross to make the gospel more palatable and user-friendly. The seeker movement has applied American marketing principles to the church. They have asked potential “customers,” “What would it take to get you to come to church?” The customers answered, “We’d like an upbeat, short service that relates to our felt needs. Tell us how to succeed in our families and at work. Tell us how to cope with our problems. Give us contemporary music that makes us feel good (keep it light on content!). Throw in some entertaining drama to keep the program moving. Keep the sermon short and humorous. By all means, get rid of that hellfire and damnation stuff! That’s depressing!”
So, the church marketing folks went back to the drawing board and designed a church around these felt needs. Throw in a Starbucks Coffee bar, a workout room to keep those bodies in shape, some great multi-media effects, and you’ve got a program that the seekers will flock to. But in the process, the gospel gets changed into some variation of, “Try Jesus, He’ll help you with your problems.” But that’s not the gospel! It’s really another form of idolatry, where you “use” your “Jesus idol” to get what you want out of life.
D. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM THE POSTMODERN VIEWS OF THE EMERGING CHURCH.
D. THE GOSPEL IS UNDER ATTACK FROM THE POSTMODERN VIEWS OF THE EMERGING CHURCH.
MacArthur wrote The Truth War [Thomas Nelson, 2007] to counter the postmodern attack on the gospel that has come in through the emerging church movement (in it, he also hits many of the previously mentioned errors). Buying into the view that truth is relative and ultimately unknowable in any certain way, the emerging church has also attacked the atonement of Christ. It proclaims a tolerant, all-inclusive universalism that does not confront sinners with their need to repent and believe the gospel.
If I had time, I could deal with other modern attacks on the gospel. The “new perspective on Paul” undermines justification by faith alone, which is at the heart of the gospel. “Open theism” attacks God’s sovereignty and omniscience. Some in the charismatic movement preach a false gospel that promises health and wealth to everyone. The Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church lure frustrated evangelicals through a message of salvation by ritualism and good works. The cults all have a works-based offer of salvation. Native religion and eastern religions promise salvation through mysticism and works. The list goes on and on!
The point is, if we are going to be prepared for battle by being shod with the gospel of peace, we need to understand the gospel clearly so that we can spot Satan’s relentless, but often subtle attacks and defend the gospel against these soul-destroying errors.
2. To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must have appropriated that message personally.
2. To be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace, we must have appropriated that message personally.
F. F. Bruce (The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], p. 408) wrote, “Those who must at all costs stand their ground need to have a secure footing; in the spiritual conflict, this is supplied by the gospel, appropriated and proclaimed.” Note three things about appropriating the gospel:
A. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY BEGINS WITH REPENTANCE FROM SIN AND FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE FOR SALVATION.
A. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY BEGINS WITH REPENTANCE FROM SIN AND FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE FOR SALVATION.
In order to appropriate the good news about Jesus Christ, you must also accept the bad news about your sin. The Bible confronts and indicts us all with the plain truth (), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Further (), “For the wages of sin is death….” If you take sin and judgment out of the gospel in order to make the message more acceptable to modern thinking, you just took away the need for a Savior. Christ did not die to save us from poor self-esteem! He does not save us from a bad marriage to a good marriage! He does not save us from financial failure to success. Christ died to save us from sin and God’s eternal judgment, which we deserve because we have sinned.
To appropriate the gospel, we must repent of sin and believe in Jesus Christ. Mark (1:15) summarizes Jesus’ preaching of the gospel, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” The message is about God’s being the King, the Lord over all. The required response is, “Repent!” Turn from your sins to God. Rather than running your own life, submit to the King. And, “believe the gospel.” The good news is (as the angels summarize it in the announcement of Jesus’ birth, ), “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” God sent a Savior to rescue you from sin and judgment. You must believe in this Savior and submit to Him because He is the Lord.
So the crucial question is, “Have you repented of your sins and believed in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord? Have you trusted in His death as the payment for your sins? Have you submitted to Him as the Lord of your life?” If not, your god is the god of this world, Satan. You can’t put on the boots of the gospel of peace until you’ve appropriated the gospel personally.
B. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY CONTINUES WITH PREACHING THE GOSPEL OFTEN TO YOUR OWN SOUL.
B. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY CONTINUES WITH PREACHING THE GOSPEL OFTEN TO YOUR OWN SOUL.
