Prepare for the Fight with the Shoes of Peace
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Shoes are important.
Anyone come to church
barefoot this morning?
Yeah, here in New Hampshire
and in most places in the world,
footwear is important
as it protects our feet
from the weather and rough terrain.
That is particularly true on the battlefield.
Soldiers know that one of their most
important responsibilities
is to care for their feet.
During World War I
soldier’s foot care
became a significant problem.
Soldiers spent most of their time
in trenches that easily filled
with mud and cold water.
Soldiers’ boots
often became soaked through.
Sadly, most soldiers
did not have extra socks or footwear
so many of them
got “trench foot,”
where the outer surface
or layer of skin on the foot
would begin to decay.
Very painful and debilitating for soldiers-
contracting trench foot
limited the soldier’s mobility.
The Roman soldiers of old had similar difficulties.
The Roman empire
equipped their legions with specialized footwear.
They had leather sandals
that were strapped to the shins
and to the calves.
The sandals had a thick,
three-quarter-of-an-inch leather sole,
and they were equipped
with something that looked like athletic cleats
that would give them traction in battle.
Pastor and author Brian Hedges explains,
“The soldier’s footwear served several purposes.
They helped protect their feet,
especially when they were in enemy territory
and the ground was arrayed with various kinds of traps,
such as spikes protruding from the ground.
The thick leather sole
would help protect their feet
against those kinds of spikes and traps.
The shoes would also give them
traction when they were in this close,
hand-to-hand combat in battle;
they would have a firm footing.
And the shoes were helpful for mobility
as they had to march long distances.
I’ve read
that one of the geniuses of Alexander the Great,
part of his military genius,
was that he equipped
all of his soldiers with shoes,
and he was able, then,
to maneuver them quickly,
making him a great military tactician
and giving him an advantage on the field.
In the same way,
believers need gospel shoes,
we need boots,
we need war sandals
if we are to stand against our enemy,
the devil.
Paul is using that metaphor
in the passage that we’re studying this morning.” (end quote)
So take a look at Ephesians 6 with me.
One of the things that we were reminded of
At the American Baptist Church
Annual Gathering last week,
Is that We live in a Bible deprived culture
So let’s go ahead
and read this entire passage
starting with verse 10 (NIV),
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
“Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God,
so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers,
against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.
Therefore, put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness
in place,
and with your feet
fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Now if you have been tracking with us,
you’ll know that over the past several weeks
we have been learning how to prepare for
and engage
in spiritual warfare.
We have learned that
the enemy of our soul
wants to tell us what to think.
He wants to tell us how to feel
and what to say.
He wants to devastate our relationships,
disrupt our lives,
and steal our joy.
Knowing that we are besieged,
God equips us with His own armor.
The belt of truth
enables us to resist Satan’s lies.
The breastplate of Christ’s righteousness
protects our hearts
and empowers us
to put off old sinful behaviors
and to put on the virtues of God.
Now we turn our attention
to the next piece of armor,
“the shoes of the gospel of peace,”
or “the shoes
of the readiness of the gospel of peace.”
So, what does
“the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace”
mean?
As you may know
the word “gospel”
means “good news”
and is used most often in the Bible
to refer to the good news
of God’s saving work
through the death,
burial,
and resurrection
of His son Jesus.
The apostle Paul,
the human author
of the book of Ephesians
calls it
the good news of peace
because it is the gospel of Jesus
that brings us peace with God.
That is our first point this morning.
1. The Gospel of Jesus brings us peace with God.
Before putting our faith and trust in Jesus
and accepting His gift of grace
we were separated from God by our sin-
our bad choices-
our un-goodness.
The apostle Paul explains it well
earlier in his letter to the Ephesians
in chapter 2 starting with verse 1,
he explains,
Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
“As for you,
you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of this world
and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work
in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time,
gratifying the cravings of our flesh
and following its desires and thoughts.
Like the rest,
we were by nature
deserving of wrath.
But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions—
it is by grace you have been saved.”
This is the Word of the Lord
One of the first messages I gave here
I talked about how
Most religions
are driven by one question,
“What exactly must I do
to make things
and keep things
right between God and me?”
