As we have discussed over the past couple of months, life is one big and continual spiritual battle. Often it will manifest itself in physical realm, in terms of violence and persecution and prosecution. But all around us, the culture presses us to bend to the ways of the world rather than to the ways of God. However, our instructions in this warfare is quite clear from Scripture:
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
We do not fight this fight defenseless. We are to put on the full armor, not just parts of the armor we like, but the whole armor. And having put on the whole armor we are TO STAND FIRM. It is with this in mind, “standing firm” we move to our third piece of the armor, the footwear. On our feet is the “Gospel of Peace”
Ephesians 6:13–15
In his oral history of World War II, The Good War, author/historian Studs Terkel related the experience of David Milton who was an eighteen-year-old merchant seaman aboard ship in 1942. Milton told of one time when his ship was transporting Sherman tanks across to Europe. “In the middle of the Atlantic, these tanks broke loose in a big storm. They were Sherman tanks, twenty-thirty tons. As the ship would roll, these tanks would just slide through the hole and bang up against the bulkhead. Then they’d roll the other way, just shaking the ship apart. So we pulled out of the convoy. [at this point, protection of the convoy from German U-boats were the least of their concerns-they were in danger of sinking from the turmoil within.] We headed into the sea, while the deck seaman went down below to secure those tanks. They were riding them like cowboys, trying to hook cables through. Finally, they got the tanks lashed down.…”
The great danger to Milton’s ship came, not from the storm on the outside, but by the disturbance on the inside. We can handle the stresses without only when we are battened down within. [1]
Today we are looking at the Gospel of Peace. Simply put, in a world that is opposed to everything we stand for as Christians, how are we supposed to fight this battle if we have a battle waging within us?
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
We are to take up the whole armor not just part of it. So that we can stand. The command “to stand” and to “stand firm” is listed 3 times in verse 11-14. There must be something to that. We are to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (verse 11) and in verse 13, resisting in the evil day. That evil day is upon us. So in taking up the armor of God:
Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
Having girded, we discussed this before, this in the Greek is in the aorist tense meaning this is something we should have already done. This is done at te moment of our conversion, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have already put on the belt of Truth – Jesus is truth. We have already put on breastplate of righteousness – right living, made holy because the righteousness imparted to us by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. And next:
Ephesians 6:15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
This a paraphrase of Isaiah 52:7. The word preparation is not present in the Hebrew. In Romans 10:15 Paul quotes this verse also: How beautify are the feet of those who bring Good News of Good things. The Good News is the Gospel and in context with Isaiah, the good news is peace. Peace in context is almost synonymous with salvation.
We should have already prepared for battle by shodding our feet with the gospel of peace. Shoes, like the belt, is not specifically mentioned, but the passage reads “shod your feet” NIV – has feet fitted” – like sized up when you’re buying a new pair of shoes. We are fitted with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. The preparation of the Gospel of peace is our shoes.
Paul was chained to a roman soldier as he writes this. He knew how the soldier was dressed. The shoe of the Roman soldier is kind of a half boot called a “caliga.” The bottom was usually studded with nails, to give a firm grip to the ground, so the soldier’s footing would be sure and steady.
Paul’s point seems to be that the footwear provides preparation or readiness for battle. What soldiers need in a holding battle is the good grip provided by nails driven through the sole, so that the front lines are not sent reeling and slithering by an enemy charge. The right shoes allows the soldier to stand firm.
This one verse in the Armor of God has been translated a number of different ways. To help make it more clear, sometimes it is good to consider other translations. Let's look at two other translations.
Ephesians 6:15 Revised English Bible: ‘let the shoes on your feet be the gospel of peace, to give you firm footing’
Ephesians 6:15 Amplified Bible And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
The peace that we have with God and from God gives us the confidence of standing firm, looking square at the enemy and not having to waver. Verse 15 is not so much about spreading the Gospel (which we should be about), but internalizing the Gospel which is Jesus. Jesus gives us peace.
Ephesians 2:14b For He Himself is our peace …
Just like truth and righteousness, we have to put on Jesus to have true peace. Just like the tanks rolling around in the ship. It was not the storm that was breaking up the ship, it was the turmoil within. Once everything was secured on the inside, the storm on the outside was a piece of cake.
Let’s take a closer look at this “preparation of the gospel of peace.” A major emphasis of the whole book of Ephesians is peace.
Ephesians 2:17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
Paul is quoting from Isaiah 57:19. What peace did Jesus preach? Sure, we’re to be peacemakers in the world, because Jesus did say:
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Certainly we ought to be peacemakers in the world. We need to strive for peace.
Shouldn't we rely on the government for peace? Do you think peace will come out of Washington? We cannot get the Democrats and Republicans to agree on the time of day. What make us think they can author any lasting peace?
In this world, will even Christianity bring peace? For starters, it doesn’t take a deep study of history to know that large percentage of wars in the past 2,000 years were started in the name of Christianity. Look at the words of Jesus:
Matthew 10:34–36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
Was it for nations to be at Peace?
Matthew 24:6–7 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.
There will be no world-wide peace until the Prince of Peace returns to rule. So what is the peace the Jesus gives? It is the peace only know Jesus gives, when Jesus said these words:
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
The gospel, which is the good news about Jesus, bring us His peace, not as the world defines peace, but His perfect peace. Paul speaks of two kinds of peace. We have:
1. Peace with God
2. Peace of God
Starting with peace with God, this peace comes because of the salvation with which we have through Jesus:
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We are no longer enemies with God. His wrath against us has been wiped away. We have been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus.
Romans 5:9–10 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
We can make peace with our maker through blood of Jesus Christ. And that war between you and God can be put behind you forever. That is peace with God. And since we have peace with God, we can also experience (2) the peace of God.
Everyone who knows the Lord, maintains a personal relationship with Him can face any problem, including death, and still have the peace of God in their hearts. When a spouse dies, when child is gravely ill, when you lose a job, you can experience a peace that you do not understand and the rest of the world will marvel at.
Philippians 4:6–7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We give all to the Lord. We know He has all in His hands. Jesus said
Matthew 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Then Jesus tells them:
Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
If we are to live in peace, then we must let His peace rule in our hearts regardless of what is happening around us.
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
The peace of God will guard us. With the peace that only God can give, we can face any battle, endure any hardship, stand firm on any ground.
Are you prepared for battle? Do you have the peace of God which will allow you to stand firm against whatever the world throughs your way? Again, what we have already done at the time of our conversion:
Ephesians 6:15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
We allow His peace to rule in our hearts so we can have sure footing, to stand firm against the world. It is all about knowing Jesus. Jesus is our peace.
I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said:
“No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.”
How true that is. We wonder about the turmoil the world around us is experiencing. We have the answer, and that answer is Jesus. The world does not know Him, and the world has no peace.
The question I leave with you this morning is, Do you know Jesus?
[1] Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 607–608.
