As we've been exploring our spiritual armor and trying to understand what it means to equip ourselves with it and put it to use, we have discussed breastplates (righteousness), belts (truth), helmets (salvation), swords (Word of God), and shields (faith), but even after having all of these things in place, even after having all of these things that cover us from head to waist, what about our feet? This week we'll begin to navigate the gospel of peace as our foot covering and discuss how it assures us that we cannot be defeated.

 

If we consider sports, hobbies, and various occupations, the individuals that participate in these activities or have jobs in certain industries might wear a shoe that is specific to the activity or job that they are partaking in. If we were to highlight just a few examples of the types of shoes that different individuals wear based on activity or occupation, there are many examples that we can use. Dancers have jazz, ballet, character, and other shoes. There are athletes of different sports that wear cleats and then there are those athletic shoes such as tennis, bowling, golf, and basketball shoes, amongst many others. Firefighters have boots that vary depending on whether they are indoor or outdoor, and depending on the type of fires that they deal with. They have structural, station, and rescue boots amongst many others. And we all might be familiar with soldiers and their combat boots. However, the footgear that Paul urges us to strap on our feet as part of our spiritual armor is "the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace". 

 

As we've been navigating our spiritual armor and expounding on the importance of our spiritual armor resting in the truths of who God is, we also discussed Jesus as "THE TRUTH"! The story of Jesus, his birth, crucifixion, death, and resurrection is very much real. It is a truth by which all power and authority was given into his hands. And it is through Jesus' truth that we are given peace by the Prince of Peace himself. 

 

In "Don't Steal "MY" Peace", we explored Jesus as "the Prince of Peace". As read in Isaiah 9:6, it was foretold saying, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (NIV). Jesus is the Prince of Peace because his overcoming life, the cross, and conquering death, gives us assurance. It gives us the assurance that we are no longer bound. It gives us the assurance that we are set free from the bondage of our sins and eternal damnation because Jesus sacrificing his life for us was the atonement that was needed as a ransom on our behalf. We can have peace because Jesus conquered all which means that as his sheep, nothing can conquer us. We cannot be harmed nor destroyed. We cannot be overtaken. We won't lack anything. BUT WE MUST UNDERSTAND AND OPERATE UNDER THE ACKNOLWEDGEMENT OF SUCH!

 

The Peace of Knowing           

 

Paul understood the peace that rested in Christ as our Savior. And because Paul understood that peace, he did not worry about what he faced neither did he fret over what lied ahead.

 

In Roman 8:14-17, Paul states:

 

        For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,

        so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,              'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are

        heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his

        glory (NIV).

 

Paul understood that as children of God, we are the recipients of his protection, provision, comfort, safety, grace, and His glory. Paul understood that as children of God, there is a reward. Paul held on to the grace of salvation and every promise that comes along with it. Paul understood the glory of God that rested upon those who suffered for Christ. Paul understood the glory that God reveals through His power when we hold on to Him as we endure the trials of life and trust Him to bring us out. Paul understood that all of our trials, struggles, setbacks, and disappointments were a testament to the power and glory of God.

 

In Acts 20:22-23, Paul states, "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me"(NIV). The threat of hardship did not stop Paul from proclaiming the gospel. And even when Paul stood face-to-face with what the Holy Spirit had already warned him about, he did not relent from what God had stopped him on that road to Damascus to do. Paul kept proclaiming the gospel. And even after finding himself being arrested and standing before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council), and then finding himself amidst a major dispute and another uproar, as he was in the barracks, Acts 23:11, tells us that "the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (NIV). The Lord sent Paul forward to continue the work. And the Lord did not leave his side. The Lord saw Paul through beatings, riots, imprisonments and much more.