This is initially THE question.
It is the question
that gnaws at the human soul.
For all other religions in the world
the worshiper must do something,
be something,
meditate into something,
to supposedly reach god
or the higher power they worship.
It is the answer to this question of all questions
that separates Christianity
from all other religions in the world.
We accept the one undeniable FACT
that there is NOTHING
we human beings can do
to ‘make things
and keep things
right between us and God.’
For, mankind’s righteousness
is like filthy rags
compared to the majesty
of a holy God.
Isaiah 64:6 states,
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
“All of us
have become like one
who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts
are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind
our sins sweep us away.”
Again, the Word of the Lord
It is not humankind
that must make things
and keep things right
between us and God-
no,
it is our all-powerful,
all loving God
who makes things right for us.
The question,
“What exactly must I do
to make things
and keep things
right between God and me?”
therefore,
drives us to our knees
before the Cross of Christ.
God sent His son Jesus
to die for our sin;
all sin -past, present,
and future
and when He rose from the dead,
He conquered both sin and death
so that all who believe in Him,
who repent of their sin,
are forgiven.
Their righteousness is atoned for,
because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
And things have been made right
between us and God
once and for all.
Take a look
at Ephesians 2:12-14 (NIV)
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
“Remember that at that time
you were separate from Christ,
excluded from citizenship in Israel
and foreigners
to the covenants of the promise,
without hope
and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far away
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself
is our peace,
who has made the two groups one
and has destroyed the barrier,
the dividing wall of hostility”
You see church,
The gospel of peace,
is one part of the armor
that works in tandem with the rest.
That means
When we believe in God’s truth.
The truth that
by grace we have been saved
and are protected
by the righteousness of Christ.
The hostility between us and God-
the hostility caused by our sin
has been taken away.
We are no longer enemies of God
but are welcomed into the family of God,
into His Ohana, as sons and daughters.
Things have been made right
between us and God-
we are therefore at peace with Him.
Our Second point is,
2. The gospel of Jesus brings us the peace of God .
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
“And having shod your feet
with the preparation of the gospel of peace”
Dr. David Jeremiah explains,
“The word preparation comes from a Greek word that means readiness or firmness.
We have been learning about Satan during these days and we have learned that Satan is the destroyer of peace.
His purpose in coming to this earth is to bring separation between man and God and to bring division between man and man.
Follow his career and everywhere you look there is division and separation.”
End Quote
Friends,
take a look around
at the world in which we live
and it becomes devastatingly plain
that Satan’s schemes
are succeeding in America today.
We are politically divided,
we are racially divided,
we are religiously divided-
through the platform of social media,
public opinion
is enflamed
causing hatred and prejudice
to have free reign.
Where is the hope? (long pause)
Where is the peace? (long pause)
Where?
Chuck Colson answers the same question,
“Where is the hope? The hope that each of us have, is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation.
Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. And that’s where our hope is in this country. And that’s where our hope is in this life.”
Heaven In The Real World
Verse 1
I saw it again today
In the face of a little child
Lookin' through eyes
Of fear and uncertainty
It echoed in a cry for freedom
Across the street
And across the miles
Cries from the heart
To find the missing part
Chorus 1
Where is the hope
Where is the peace
That will make this life complete
For every man woman boy and girl
Lookin' for heaven in the real world
Verse 2
To stand in the pourin' rain
And believe the sun
Will shine again
To know that the grave
Is not the end
To feel the embrace of grace
And cross the line
Where real life begins
And know in your heart
You've found the missing part
Chorus 2
There is a hope
There is a peace
That will make this life complete
For every man woman boy and girl
Lookin' for heaven in the real world
Heaven in the real world
Bridge
It happened one night
With a tiny baby's birth
And God heard creation cryin'
And He sent heaven to earth
Chorus 3
He is the hope
He is the peace
That will make this life complete
For every man woman boy and girl
Lookin' for heaven in the real world
He is the peace
That will make this life complete
For every man woman boy and girl
Lookin' for heaven in the real world
Heaven has come to the real world
Heaven has come to the real world
That hope starts with the gospel
which brings us peace with God.