Someone recently gave me a helpful little booklet by Pastor Milton Vincent, “A Gospel Primer” (self-published). He credits Jerry Bridges’ book, The Discipline of Grace [NavPress, 1994] with challenging him to preach the gospel to himself every day. Vincent writes (p. 7), “God did not give us His gospel just so we could embrace it and be converted. Actually, He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness.” He adds (p. 8), “Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced.” I can’t give you all of the benefits that he lists, but here are three:
(1). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL INCREASES YOUR LOVE FOR GOD, FOR OTHERS, AND FOR THE LOST.
(1). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL INCREASES YOUR LOVE FOR GOD, FOR OTHERS, AND FOR THE LOST.
These three loves represent the two greatest commandments and the Great Commission. The gospel focuses us on God’s great love for us and of the infinite price that He paid to redeem us from our sins. Paul exults (), “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Meditating often on what God did for us in the gospel will fill our hearts with love for Him.
The gospel also increases our love for others. Many verses could be cited, but note , “Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us….”
And, the gospel increases our love for those who need to know Christ. After Paul goes through the gospel in , reaching the crescendo of God’s unfailing love that enables us to endure all trials (), Paul’s next words tell of his great sorrow and unceasing grief because his fellow Jews are not, for the most part, saved (). Rehearsing the gospel to your own soul burdens you with the condition of those who need to hear about Jesus Christ.
(2). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL HUMBLES YOUR PRIDE.
(2). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL HUMBLES YOUR PRIDE.
Pride is at the root of every sin. Pride leads me to think that I know better than God does what is good for me. Pride leads me to be selfish and disregard the feelings of others. Pastor Vincent writes (p. 32), “Nothing suffocates my pride more than daily reminders regarding the glory of my God, the gravity of my sins, and the crucifixion of God’s own Son in my place.” That is Paul’s point after explaining that the gospel is totally from God, who chose us in spite of our foolishness and weakness (in ), “so that no man may boast before God” ().
(3). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL CAUSES YOU TO GLORIFY GOD IN ALL THINGS, INCLUDING YOUR TRIALS.
(3). PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOUR OWN SOUL CAUSES YOU TO GLORIFY GOD IN ALL THINGS, INCLUDING YOUR TRIALS.
As we saw in , the fact that God chose us before the foundation of the world and saved us through Christ’s blood is all “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (; see also, 1:12, 1:14). Also, as Paul shows repeatedly, reveling in the gospel of God’s grace towards us while we were yet sinners causes us to rejoice even in our trials, knowing that He is using them to conform us to the image of His Son (; ).
Far more could be said, but the point is: appropriate the gospel personally by preaching it to your own soul often.
C. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY BRINGS THE PEACE OF CHRIST PRACTICALLY INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE.
C. APPROPRIATING THE GOSPEL PERSONALLY BRINGS THE PEACE OF CHRIST PRACTICALLY INTO YOUR DAILY LIFE.
Paul tells us to stand firm by putting on the boots of “the gospel of peace.” We saw in the two-fold peace which the gospel brings to us.
First, it brings us peace with God. Formerly, we were alienated from God because of our sins, separate from Christ, “having no hope and without God in the world” (2:12). But as Paul goes on to say, the cross of Christ preached peace to us and reconciled us to God, so that now we have access to Him. You cannot fight the evil one unless you have God’s peace in your heart because you are reconciled to Him through the blood of Christ.
Second, the gospel brings us peace with one another. As shows, Christ Himself is our peace (2:14). He brought together into one the formerly hostile Jews and Gentiles, reconciling “them both in one body to God through the cross” (2:16). The battle against Satan is not just individual; it also is corporate. He is trying to destroy the church and one way he does it is by creating division and strife over personality clashes or over non-essential doctrinal fights.
Be alert to Satan’s schemes here! He often gets a church fighting over non-essentials. Then some in the church react to the sinful fighting by saying, “We shouldn’t fight at all!” So the church ends up tolerating those who promote destructive heresies regarding the gospel. Paul has emphasized the need for tolerance with one another on the non-essentials (4:1-3). But he also has warned about the dangers of destructive false doctrines (4:13-16). We should be at peace with all that love the true gospel. We are at war with those that pervert the gospel.
Conclusion
Conclusion
C. H. Spurgeon wrote (The New Park Street Pulpit [Pilgrim Publications], 5:41),
The Church of Christ is continually presented under the figure of an army; yet its Captain is the Prince of Peace; its object is the establishment of peace, and its soldiers are men of a peaceful disposition. The spirit of war is at the extremely opposite point to the spirit of the gospel. Yet nevertheless, the church on earth has, and until the second advent must be, the church militant, the church armed, the church warring, the church conquering. And how is this? It is in the very order of things that so it must be. Truth could not be truth in this world if it were not a warring thing, and we should at once suspect that it were not true if error were friends with it. The spotless purity of truth must always be at war with the blackness of heresy and lies.