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If we read the writings of Paul, it is evident that the Spirit of God was with him. Paul rested in the Spirit and found comfort in it. Paul looked to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. Paul always acknowledged that it was the Spirit at work within him. Whatever Paul taught or whatever work he performed, he made sure to acknowledge the workings of the Holy Spirit. He made sure to give all glory to God. Jesus did a work both within and through Paul to make his name (Christ) known and to spread the truths of who him and His father were. Jesus used Paul to make people aware of the power that rested within him, the Son and God, the Father. Jesus used Paul to bring people into the knowledge of his saving grace and the freedom that could be found in him. Paul spread the gospel of Christ and Christ kept his hands on Paul and covered him. 

 

If we consider Joseph and all that he had to endure, the name of God was magnified when those who came into contact with Joseph saw that God was with him and gave him success in all that he did. God's name was magnified when Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of Egypt saying, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God...Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:37-40, NIV). God's name is magnified and the power of His might, care, and plans for us are made known when we see how he allowed Joseph to go from the pit, to Potiphar, to prison, and then end up in a palace because what his brothers had meant for evil, God worked it for both his and our good.

 

If we consider Job, who went through mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual anguish that many of us would not want to go through better yet fathom, after all of his suffering, Job 42:12-15 tells us that:

 

      The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand                camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. The first                daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. Nowhere in all the land were there found            women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers (NIV).

 

The name of God was exalted and His compassion, power, faithfulness, and glory was shown in seeing how after allowing satan to attack Job's family, wealth and his health, Job ended up with more than was taken from him because he held on to God and God in turn did not let go of him.

 

What we see through these examples is that God taking care of the righteous HAS NEVER CHANGED! The covenant changed, but the fact that God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him, DID NOT CHANGE! The same way that Christ was with and for Paul and those whom he commissioned to spread the gospel, the same way that Christ shielded, protected, provided, and directed those who believed, trusted, loved, and obeyed him is the same way that God has been shielding, protecting, 
providing, and orchestrating the paths of those whom he has called and chosen since the beginning of creation. The Faithfulness of God, our Father, is the same faithfulness that resides in Jesus, the Son. AND FOR THAT WE CAN HAVE PEACE! We abide under the protection of the Trinity (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit). As believers, upon receiving salvation and walking in righteousness, we are never without someone watching over us, interceding on our behalf, and directing, guiding, and ordering our steps. God watches over us and through His Son, He also dwells within us. That is our peace. NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE, GOD DOES NOT LEAVE OUR SIDE (even when we feel like He's not there).

A PEACEFUL FIT            

 

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

-John 16:33 (NIV)

 

Our ability to understand Christ as the Prince of Peace and accept that peace is imperative. As we put on our spiritual armor, it is that peace of Christ that is going to give us that 'Gideon Assurance' and allow us to go full force into battle without fear, worry, or doubt. It was that conversation between the two men in the Midianites' camp that God orchestrated for Gideon to hear so that he could abandon his fear, find encouragement, and "ARISE!" (Judges 7:8-15). It is that same readiness that the gospel of peace, the gospel of Christ, gives us. When we have a full faith and reliance on Christ, what it means to accept him as our Lord and Savior, and what it means to be a child of the Most High God, we can walk into every battle with A FULL ASSURANCE THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY COVERED! We can walk into every battle knowing that God has already delivered our enemies into our hands just as he gave the Midianites into Gideon's hands. 

 

When we are able to grasp the peace that rests in the fact that Jesus was wounded, bruised, and took stripes that gave us life, salvation, healing, and restoration, bringing us back into reconciliation and relationship with God, we can walk into every battle much like David did and proclaim and prophesy with a full assurance to the giants that we face, that THEY ARE GOING TO FALL! 

 

When we put on the peace of the gospel as our footwear, we don't have to fear the pit. With Christ as our peace, much like Joseph, we can look past the intents of those who hurt and tried to destroy us and look to God with the reverence and recognition that He had a plan and worked it for our good.

 

When we ready our feet with the gospel of peace, when the trials that we face intensify and it feels like everything and everyone has set us ablaze, we can stand firm and not waver in our allegiance to God much like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did by not bowing to or worshipping Nebuchadnezzar's golden image. 

