Sermon republished here by kind permission of Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
Listen to the sermon at SermonAudio.com website:
Part 3 of The Christian Armor or The Full Armor of God
Christian in the Complete Armour
GOSPEL SHOES
Text: Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Introduction
There is a war of cosmic proportion raging. It is the war between the Seed of the Woman, Christ and His Church and the Seed of the Serpent, Satan and the unbelieving world.
At the cross of Calvary Christ crush the head of the ancient serpent when it bit his heels. But the war is far from over, for the ancient serpent, the devil, is thrashing about in its death throes, seeking to sweep as many as he possibly can into hell with him.
So the war is still raging, though it is in its last days.
So every Christian and Christian Church is enrolled as soldiers and platoons and companies of Christ to fight the battles that are raging.
In this war, blood is seldom shed. Satan is a cunning enemy. He will try to prevent bloodshed so as not to rouse any slumbering members who may be in Christ’s army.
Because of this strategy, many who profess to be Christian have been recruited by the Wicked One to fight his battles without their even knowing. That was the case during the days of the apostle Paul. It is still the same today.
This is one of the reasons the apostle Paul wrote about the Armour of God—to warn us about the battles that are raging; and to instruct us on how we must fight the battles.
A few sabbaths ago, we considered Paul’s briefing in regards to the war that we have to fight. He tells us essentially that we must fight a defensive war in the strength and equipment provided by the Lord. We must put on our ARMOR and stand and withstand.
Having heard the briefing, we stepped into the armoury to learn about various parts of the armour that is available to us. We have considered the BELT of truth.
We saw that this belt symbolises everything to do with the truth.
Objectively it refers to the truth of the Gospel which we must hold on tenaciously. Subjectively, we must gird ourselves with honesty, faithfulness, and integrity. Unless we know the truth and are truthful, we shall easily fall prey to the temptation of the devil to fight on his side. For Satan is the father of lies.
Then we considered the breastplate or THORAX of righteousness. We saw that the thorax of righteousness has two parts. We may think of one part as referring to Christ’s imputed righteousness, and the other part as referring to Christ’s imparted righteousness. We must walk and war gratefully as saints justified in Christ; and we must live holy lives in response to the work of sanctification of the Spirit of Christ.
But now, the Lord helping us, this morning we must now consider the foot protection that Paul wants us to wear. This is our combat boots.
Paul says:
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15)
This is an amazing statement and much may be said about it. But for our purpose this morning, we are going to have to be very brief. If you desire more details, I would recommend Dr Lloyd-Jone’s sermons on Ephesians or William Gurnall’s “The Christian in Complete Armour.”
But for our purposes, it is my desire that we can get a handle on what Paul is saying, and apply what the Lord is teaching us into our day to day battles. For this purpose, let us consider these 5 points:
• Shoes facilitate Movement
• Holding ground sometimes involve offensive operations
• Only if you know the Gospel will you be ready
• Every providential contact is a Gospel opportunity
• Serve the Lord by joining the Church in her Gospel Battles.
First, then…
1. Shoes facilitate Movement
There is one piece of equipment that every modern infantry soldier must have. It is not the rifle. It not the body armour. It is not his helmet. It is his boots. Although the larger part of modern warfare is not fought on the ground, the humble boots is still an essential part of the soldier’s equipment.
Someone has put it very well when he says: “if the soldier’s feet fail, all of his high tech equipment is useless”
A poorly designed or poorly fitting pair of boot can become a tremendous source of pain and frustration for the soldier. Imagine having blisters on the foot and trying to fight a battle? Those of you who have been to the army will know. If your boots are too tight, you can hardly walk. If they are too loose, you get blisters.
You need comfortable boots that you can wear and not worry about if you want to fight a battle. I remember how, when I was undergoing training in OCS, many of us would go to the sport shops to buy the best insoles to line the inside of our boots because we realise that it was so important that our feet were comfortable,—because so much of what we do as soldiers are done on our feet.
So the boots are extremely important to the soldier.
Well, it was so during the days of Paul too. No doubt they did not wear combat boots the way that we do; but they wear a kind of leather shoes tied with leather tongs as well as metal greaves (like leg armour) to protect their lower legs.
