New Life In Christ Pt. 19 God's Armor: Sharing the Gospel while Protected by the shield of Faith.

Propelled forward by the gospel of Christ on our feet.

Ephesians 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Our feet are the next part of our body to receive attention with the armor of God. Our upper body from the neck to the loins has been outfitted with a protective covering of truth and a breastplate of righteousness. Our feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 

The word "shod" means to bind under and is used in connection with footwear. We know that footwear is very important because improper shoes can hurt our feet in a variety of ways and they can cause our feet to grow incorrectly. 

The word "preparation" has two meanings and both of them apply in this text. This is the only place in the New Testament where this particular word is used. First, it has the idea of a solid footer that supports a foundation wall. Second, it has the idea of providing firm footing for soldiers. Roman soldiers wore shoes with cleat in the sole so that they maintained good traction. This clearly connects to the instruction we received about having done all, to stand our ground firmly even as the enemy seeks to advance. 

Thus, Paul is helping us see that in the spiritual sense, we need the gospel of peace on our feet because it gives us much needed traction to stand up and make forward progress.  

Those who bear witness for Christ have beautiful feet in God's eyes. 

Romans 10:13-15  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 

Paul quoted Isaiah 52:7 in his letter to the Christians in Rome. First, we see the heart of God. He wants all people to come to repentance through faith in Jesus Christ. He will save every person who calls upon Him to be saved. 

Then, Paul raised a series of questions for us to think about. How can anyone call upon Christ if they have not yet believed? How can they believe on Christ if they have not been told about Jesus? How can they hear without a preacher coming to share God's Word with them? How can there be any preaching if there is no preacher sent to them? 

The answer to all these questions is that they cannot call upon the Lord, cannot believe, cannot hear, and cannot be saved unless someone is sent from God with the glorious truth of the gospel. 

Therefore, Paul concluded that beautiful are the feet of all who share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace of God that comes through faith in Him. The feet of faithful witnesses bring glad news of the good things of God and the salvation available through Jesus. 

Thus, we have a vivid picture of what it looks like in putting the armor of God on our feet. It means we remember the cost of our salvation, what Jesus saved us from and express our love for God by telling others about Jesus, mankind's only hope. 

We must take up the shield of faith in Christ. 

Ephesians 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 

The word "shield" refers to a large oblong shield that covers a large portion of a soldiers body. The apostle emphasizes that the shield of faith is a prominent part of the armor of God. Our faith in Jesus Christ is what will quench the fiery darts hurled at us by Satan. 

"Faith" refers to our conviction that God exists and that He is Creator and Sustainer of all things. It is our confidence that God provided salvation and eternal life through Christ. "Faith" is our conviction that Jesus Christ is God's Messiah, His Son who through His work on the cross, brings salvation and eternal life to all who turn to Him in repentant faith. 

"Fiery darts" refers to actual weapons of war where arrows where dipped in flammable solutions and set on fire so when they hit an enemy combatant his clothing will catch on fire. The Greeks developed a combination of chemicals that could burn on the water's surface and if a Greek projectile laden with the solution struck a boat or a group of soldiers, it was very difficult to extinguish. 

The shield of faith can quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. The word "quench" means to stifle and extinguish completely. The word "wicked" refers to all kinds of moral, corrupt evil. It also refers to things that are annoying, deliberately causing someone to work much harder and creating hardship for that person. It also refers to being stricken or afflicted with diseases. 

Jehovah is our shield and our faith is in Him.

Genesis 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

God gave great promises to Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant is the promise of salvation by faith in Christ, that all believers share in today. In announcing this great covenant Jehovah told Abraham that He was his shield. 

Psalm 119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

All believers find refuge behind the shield of faith in God's word. We know that God will keep His promises and He will shelter us during times of storm, strife and stress. 

Psalm 144:2  My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

God is a fortress for the believer. He is a high tower that the enemies of God cannot climb nor can they breach it. Jehovah delivers us from the clutches of the enemies grasp and He shields us from their attacks. Therefore, we love Him and trust Him. 

Proverbs 30:5  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We know that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Every word from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 is inspired truth that we must hold fast to and anchor our souls. Jehovah is a shield to all who place their trust in Him. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Are we on solid footing because we are sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others? Are we remembering all that God did to save us from hell and rejoicing in the good news of salvation through faith in Christ? 

Have we taken up the shield of saving faith in Jesus Christ? Faith focuses on Christ. Faith strengthens us and gets us through the most difficult times. Faith turns us away from the noise and strife of the world and rivets our gaze upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Jehovah is our strong tower offering us shelter and protection from the enemy. Jehovah is our shield deflecting and extinguishing the fiery arrows of the devil. He is our deliverer who will carry us safely through this life and take us home to Himself for eternity. 

May we be more thoughtful and better equipped to be a good soldier of Christ during this battle we are in. May we find our faith increasing as the battle rages, confident that Christ will conquer all His enemies. May we dedicate ourselves to living for His glory.

Bob