 

When we ready ourselves with the gospel of peace, when faced with the threat of man, institutions, and all those other haters, we can fall on our knees trusting that God is in control and that He will shut the mouth of the lions just like he did for Daniel. It is that gospel of peace and our faith in Christ that will allow us to reverence him even when faced with threat and uncertainty. It is that peace that will not allow us to waver in our praying and praise to God even when it feels like trusting Him is doing nothing but working against us.

 

It is the peace of Christ that even when we start to lose hope and find ourselves wallowing in our despair over the events of life that have come to shake us, we can do like Job did and remember who is in control and who has the jurisdiction to justify and vindicate us. We can stand firm saying, "THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM", because we have picked up the sword of the Spirit (Word of God), tightened our belt (truth) remembering who God is, are standing firm in our helmet (salvation) and breastplate (righteousness), with the peace of Christ as our combat boots knowing that:

 

As the heirs of Abraham God promised that He would bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us

(Genesis 12:3)

 

The Lord blesses the righteous; and surround them with His favor as with a shield

(Psalm 5:12).

 

"God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day."

-Psalm 7:11 (KJV)

 

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles."

-Psalm 34:17 (NIV)

 

"Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned."

-Psalm 34:21 (NIV)

 

"the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous."

-Psalm 37:17 (NIV)

 

David declared, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread".

-Psalm 37:25 (NIV)

 

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble."

-Psalm 37:39 (NIV)

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David confirms that we can "Cast [our] cares on the Lord and he will sustain [us]; he will never let the righteous be shaken".

-Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

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"The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked."

-Proverbs 10:3 (NIV)

 

And this is why we as the righteous, mustn't lose our hope. We have the concrete truth that God will not forsake the righteous. And the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ solidifies that truth. THAT IS OUR PEACE! That is what readies us for battle. We might not be ready to accept what comes against us and we might not be prepared to face what comes at us, but we will always be ready for battle when we accept the peace of Christ.

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That does not mean that we will like what we have to face. That does not mean that we will happily welcome those trying and turbulent circumstances into our lives. That does not mean that we won't feel the emotions that come as a result of what we endure. It just means that in spite of all the pain, feelings, and emotions that make us feel anguished, incapable, distraught, broken, and all those other emotions that make us want to give up, we can push and persevere. It means that when our physical, mental, and emotional strength fails us, the Holy Spirit will be there to strengthen our spirit and help us to fight the fight of faith that is needed to knock out the giants in our lives. And if we know nothing else about God and battles, we know that HE LOSES NOT ONE, which means...neither do we! BUT WE MUST TRUST AND BELIEVE!

 

The Comfort of Peace amidst WAR          

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 reads: 

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        Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who                    comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from

        God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are                  distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient                endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our              sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the

        troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that              we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not

        rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us              again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will

        give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many (NIV).

 

Paul understood the role that both God and Christ played in his life. He understood the significance of both the Father and the Son and the power that rested within them. Paul understood the comfort that came from God. Paul understood how God's comfort helps us to comfort others. Paul understood how discomfort helps us to produce patience. And he was real enough to recognize that some battles appear downright threatening but yet he trusted God enough to know that God had the battle in His omnipotent hands.

 

Life is not easy. Things are going to war at us. Things are going to war within us. But praise to the God who is our saving grace. Praise to Christ who gives us hope knowing that he has already conquered all things and won all of our battles on our behalf. Praise to the one and only Christ who readies us for every battle with his peace that assures us that he has already made all things well. Trouble is inevitable but God's peace is a choice! God's peace is always available to us, BUT WE MUST ACCEPT HIS PEACE AND STAND FIRMLY ON IT!  