These footwear were designed be comfortable and yet at the same time to allow the soldiers to have freedom of movement without fear of stepping on sharp rocks or traps that the enemies may lay on the path.
The soldiers who did not have good protection for their legs and feet knew that as soon as they step on a sharp rock they would be out of action. On the other hand, those who have proper shoes can go out to fight their enemies on their turf.
But what do the shoes in the panoply of God represent?
Paul teaches us that our feet should be “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
Notice that the shoes that the apostle Paul is talking about represents not the Gospel of peace itself, but the preparation or the readiness of the Gospel of peace.
We are not shod with the gospel. The gospel is the good news or the Word of God, which is our belt and sword. What we are shod with is the preparation or the readiness that comes with the gospel.
Just as a army commander may tell his troops: “Keep your shoes on, and be ready to march in moment’s notice,” so the apostle is telling us to do the same: “Make sure you have your shoes on. Be ready to go with the Gospel at any moment.”
You can only be ready if you are wearing the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel. You can’t be ready with mere courage. You can’t be ready just because you have money and intellect. You can’t even be ready with mere intellectual knowledge without the joy and peace of the Gospel.
The Shoes facilitate movement. The shoes which are the readiness of the gospel of peace facilitate spiritual movement in the battles we have to fight.
But what a minute? Isn’t the battle a defensive one? Aren’t we supposed to hold our ground? Why are we called to be ready to go out?
Well, in answer, let’s consider the second point, which is…
2. Holding ground sometimes involve offensive operations
Take note that because the apostle Paul teaches us that this spiritual war that we have to fight is a defensive war, some commentators believe that Paul is not speaking about the spreading of the gospel.
They say that Paul is picturing the soldier as standing rather than advancing. So they suggest that that the shoes must represent the “believer’s stability or surefootedness from the gospel which gives him peace so he can stand in the battle.”
Well, I am not sure about that. I wonder how a soldier can fight a battle by standing without moving. And if you are standing only why do you need shoes?
No, no, it appears to me that when Paul teaches us to stand, he is not saying that we don’t move!
The fact is, in order to fight a defensive battle effectively, we must be ready to move when needed.
Why are so many Western countries fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan? Rightly or wrongly, it is because they believe that in order to defend their country effectively, they sometimes need to go out on the offensive. The whole military doctrine of pre-emptive strikes is based on this idea. The point is: a ready offence is an essential part of successful defence.
I believe this is what Paul has in mind. I believe that what Paul is saying is: Let your feet be ready and prepared to move with the gospel of peace. Therefore put on your shoes with that readiness.
In this spiritual battle that we fight, we must never go on the offensive directly against Satan. But we must be ever ready with the Gospel to make advance. Christ has already conquered. In order that we may hold our ground, we must march on to occupy the conquered territory—even the hearts of those for whom Christ died. We must do so in the power and purpose of Christ and His Gospel.
The gospel shoes represent the readiness to move with the gospel of peace and to move with its power and purpose.
Paul, no doubt, has in mind the words of the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 52:7. He quotes this verse in Romans 10 and I am quite sure he has it in mind in our text too.
Turn to the verse and you will see what I mean.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth PEACE; that bringeth good TIDINGS OF GOOD, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth” (Isa 52:7)
Do you see the similarly? Isaiah is painting the picture of a bearer of good news running across the mountains to bring peace and good tidings.
In ancient days there were no telephone or internet. Messages had to be conveyed personally on foot. And if you are anticipating to receive a piece of new, whether good or bad, you may stand on a watchtower where you can see the messenger running with the news. Often, by the person chosen to bear the news and the way he runs, you would be able to tell if he is bearing good news. And if you think that the person is bearing good news, then what a beautiful sight it would be to see the feet of the runner making progress towards you.
Think of the days after David’s son Absalom was defeated. It was a piece of good news. But Joab had killed Absalom contrary to David’s instruction and so he knew that it was bad news for David. So when Joab wanted to send a messenger to inform David, he refused at first to send Ahimaaz. Why not? Because Ahimaaz knew that David would be very sadden by the news; and Joab did not want the people to think that something bad had happened. And so he chose someone neutral, who would not feel for David to bring the message. When this person brought the news, he would only think of the victory that was secured. He would not think of David’s sorrow, and so he would run as a bearer of good tidings.