Do you have your boots on? Without them you are not prepared to stand firm against the enemy of the gospel. Be prepared with the boots of the gospel of peace by understanding the gospel message so that you can defend it against error. Appropriate the gospel of peace personally and preach it often to your own soul, as well as to those who are lost. In so doing, you will enjoy God’s peace in your soul.
II. WHAT THESE BOOTS DEPICT
The word “preparation” refers to “being ready.”
This same word appears in , which says, “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.”
A soldier’s boots allows him to be ready for whatever he faces. A good pair of boots makes him ready to march, to stand, to climb, to fight, or whatever else he may be called on to do. That same readiness should mark the people of God.
To what does this kind of readiness refer? In one sense it means that the child of God must always be ready to be about the business of sharing the Gospel with a lost world. We are to be to move at the Lord’s command, going from place to place preaching the Gospel to the lost and telling them about Jesus. There is a sense in which all believers are to be actively engaged in the business of evangelism. Peter said it this way, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear,” .
When God saved us, He commanded us to tell others what He has done for us, and what He can do for them, . He has given us His Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has equipped us for the work of evangelism, . The very heart of our duty to the lost is that we “go and tell.” That is The Great Commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” .
I believe that sharing the Gospel with the lost advances the kingdom of God.
Example of this kind of peace abound in the Bible.
II. What These Boots Depict
III. WHAT THESE BOOTS DELIVER
In my opinion that isn’t Paul’s primary emphasis in our text, is not on “going” but on “standing.” Paul is not talking about sharing the Gospel, he is talking about fighting Satan. The “Gospel of peace” refers to the glorious news that, through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are at peace with God.
It wasn’t always that way. Before we were saved, we were the enemies of God, . When God saved us, He reconciled us to Himself, v. 10-11. When He did, He declared us to be at peace with Him. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” . Now, in Jesus, the saints of God are at peace with God. says, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciledIn the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.”
Beloved, “the Gospel of peace” Paul refers to here is the marvelous news that in Christ we are at peace with God. It is the glorious truth that we have been made one with the Lord. So, having our “feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace” means that we stand in the absolute confidence that God loves us, that He has forgiven us, that we are united with Him, that He fights for us, and that all is well with our souls. It is the confidence that we are saved. When we have that confidence, and when we possess the peace of God in our hearts, we are “ready” to “stand” against any enemy that comes against us.
Example of this kind of peace abound in the Bible.
• In the people of Judah were about to be invaded by the powerful armies of the Ammonites and Moabites. They were afraid. But, the Lord spoke to King Jehoshaphat and said, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s,” .
Judah experienced a great victory because they took God at His Word and stood in their confidence in Him.
The redeemed child of God, who stands in the Lord’s power, and in full assurance of the Lord’s salvation, does not have to fear any enemy, even if that enemy is Satan himself.
When we are attacked, we stand on the firm, unchanging ground of the Gospel of grace. The same Gospel that converted us from sinners into saints.
The same Gospel that changed God from our enemy to into our protector. We who were one on the outside, are now the sons of God.
He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children. Everything we need to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might,” v. 10, is at our disposal.
Our confidence in the day of battle does not rest in our own power, but in the promises of God. Here is what He promises His children:
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
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31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Those promises, those truths, are the shoes that give us the ability to stand in “the evil day.”
• The truth that we are loved by the Lord gives us the confidence to stand.
• The truth that we are saved by His grace, gives us the confidence to stand.
• The truth that we are His children gives us the confidence to stand.
• The truth that we in His tender care, and that He has promised to stand with us, to protect us, to keep us, and defend us, gives us confidence to stand.
Conc: So, the question here is this: Are you ready to stand? Do you have absolute confidence in your heart that God has saved your soul, forgive your sins, and adopted you into His family?
If you have the kind of confidence, you can stand regardless of what the enemy throws at you. If you don’t have that deep, settled confidence in your heart, you will be unstable in all your battles. Unless you are grounded in absolute assurance of salvation, the enemy will have little trouble knocking you off your feet.
You can be sure! You can have confidence that all is well. You can know Him, and His power to stand. You can be stable, strong and sure. To have that stability you need to be sure you are saved. When you are, the enemy will have a hard time with you, because you “will be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.”
Do you have on the right shoes today?