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FULLY EQUIPPED: The Importance of Full Armor        

 

Breastplate (Righteousness)
Belt (Truth)
Helmet (Salvation)
Sword of the Spirit (Word of God)

 

Shield (Faith)
Footwear (Peace)

 

Even in receiving salvation, trying to uphold our righteousness, knowing the truths of God and the Word of God, if we have no faith in God and what He can do, neither will we have any peace concerning what we face. That means that much like Saul and the army of Israel, we'll find ourselves standing face-to-face with a giant, fully armored, but lacking the faith to knock it out. Our shield of faith is ever so pivotal because it is going to be very hard to have peace if we don't trust God and are constantly wavering in our faith. It is not good enough just to know God's truths and His Word, but WE MUST ALSO BELIEVE IN HIS TRUTHS AND WHAT HIS WORD SAYS! WE MUST HAVE FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISES TO US! 

 

Paul does not just urge us to put on one piece of armor, but he urges us to "put on the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11). Every piece of armor serves a distinct purpose and helps to uphold another piece. We must know and accept the truth, receive salvation, act out and maintain our righteousness, allow the Spirit to do its work within us, stand firm both in and on the Word of God, have faith in God, and have peace in Christ knowing that all our battles have already been won for us. IT IS THE FULL  ARMOR THAT WINS WARS! GOD WINS WARS! God is not a half-God. Therefore, we cannot put on partial armor and expect to win the battle! There is no partiality in Christ. We are either ALL IN or we are COMPLETELY OUT!

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Self-Check             

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If we were to reflect on the spiritual armor that we have discussed thus far and examine ourselves, there is perhaps an armor piece that we all struggle with at some point. For some of us it may be a particular armor piece and for others it may be different pieces that we war with keeping in place.

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Abraham did not always carry his shield properly and at times struggled with knowing how to put on his footwear (peace in God) before sinking into his emotions, but he got himself together, learned how to fully equip himself, and received the promise.

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Gideon's ability to stand firm with his shield, have confidence in the sword (the promises of God/the words of God), and become stable in his footwear (peace in God) started off shaky, but he kept obeying and allowing God to guide him until he could stand firm enough in them and go and take the battle that God had already given into his hands.

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David took off his helmet causing his breastplate to fall off with it, but he got himself together, resecured himself in all his armor asking God to help him to not take it off again, and went back to winning wars. And God fulfilled what He had promised him.

 

Somewhere after Job's body was attacked, his footwear (peace in God) became a challenge for him to wear but he got himself together, laced up, knotted his laces, and held on. And as a result, God restored him and blessed him above and beyond what he had before.

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King Saul wrestled with all of his spiritual armor and because he had no desire to operate in it due to his being stuck in the gratification of self, it caused him to lose both the throne and his life.

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Paul, an ambassador for Christ, whose chains became Christ's gain, started off as one who had no desire to wear spiritual armor because he could not accept the belt (truth) that came along with it. But when Christ put him face-to-face with the belt (truth), although he had initially worked in opposition of it, it became both his mission and his saving grace, and he successfully operated in and understood how to use the full armor of God which he teaches us to put on.

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We are not perfect and God is not expecting us to be. However, God does not want us to use our not being perfect as a crutch to justify those things that are very much in our power to work on and address. None of the individuals mentioned above were perfect. They struggled with carrying their spiritual armor, but they kept at it until they were able to stand firmly in it and we must do the same! We must dwell in God and seek Him for direction, strength, encouragement, hope, peace, and whatever else that we need to face life. Whether joys or sorrows, in both the good and bad times, we must remain in God and for God. We must bring ourselves to a point in which we can trust God not just with some things but with all things because our truth is that we can't do it on our own, though many of us think that we can. If we think about our spiritual armor, whether righteousness, truth, salvation, the Word of God, faith, or peace, none of it can be separated from God and we can only obtain it through God. Therefore, developing and maintaining our relationship with God is going to be a pivotal part of our being ready for battle.

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Wherever you are, whether fully strapped up or standing with loose laces in your hands, stop and take the time to reflect on your spiritual armor and examine how ready you are for the next battle that awaits. NO MATTER WHAT'S NEXT, if you can but muster enough muscle to exercise your faith in God, NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO OVERCOME, but it all starts with your ability to BELIEVE! WILL YOU DO IT?...CAN YOU DO IT?... In Philippians 4:13, Paul says that you can...

             

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (KJV)

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