Shoes of Readiness
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 saints.
Are you ready?
I remember the first week of 6th grade. I was in a new school with new friends and new responsibilities and new privileges. One of those privileges was that as 6th graders, we could participate in school sports. My friend David and I decided that we would go out for the cross-country team. I was excited about running, but I didn’t know much about the sport. So on my first day of practice, I came out, wearing my basketball high-top shoes. I soon found out that they were terrible running shoes. They were heavy and stiff – they were like running in work boots.
I’ve found that it’s important to have the right shoes for the right activity.
Our shoes are a foundational part of our wardrobe, not just to keep us in compliance with certain signs. Shoes protect our feet. I remember going barefoot all summer... but my next-door neighbor had a gravel driveway, and I sure didn’t like walking across it to fetch a ball… you can’t stand firm without shoes!
Stand firm… with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
The shoes we are wearing are shoes of readiness or preparedness. We’ve got to be prepared! The Greek word that Paul uses here is used in the Greek Old Testament to mean a stand or a base, driving home the fact that if you’re going to stand firm at all costs, you have to have secure footing.
This "stand firm" thing should be familiar to you – it’s our battle order. Our secure footing is provided by the Gospel (appropriated and proclaimed). That makes it all clear, doesn’t it? Except that the word "gospel" is a good example of "Christianese" – one of those words that we Christians repeat so often that we often don’t grasp its significance. The Greek word here is euangelion, from which we take the word "evangelism."
Evangelism has gotten a bad name in our culture. For many, it brings up a thought of someone on a street corner, loudly denouncing passersby. This is not evangelism.
The word euangelion means "good news," so the word evangelism means, "bringing the good news." Isaiah 52:7, from which Paul most certainly got inspiration for this particular piece of armor, says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’"
So when the Apostle Paul talks about the gospel, he’s talking about the good news: the message of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ. There is no gospel apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Good News is the news of salvation. The Good News is that while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. It’s the news that God has chosen to renew His covenant with us – that we are restored to right relationship with God through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Remember last week when I talked about the body armor of God’s righteousness? How that right relationship protects us from the devil? Well, that right relationship is also foundational for the Good News.
The Good News is the news of peace – and the ultimate peace is having peace with God. We can only have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Because we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, we are able to stand firm in the face of the devil’s attacks. Do you know this peace? Are you able to stand firm, no matter what’s going on? Even in the most difficult times of your life, can you truly say you have peace?
If you don’t have peace with God, it’s time to make that peace. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He is already extending you His peace, the peace that passes all understanding, the peace in spite of outward circumstances.
The shoes we put on, then, are the shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. What are we ready for? We are ready for Satan’s attacks, because we have the assurance that we are in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We have peace with Him through what Jesus did.
Not only do we have peace, but we are also ready to proclaim the good news of peace. This good news isn’t good news if it isn’t proclaimed! You see, putting on the shoes of readiness to proclaim the Good News doesn’t mean anything until you actually proclaim the Good News! Romans 10:14-15: How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
I had a teammate on a soccer team who showed up one day in a full complement of all of the most expensive brand new gear. He looked really nice sitting on the bench, but he never played. The point is this: don’t just dress like a pro. We called people like him "posers."
We were never meant to be posers. The Church must constantly be moving forward by consistently sharing Christ with those who don’t yet know Him. By proclaiming the Good News or peace.
Here is your assignment for this week. This week, I want you to tell three people about something God has done for you. It doesn’t have to be a stranger – in fact, if you’re not used to doing this, I would recommend that you start out with someone else from this room. This way you can have a good practice session. This is part of putting on God’s armor – proclaiming the Good News.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Are you ready?
I remember the first week of 6th grade. I was in a new school with new friends and new responsibilities and new privileges. One of those privileges was that as 6th graders, we could participate in school sports. My friend David and I decided that we would go out for the cross-country team. I was excited about running, but I didn’t know much about the sport. So on my first day of practice, I came out, wearing my basketball high-top shoes. I soon found out that they were terrible running shoes. They were heavy and stiff – they were like running in work boots.
I’ve found that it’s important to have the right shoes for the right activity.
Our shoes are a foundational part of our wardrobe, not just to keep us in compliance with certain signs. Shoes protect our feet. I remember going barefoot all summer... but my next-door neighbor had a gravel driveway, and I sure didn’t like walking across it to fetch a ball… you can’t stand firm without shoes!
Stand firm… with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
The shoes we are wearing are shoes of readiness or preparedness. We’ve got to be prepared! The Greek word that Paul uses here is used in the Greek Old Testament to mean a stand or a base, driving home the fact that if you’re going to stand firm at all costs, you have to have secure footing.
This "stand firm" thing should be familiar to you – it’s our battle order. Our secure footing is provided by the Gospel (appropriated and proclaimed). That makes it all clear, doesn’t it? Except that the word "gospel" is a good example of "Christianese" – one of those words that we Christians repeat so often that we often don’t grasp its significance. The Greek word here is euangelion, from which we take the word "evangelism."
Evangelism has gotten a bad name in our culture. For many, it brings up a thought of someone on a street corner, loudly denouncing passersby. This is not evangelism.
The word euangelion means "good news," so the word evangelism means, "bringing the good news." Isaiah 52:7, from which Paul most certainly got inspiration for this particular piece of armor, says, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’"
So when the Apostle Paul talks about the gospel, he’s talking about the good news: the message of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ. There is no gospel apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Good News is the news of salvation. The Good News is that while we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. It’s the news that God has chosen to renew His covenant with us – that we are restored to right relationship with God through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Remember last week when I talked about the body armor of God’s righteousness? How that right relationship protects us from the devil? Well, that right relationship is also foundational for the Good News.
The Good News is the news of peace – and the ultimate peace is having peace with God. We can only have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Because we have peace with God through Jesus Christ, we are able to stand firm in the face of the devil’s attacks. Do you know this peace? Are you able to stand firm, no matter what’s going on? Even in the most difficult times of your life, can you truly say you have peace?
If you don’t have peace with God, it’s time to make that peace. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He is already extending you His peace, the peace that passes all understanding, the peace in spite of outward circumstances.
The shoes we put on, then, are the shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. What are we ready for? We are ready for Satan’s attacks, because we have the assurance that we are in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We have peace with Him through what Jesus did.
Not only do we have peace, but we are also ready to proclaim the good news of peace. This good news isn’t good news if it isn’t proclaimed! You see, putting on the shoes of readiness to proclaim the Good News doesn’t mean anything until you actually proclaim the Good News! Romans 10:14-15: How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
I had a teammate on a soccer team who showed up one day in a full complement of all of the most expensive brand new gear. He looked really nice sitting on the bench, but he never played. The point is this: don’t just dress like a pro. We called people like him "posers."
We were never meant to be posers. The Church must constantly be moving forward by consistently sharing Christ with those who don’t yet know Him. By proclaiming the Good News or peace.
Here is your assignment for this week. This week, I want you to tell three people about something God has done for you. It doesn’t have to be a stranger – in fact, if you’re not used to doing this, I would recommend that you start out with someone else from this room. This way you can have a good practice session. This is part of putting on God’s armor – proclaiming the Good News.
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