Author: mary

The greatest message we bear as Christians is the Gospel message. It has the power to convict, bring hope, and give peace. This is why Paul said in Ephesians 6:15 says, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

The word peace has several different meanings according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary: “ a state of tranquility or quiet: such as freedom from civil disturbance, a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom, freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions, harmony in personal relations. All of these definitions could apply to the type of peace we find in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Christ provides a peace that is tranquility. It is a quiet state of mind. In the middle of the loud world, His peace gives us a reason to sing. The gospel also brings security. It is a safety net that provides the assurance of eternity in heaven. The gospel gives us peace that calms our thoughts and emotions. We can doubt our salvation, our beliefs, and even God Himself, but the saving grace of Jesus gives us the assurance we need. The last definition of peace says “harmony in personal relations.” The gospel message binds us together as churches and more importantly as the body of Christ; that gives peace to believers.

So why is it important to put on the shoes of peace? We need to experience His peace in all of its fullness and then we will be able to bring the peace of the gospel message to a dying world.

The first piece of armour that Paul tells you to put on in Ephesians 6:14 is the belt of truth: “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” He first gives a command and tells you to stand your ground. This is important when going into battle. You must first stand your ground when in battle. Do not give up; do not shy away or the enemy will overtake you.

Then he says to put on the belt of truth. A belt holds everything together, just as the truth holds all of the armour together. The Christian life is based on truth. God is the God of truth who only speaks truth, while the devil stands on lies and speaks lies.

Paul then says to put on the body armour, the breast piece of righteousness that protects the most important organ, your heart. Your heart is what gives you life. If it stops, then you will no longer live. In the Christian life, your heart is what houses the Holy Spirit, the life of Christ. You must protect it from the enemy’s darts. Righteousness, living a holy life, is what protects you from the enemy. He cannot touch you when you are living according to the Lord and His truth.

Christianity is more than just going to church, reading your Bible, doing mission work, or praying. It is all of this together! If you are only doing one of these things, then you are not fully experiencing the greatness of being a Christian, one of God’s chosen servants. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” You must put on each piece of the armour.

For example, if you only go to church, but spend no time in prayer or reading your Bible, then when the enemy attacks, you will not know how to fight against him. If you only pray, how will you know what you should say if you are never reading your Bible? If you only read your Bible, then how will you see His words played out in the real world? You must have all of it to really live out your faith.

A soldier would not go out to battle with just one weapon or one piece of his armour. He/she would never be vulnerable to the enemy like that. So why in the world do we as Christians settle for just living out half of our faith? Why allow ourselves to become vulnerable to the enemy? Over the next few days, let’s learn about the armour and how we can protect ourselves from the devil.

It can be difficult living in this world as a Christian. Society has made sin acceptable and anyone who questions it or lives different is not tolerant. This makes it discouraging to try to stand for truth and God’s Word. However, we are not fighting people or even society. We are fighting a greater demon, our enemy the devil. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Have you ever been wronged by someone? You probably felt betrayed. It can be easy in a world that pits people against each other to take it out on those who wrong you. However, we have to remember that God told us to love our neighbors, not get revenge or hate them. This means we need to recognize who is really in control when they do something to wrong you. The reality is that it is the devil who controls them and their actions. They have believed his lies. He is their master and they do what he says.

We live in a fallen, dark world. When sin entered the world, darkness also entered. Every person in this world has a choice to make. They can either choose to follow the prince of darkness, the devil, or find truth and hope in the Lord through Jesus Christ. Only then can you join in the spiritual warfare and fight for the Lord!

If you have been a Christian very long, then you probably have some understanding of the armour of God. Maybe you learned about it as a child in Sunday School, church camp, or Vacation Bible School. Maybe you have heard sermons preached about it, or have even studied it in Bible studies. Have you ever taken the time to really study each part and understand what each part of the armour means? Over the next few days, we are going to really dive in and understand what Paul meant in Ephesians six by the armour of God. Hopefully, then you will understand why it is important to put on the armour of God in the battle we face as Christians.

We are living in the midst of spiritual warfare. The enemy fights for control over our lives by whispering lies and making sin look so pleasing and good. Many are led astray by his trickery, even Christians can become entangled in sin if we do not do something to protect ourselves. Paul saw this happening during his time, just as we still see it happening today. This is why it is so important to recognize our enemy, the devil, for who he is and take up the armour of God.

Paul instructs believers on how to live in Ephesians 6, but starting in verse 10, he has a final word for believers: how to stand firm against the devil and the principalities of this world. He says in verses 10-11, “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” This is how we stand firm against the schemes of the devil: put on the full armour of God so you will be strong in the Lord and his power.