From that position of peace-
that place of peace-
that firm, and assured place of peace with God
we can have hope
even in the midst
of the turmoil around us
and the attacks of the enemy.
We have peace WITH God
but because of that right relationship
we can now also have the peace OF God.
Turn with me to Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It reads,
“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”
Friends,
it is entirely possible to be at peace with God
but not be enjoying the peace of God
in the circumstances of your life.
As Pastor Hodges asks,
“So, this is another question for you, Christian: do you know the peace of God in your circumstances?
I’m not asking, ‘Are your circumstances peaceful?’
I happen to know that many of you are going through storms right now.
I know that there are storms of health, I know there are storms in finances, I know there are storms in family relationships,I know there are all kinds of circumstances that befall us and beset us in this world.
We have trials, we have tribulations, we have suffering, we have affliction; but it is possible, Christian, for you to go through all of that and have perfect peace and tranquility, the peace of God?
You have that as you prayerfully commit yourself to the Lord and you look to Him and you clothe your heart, you clothe your feet with this gospel peace.”
End Quote
Some of you may remember
the story of Horatio Spafford,
a hymn-writer.
He was a businessman in Chicago.
Near the end of the 19th century,
he lost almost everything
in the Chicago fire.
So he decided to move to England,
and he sent his family on ahead.
A terrible storm arose
and his four daughters
were all killed.
His wife sent a telegram back,
“Saved alone.”
She was the only one that survived.
In response to this terrible tragedy,
Spafford wrote his timeless hymn:
“When peace, like a river, Attendeth my way; When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well With my soul.’”
That’s the peace of God
that surpasses ALL understanding —
and it is beyond understanding!
It doesn’t make sense,
humanly speaking that is.
Humanly speaking,
it does not make sense
to be able to have peace
when you’ve just lost a child;
but we’re talking about something
that’s beyond human reason,
we’re talking about the peace
that God gives
because of the assurance
that we are made right with Him
through Jesus Christ alone.
(Pause)
There is more.
Point three is
3. With the peace of God, you can fight the enemy from a position of peace.
Friends,
troubling circumstances,
pain-
suffering,
hardship,
persecution,
fearful situations,
stressors-
Paul calls these things
the “day of evil”
in Ephesians 6:13.
It is like one of those emergency alerts
that come up on your phone
to alert you of oncoming dangerous weather-
it is as if an alert comes up saying,
“warning dangerous weather descending.
The storm approaching
is being called the ‘day of evil.’
Be prepared for stress and anxiety.
Dress for drenching fear,
uneasiness, and tension.
Distress is very possible
with the winds of strife
reaching dangerous levels.
Take shelter immediately.”
Have you ever felt that way?
I know I have.
That kind of situation
requires a whole different kind
of warfare strategy.
Normally,
when we face a threat
or enter into a battle-
the heart races-
the adrenaline pumps
and you jump into action.
But there is another option.
When facing a threat,
you can also run or hide.
Some of you may remember
That this human reaction
is called the fight or flight reflex.
I want to propose to you this morning
that regarding fighting the enemy of our soul
God provides a way for us
to fight from a position of peace,
a sure-footed place of rest,
and sometimes
even a hiding place
that keeps us safe and secure
until the danger has passed.
King David confesses in Psalm 32:7 (NIV),
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
“You are my hiding place,
you will protect me from trouble,
and surround me with songs of deliverance.’”
When we face our own personal day
or even days of evil-
we never have to face them alone.
The power and presence of God
surrounds us.
There are several practical ways for us
to begin fighting the enemy
from a position of peace.
The first and most crucial
is to remain in God’s presence.
When we put our hope and faith in Jesus-
God’s Holy Spirit
comes and dwells within us.
Sometimes the hubbub,
The hustle, and activities
of everyday life
keeps us from resting in His presence.
However,
there are many ways
we can rest in the presence of God-
allowing Him to fill us with His peace
Here are a few examples
A. Worship
Worship is a great way
to rest in God’s presence-
In worship we remind ourselves
of what God has done.
