Boots Of Peace Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

Ephesians 6:15

THE BOOTS OF PEACE

Intro:

Remember, this is a prison epistle.

• Paul wrote/Rome/house arrest, awaiting trial and execution

• beheaded. History/chained/Roman guard 24 hours per day

• 6 hour shifts

• writes/whole armor of God

• He's looking at a Roman soldier.

Perhaps God used this as He led Paul to write about putting on the belt of truth--' the breastplate of righteousness.

Next, Paul looks at that unique sandal that guard is wearing, and says what he says in v. 15.

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Continue/study “the whole armor of God,”

• Need/reminded why this is such an important topic.

• V. 10-13 introduce/subject/spiritual warfare

• Told/saints of God/engaged/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

Refers “the tricks, schemes, and methods” the devil uses to undermine the faith of the saints, and to attack the glory of God.

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God’s command His people/they “stand” against/attacks/enemy

• Word “stand” is a military term

• “To hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.”

• Image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.”

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.

• Given us truth/church/Word/grace/salvation/blessing

• the devil wants all of it

• stop/nothing take everything we have been given by/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/God says we must “put on the whole armor of God.”

• already discussed/Belt Of Truth/Breastplate Righteousness.

Belt Of Truth

• Life of total commitment to the Lord

• life that is built upon faithfulness/Word of God

• speaks/truth in testimony and truth in living

Breastplate Of Righteousness

• power of a holy life

• life/lived according teachings/God in His Word

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Today/continue to discuss Spirit-Filled Warfare/consider The Boots Of Peace.

Let’s examine what Paul means when he says that we are to “stand” with our “feet shod with the preparation/Gospel/peace.”

I. WHY THESE BOOTS ARE DESIRED

We take shoes for granted, but they are a very important part of our apparel

• Different shoes for nearly every kind of activity.

• I have dress shoes/casual shoes/work shoes

• Shoes when I go running. I have lots of shoes.

• My wife has lots more shoes than I do.

• What I plan to do/given day determines/type/shoes I put on.

I don’t often think about my shoes, but I am grateful for them.

• Protect/feet/dangers/walking around barefooted

• Keep my feet warm, dry, and safe.

• Shoes are an important component of our wardrobe.

Think about how important shoes are to certain professions.

• Construction workers/crazy to try/do/job w/o proper footwear

• Imagine a football player walking onto field w/o his cleats.

• Baseball player doing that? Tennis player.

• No, it doesn’t happen because athletes understand how important/right shoes/what they do.

As important/shoes are/athlete/construction worker/housewife, or even a toddler, they/even more important to a soldier.

• Soldier’s life/depend on his shoes.

• required to march long distances

• Fight battles/all types/environments, walk through jungles, over rocks, cross stream beds filled with sharp, jagged rocks, slog through the snow, and cross burning deserts.

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If a soldier’s feet become swollen/tender/cut/blistered, that soldier would be greatly hindered in the day of battle.

Might not be able to:

• stand and fight/march.

• properly handle his weapons.

He certainly could not advance on the enemy.

• Sore feet would undermine/soldier’s ability/stand firm.

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Roman soldier/image Paul is using/illustrate “whole armor/God”

• wore leather boots/protected/feet and ankles

• boots, called “caliga”/half boot allowed the soldier to advance toward the enemy undistracted

• Piece/armor/essential/Roman soldier’s “preparation”/battle.

Boots usually had hobnailed soles/means/bits of metal, or nails, driven through them.

• hobnailed soles/Roman soldier great traction

• he climbed hills, and fought on uneven terrain

• gave him great stability as he engaged the enemy.

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If/going/stand against “the wiles of the devil,” we must have on the proper spiritual footwear.

• We can be “girt about with the truth,”

• 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.

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II. WHAT THESE BOOTS DEPICT

• Word “preparation” refers to “being ready.”

• Same word appears in Titus 3:1, which says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,”