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,”
• Soldier’s boots allows him/be ready/whatever he faces.
A good pair of boots makes him ready to march
• to stand/climb/fight/whatever else he may be called to do
• Same readiness should mark the people of God.
• Point here is not evangelizing the lost
• point here is not preaching the Gospel
• Point here is fighting the devil.
Idea/best expressed/words 1 Cor 16:13, "Stand fast in the faith."
• "Stand fast in the faith." "so you can take your stand."
• our feet are shod/Good News of peace we stand our ground
• we don't slip, we don't slide, we don't fall when we're under attack
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III. WHAT THESE BOOTS DELIVER
Paul is not talking about sharing the Gospel
• talking about fighting Satan
• “Gospel of peace” refers/glorious news
• We are at peace with God.
• It wasn’t always that way.
• Before we were saved, we were/enemies/God/Rom.5:6-10 When God saved us, He reconciled us to Himself
• 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,” Rom. 5:1.
• Now, in Jesus/saints of God/peace with God.
• “The Gospel of peace” Paul refers/marvelous news/in Christ we are at peace with God.
• Glorious truth we have been made one with the Lord.
• having our “feet shod with/preparation/Gospel of peace”
• means we stand/absolute confidence God loves us
• He has forgiven us/we are united with Him
• He fights for us, and 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.
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Example/kind of peace abound/Bible.
The children of Israel, under the leadership of Gideon
• Witnessed Lord reduce/size/army 32,000 to 300.
• Those 300 men placed confidence in/Lord/followed Him into battle.
• Saw/Lord defeat/immense Midianite army w/o single weapon.
All those men did was break clay jars, allowing a lamp inside to shine, blow a trumpet, and cry “The sword/Lord and of Gideon.”
• Their faith/Lord’s promise gave/confidence/stand
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2 Chron. 20 people/Judah were about/invaded by the powerful armies of the Ammonites and Moabites.
• They were afraid……
• Lord spoke to King Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20:15.
Judah experienced a great victory because they took God at His Word and stood in their confidence in Him.
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Peter in the garden John 18
• Simon Peter drew his sword against/soldiers
• Just seen/whole group fall/ground “I am He,” John 18:6.
• In that moment, Peter felt like he was invincible
• He was ready to take on the whole army.
• He had confidence!
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Redeemed child of God, who stands/Lord’s power
• In full assurance/Lord’s salvation
• does not have to fear any enemy, even/Satan himself
When we are attacked, we stand on the firm, unchanging ground of the Gospel of grace.
• Same Gospel/converted us from sinners into saints
• same Gospel changed God from our enemy to 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.
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Need to be prepared for “the evil day.”
• Referring to a particular day
• being prepared in advance for what is coming
• when you least expect it/devil make his fiercest attack
• Devil has a plan for you to make a really bad decision..
• In one swoop/one brief moment/your life changes forever!
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Moment happened to David/wasn't prepared against/day/evil.
• He would never be the same, though forgiven
• It carried lasting consequences.
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Moment happened/Moses/called/God/lead His people to the Promised Land.
• weak moment of anger he twice struck the Rock which symbolized Christ
• 40 years of work went down the drain
• he wasn't allowed to enter Canaan, the abundant life.
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Only the armor of God can withstand the onslaught of Satan
Our confidence/day of battle does not rest/our own power
• in/promises/God/He promises His children/Romans 8:31–39
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Those promises, those truths, are the shoes give us/ability to stand in “the evil day.”
The truth:
• We are loved by/Lord gives us/confidence to stand.
• we are saved by His grace, gives us/confidence to stand
• We are His children gives us/confidence to stand.
• We in His tender care/He has promised to stand with us, to protect us, to keep us, and defend us, gives us confidence to stand.
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Conc: it's tremendous to know that Jesus Christ said, "I am not ashamed to call you my brothers.
• Great thing to know He's on our side
• no matter what Satan brings
• I can "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
That's the confidence of having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.
======================================Listen, victory is available in your life as a Christian
Just answer these three questions as I close
1. Do I really want to win, do I really want to win, do I have on a belt of commitment?
2. Do I seek to live a holy life; do I have a breastplate of righteousness?
3. Am I bold in the battle, because my feet are firmly rooted in confidence in God?
If you're running around doubting the Lord and His strength, you're going to lose.
But if you can answer those three questions, yes!
You’re a winner and God's going/exciting/revolutionary things with your life for His own glory