In worship
we can affirm who He is
in the midst of our situation,
and we can declare His promises to us
for the future.
A. Worship
B. Stillness
The old fashion spiritual discipline
of “stillness”
is always a wonderful way
to rest in God’s peace.
We do this
by taking time
to just sit in a quiet place
then still our minds
and listen for God’s voice.
This is different from the average
time of prayer
because it isn’t about talking to God
but allowing God
to talk to you
or even to just sit with Him-
no agenda-
just you and Him.
A. Worship
B. Stillness
C. Meditating on His Word
Last but certainly not least-
Meditating on His Word
is a great way to allow the Holy Spirit
to speak to us.
This usually involves
reading Bible verses
then allowing God
to speak to us through them.
This often means
we allow God
to show how His Bible truths
apply directly to our circumstances.
We can also repeat those verses and truths
repeatedly throughout the day.
Here are some of my favorite verses to read
when I am facing my own personal
“day of evil”-
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
“’Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.’”
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)
The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
“The name of the Lord
is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”
Psalm 4:8 (NIV)
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
“The LORD replied,
‘My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.’”
Isaiah 26:3, (NIV)
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.
“You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in you.”
Perhaps one of my all-time favorite passages
is found in famous Psalm 23 (NIV),
A psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
“The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love
will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Reading this I get a picture of that storm-
that raging day of evil that we talked about earlier
swirling and raging against a safe and secure home.
Peek inside the windows
and a roaring fire is in the fireplace.
Jesus is there-
serving the family a feast-
they are all laughing-
safe- trusting- secure.
Jesus prepares a table for us
in the presence of our enemy.
So today I want to encourage you
to not give the enemy a seat at that table.
Remember a few weeks ago
when we discussed Satan’s warfare tactics.
We learned that he is a deceiver
and a schemer.
But those tactics don’t work
if they are ignored.
My wife is one of six siblings.
As you can guess
with such a large family
they fought often.
One of her brothers
was particularly mischievous
and he often enjoyed
pushing his younger siblings’ buttons.
One day Kristin’s older sister Amy
just stopped responding to his antics.
If he kept poking her in the car,
she ignored him.
If he started mimicking her-
she ignored him.
If he said something mean-
she ignored him.
The funny thing is-
it worked.
It was only fun for him
if she reacted to his antics.
Eventually
he just stopped antagonizing her.
She didn’t have to fight him at all-
she fought from a place of peace
and it worked.
Friends,
Satan’s tactics don’t work very well
if they are ignored.
From the rest and peace of God’s presence
we do not have to react to his antics.
He can try to stress you out
but wait-
Jesus carries your burdens
so you can ignore Satan
and rest secure in His peace.
The enemy can try to overwhelm you
with difficult circumstances
but wait-
Jesus is with you
and His rod and staff bring you comfort.
You can ignore Satan
and rest secure in Jesus’
peaceful presence.
The enemy can try to bring you down
with pain and loss but no-
you have placed your trust in Jesus
so even if you face
the “valley of the shadow of death”
you know He will carry you through.
You can ignore Satan
and rest secure in the gospel of peace.
“You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love
will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.” (Psalm 23:5-6, NIV)
Deny Satan a place at the table.
That brings us to our final point this morning:
4. The gospel of Jesus brings us the promise of universal peace.
Church,
we have a wonderful hope
to fuel our peace.
Our hope
is that there is coming a day
when all sorrow and suffering and sin,
all wickedness and evil,
will be banished once and for all
from the face of the earth,
Then the earth will be covered
with the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea,
and where all things
will be in perfect submission
to the Lordship and the supremacy
of Jesus Christ.
It is the ultimate,
final,
universal peace
and reconciliation
for which we wait.
Therefore, it’s called the gospel of peace,
because we get peace in every dimension!
We get peace
in all these aspects
through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember the Roman soldier’s footwear?
The spikes on their shoes
reached into the ground,
it gave them sure footing,
a firm foundation
from which to do battle.
The believer’s firm foundation
is in the gospel of Jesus.
It provides us peace with God
and the peace of God.
We can fight from a position of peace.
Let us pray.