Now, the apostle Paul, although, he was describing the armour of God would probably have in mind this idea of bearing good news too.
The gospel is literally ‘good news!’ The gospel of peace is the good news of peace! “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” he says (Eph 6:15) Can you see why I say Paul must have Isaiah 52:7 in mind?
And so we can be quite sure that when Paul speaks about being shod with the preparation of the gospel, he is telling us that we should all be ready to run with the gospel; to tell the good news; to publish peace that comes with salvation; and to say “Our God reigns!”
When we do so, we are not only going forward to occupy the territory that Christ has conquered but also fortify ourselves against the assaults of the Wicked One—in a kind of pre-emptive strike.
Yes, the apostle Paul is teaching us how we may stand against the wiles of the devil. It is a defensive battle that we have to fight. But in order to fight it effectively we must be ready always to make advance with the gospel of peace.
The apostle Peter says:
“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” (1 Pet 3:15).
Now, it is instructive to note that the word translated ‘ready’ here has the same root as the word translated ‘preparation’ in our text. Preparation is readiness. Peter wants us to have the preparation of the gospel to be able to answer to every man who asks us of the hope that is in us.
This, beloved brethren, youth and children, is an important defence strategy. It is important for us to be always ready to give an answer to anyone who ask us whether they be asking out of genuine interest, or curiosity, or even challenge. If we can’t give an answer, then the devil will assault us with doubts until we find a satisfactory answer.
But more than that, being always prepared to speak the gospel is one of the best ways of experiencing the power of the gospel in our lives that will enable to stand and withstand the assaults of the devil.
Though we are not all called to preach the gospel, we are all called to be witnesses of the gospel. We are all called to gossip the gospel. We are all called to be like Andrew who when he found the Lord went to call his brother Peter. We must be like the Samaritan woman who when she found salvation in the Lord went and told the whole village about the Messiah.
If we would be like Andrew and the Samaritan woman, we shall ourselves be greatly strengthened in our fight against the Wicked One. For one of the best ways of experiencing the power and assurance of the gospel in your life is to give it away or to bring others to it.
The Lord says:
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Lk 17:33).The more you are ready to lay down your life and your pride to speak about the gospel, the more you will know of the power, joy, assurance and peace that comes with the gospel.
In dying you will live. In giving the gospel of peace, you shall receive peace yourself.
Put on there those shoes of the preparation of the gospel and be ready always not only to give an answer to those who ask you, but also to give out the gospel to those who are too blinded and hardened in their hearts to ask. The more you do so, the more you will see the reality of the spiritual war you are fighting. It is one thing to fight a war while sitting at the HQ Ops Room. It is quite another to go out to the battlefield. Armchair commander or soldier will never be able to fight a war effectively.
Likewise, a Christian soldier who does not go out to meet the enemy troops and try to lead then to the Lord, will never understand why it is so important to fight the good fight. Only those who go out with the shoes of the preparation of the gospel will know the awful reality and bitterness of being under the rule of the Price of Darkness.
Therefore holding grounds should also involve offensive operations, or we will loose the battle.
But remember thirdly,…
3. Only if you know the Gospel will you be ready
Paul teaches us to make sure that our feet are shod with the readiness of the Gospel of peace. But how?
Well, first of all, you must know the gospel well. Beloved brethren, teens and Children, if I were to ask you to tell me the gospel, are you able to?
Are you to tell your friends who is the Lord Jesus and why he lived and died? Only if you are able, can you say that you are wearing the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel.
So what is the Gospel? The Gospel, beloved brethren is that Christ lived, suffered, and died and rose again in order to reconcile God to sinners. Man is created in the image of God to enjoy fellowship with God his maker. But our first father Adam fell into sin and plunged all mankind into sin. The wages of sin is death. God as a just God must punish sin. But man cannot pay for his own sin. Only the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man is able to do so. Therefore he lived a perfectly holy life and suffered not because he had any sin, but because he was taking the place of his people to suffer and to die for them.
Thanks be to God, his sacrifice was accepted. So he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and is seated at the Right hand of the throne of God. All those for whom Christ died would believe in Him and would be given life eternal, abundant and free today and forever more.
