THE ARMOR-SHOES FOR THE FEET.

SERIES: THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS.

TEXT: EPHESIANS 6:15.

 

In writing to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul had in mind soldiers who walked everywhere they went. In those days there were no other means of transport like lories, personnel carriers etc. Shoes allow us to step freely on otherwise painful terrain. We walk without fear of hurting the feet while we turn our full attention to the battle.

A soldier’s battle shoes were studded with nails or spikes to keep him from skidding so that he can have a firm grip on the ground. The soldier knew that if he lost his footing and fell down it wouldn’t matter how great the rest of his armor was; the enemy had gotten him, the enemy would take the opportunity to strike him to death. When we are ready for the gospel of peace, we live with the understanding that the enemy can strike any time; we live in vigilance-1st Peter 5:8. More about the shoes of a soldier:-

PREPARATION/READINESS FOR THE GOSPEL.

• As we advance the gospel of peace the enemy cannot stop us. Advancing the gospel crossing the border into the enemy’s territory and fighting the enemy to set the captives free and bring them to the kingdom of God. It means leaving the 99 sheep and going into the devil’s territory to fight and bring back the 1 sheep that is lost.
• There is no other time the Lord’s presence with us is more guaranteed than when we go out to preach the gospel to the sinners. When the Lord sent two to preach the gospel of the kingdom, miracles happened immediately and as they reported back they told the Lord, “Lord even the demons are subject to us in your name”-Luke 10:17.
• The Lord while giving the great commission assured us that, “Lo I am with you till the close of the age”-Matt. 28:19-20.
• In preparation for the gospel the Lord prepares us by empowering us through the Holy Spirit. He told the early apostles, “do not depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the father, which, he said from me; for John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now”-Acts 1:4-5. This is how the Lord prepares His soldiers for the gospel.
• Security for the soul winner; the Lord assures us as we preach the gospel, “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you-Luke 10:19.
• The greatest miracles from God happen easily when the good news is being preached to the sinner; examples:-

• Acts 16:18-Paul greatly annoyed in Philippi commanded a demon, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” and the demon came out immediately.
• Acts 13:8-`12-Paul while preaching the gospel to the proconsul of salamis in Cyrus, a magician named Elymus stepped in to oppose the conversion of the proconsul. Paul immediately pronounced judgement on the magician and he became blind immediately. 
• Acts 16:26-33, for the jailer to believe the gospel, God opened the prison doors and cut off the chains binding Paul and Silas. The officer in charge of the prison accepted Jesus as Lord immediately.

THE GOSPEL OF PEACE-Eph. 2:13-17.

• The sinner does not have peace with God, his/her maker.
• The Bible says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ for He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility and he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

CONCLUSION

• There is no zealous christian who does not feel the desire to see a sinner repent.
• Apathy, procrastination and timidity destroy the quest to be involved in soul winning. You must conquer these vices to be a soldier.
• We are commanded to put on the shoes in preparation for the gospel of peace. Do you have a plan to start walking in the direction of soul-winning?