This beloved brethren, teens and children is the long and short of the Gospel of peace.
See to it that you know the Gospel well. Indeed, don’t just think that you know the Gospel well, for you hear it so many time that it is easy for you to think that you know it and yet are not able to express it. Only if you are able to express it can you be said to have the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace.
Therefore may I recommend a practice exercise, namely to try to explain with one another. One of you pretend to be an unbeliever, the other try to tell him the Gospel.
Tell him about the Lord Jesus. Tell him about how you found peace and salvation in Him.
Children, if you can’t tell the gospel, then you must ask your daddy to teach you how to tell the gospel.
Brethren, let is make sire that we know the Gospel. Parents let us make sure our children know the Gospel.
But it is not enough to know the Gospel and how to express, we must seek to make use of every opportunity that God providence’s afford for us. And so let us remember, fourthly:
4. Every providential contact is a Gospel opportunity
Remember that Paul is teaching us to put on the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Now, to put on the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel, you must resolve not to be ashamed of the gospel.
I am not saying that whenever you talk to anyone you should force the gospel into the conversation. If you do, you will become very irritating and obnoxious to those who know you and no one will want to talk to you.
But we mind remind ourselves not to be ashamed to bring up the Gospel. In fact, we should pray for and seize every opportunity to gossip the gospel.
When you have the opportunity, give a tract. If you are sitting beside someone whether in the bus, or the MRT or in the plane, and you get talking remember to give a tract.
If you are doing business transaction with someone, and the opportunity arise, tell the person that you are a Christian, and invite him to come to church.
If your classmate asks you what you do on Sunday, tell him you are a Christian and you go to church. But do not stop there. Tell him that Sunday is the day that the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and you go to church to worship and serve a risen saviour.
If your colleague complain to you about how others misunderstand her and don’t like her, then tell her about the Lord was misunderstood. Tell her of how when He gave you faith you found freedom from bondage of wanting always to please man rather than to please God.
And what about facebooks and blogs? Many of us like to tell the world about ourselves. I am not so sure it is a good idea. But if you feel it necessary to expose your heart and life to the world, then please do not expose your sin, while hiding Christ. No, no; be not ashamed of Christ. Be ready to express thanksgiving to the Lord at every turn of providence in your life. Never, never be afraid to disclose that you are Christian! But please do not bring shame to Christ when you tell the world that you are a Christian.
Beloved brethren and youths, let us ask the Lord to open our ears and eyes to the opportunity to gossip the Gospel.
But finally, let us…
5. Serve the Lord by joining the Church in her Gospel Battles
The spiritual battle is not only the Christian’s battle, but the church’s battle. Therefore, I would suggest that if you would have your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel, then you must resolve to seize every opportunity to join the church when your brethren go out to bring the Gospel—whether at the neighbourhood, in the streets, in the hospitals or at the home of someone unable to come to church.
Some of us may be hindered from going out for one reason or another. You must not feel guilty about not being able to go. But let us remember to make it a point to keep those Lord’s Day afternoon free of other encumbrances and let us resolve to go.
And parents, forbid not your children from going. If they are going to fight the spiritual battle, they must early be exposed to the battle by going out into the field.
Remember that the Great Commission is not only the duty of the minister. And while not every one of us is called to preach the Gospel, everyone of us are joined together for the defence and confirmation and furtherance of the Gospel. We must support the ministry of the Gospel in prayer, and in participation when we go out.
How have you participated? Are your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel?
Conclusion
But let us now conclude. Beloved brethren and children, let your feet be shod with the preparation and readiness of the Gospel of peace. Fight a defensive battle, but do not forget that in order that you can fight it effectively, you must also be prepared to take the offensive when the occasion calls for it.
Remember:
• Shoes facilitate Movement
• Holding ground sometimes involve offensive operations
• Only if you know the Gospel will you be ready
• Every providential contact is a Gospel opportunity
• Serve the Lord by joining the Church in her Gospel Battles.
May the Lord grant us his help not to put off our gospel-readiness shoes seeing that we are constantly in a battle. Amen.
Sermon by Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
Sermon republished here by kind permission of Pastor JJ Lim of Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore.
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