In Meditation 123 we learned that
all followers of Jesus need to act according to the apostle Paul’s instructions
if they want to learn how to defy Satan’s powerful attacks on Jesus’ life within
them. We saw that Paul began his orders with the command: “Put on all of
God's armor...” ( Ephesians 6:11*)
In Meditation 124 Paul starts
with the specific order: “Stand therefore (or: stand your ground) having
girded your waist with truth.” (Ephesians 6:14***) I said that this means
nothing else than to remain in Jesus’ presence and to be filled with (or:
controlled by) His Spirit.
In Meditation 125 we saw that the
apostle’s second charge is: “Stand therefore (or: stand your ground) ...
having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” ( Ephesians
6:14***) We learned that it means to live and act like Jesus by the power
of God’s Spirit.
In this Meditation we want to
think about Paul’s third command:
“Stand therefore, ... having
shod your feet with the preparation (or: preparedness) of the Gospel of peace...”
( Ephesians 6:14-15***)
From a superficial reading of
this verse, the command seems to indicate that we prepare ourselves to share the
Gospel of peace with everyone we meet. On closer examination of the text in its
context many Bible teachers come to another viewpoint.
First of all, the entire divine
armour is for defence, not for action. (In a later Meditation we will ask
ourselves if “the sword of the Spirit” in verse 17 is an
exception.) The command is ‘to stand our
ground” against Satan’s assaults, not to attack.
Secondly, the divine armour is a
characterization of Jesus’ life (see Meditation 124). Therefore, the call
cannot be to get ourselves ready for outreach.
So, how do the sandals of the
Roman soldiers speak of Jesus’ life?
The Roman
military boots speak of Jesus’ standing in the Gospel of peace
The heavy-soled, hobnailed military boots (Latin: caligae)
of the Roman soldiers gave a secure foothold to stand firm, even on sloping or
slippery ground. Such a firm stand helped them to remain steadfast even during
the fiercest attack.
How could the firm stance of the
Roman soldier, caused by his hobnailed boots, speak of Christ’s unshakable stance in the Gospel of peace? When God’s Word refers to the “Gospel of peace”,
it points to the Good News of having peace with God or of possessing the peace
of God (or: of Christ)!
When Jesus testifies about the peace
He has with His heavenly Father, He points to His intimate relationship with Him.
Here are some examples:
-- “I am in the
Father and the Father is in Me.” (John
14:10-11*)
-- “The Father loves the Son.”
(John 5:20*)
-- “As the Father knows Me,
even so I know the Father.” (John 10:15***)
--
“The One who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do
what pleases Him.” (John 8:29**)
It
is only at the cross, when Jesus was punished for our rebellion to God, that He
lost His Father’s presence and peace. He cried out: “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani? which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark
15:34*)
The Roman
military boots and our standing in the Gospel of peace
Like Jesus, we need to stand firm
when Satan assaults us. Therefore, we cannot be without Christ’s unshakable
footing in the Gospel of peace. We know that Satan aims at destroying our intimate
relationship with God. He wants to topple us so that we lose out footing in the
Gospel of peace.
Losing our
peace with God
Satan wants to cast doubts on our
salvation and to undermine the peace we have with God. The Bible speaks a lot
about the peace that Jesus’ followers have with God through Christ’s sacrifice.
Here are some examples:
-- “He (Jesus Messiah) was
pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace (with God) was upon Him...” (Isaiah 53:5**)
-- “You know the
message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news (i.e. the
Gospel) of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36**)
-- “Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ...”
(Romans 5:1**)
Indeed, Satan would love to sow doubt in our hearts concerning our salvation. We need to remain grounded in
the Gospel (i.e. the Good News) that assures us of peace with God once we have accepted
Jesus as our Saviour. If Satan succeeds to sow doubt in our hearts with regard
to our salvation, we lose the battle completely. Questioning our salvation
disrupts our intimate relationship with our Triune God.
Losing the
peace of God
We said that the second thing
Satan wants to undermine is the peace of God we have through Jesus Christ.
There are many Bible verses that speak of the assurance of God’s peace that Jesus
gives to His followers. For example:
-- “Peace I leave with you; My
peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your
hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27**)
-- “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**)
-- “If the Holy
Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6*)
-- “I (Paul)
pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you
believe in Him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy
Spirit.” (Romans
15:13*)
-- “When the
Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love,
joy, peace...” (Galatians
5:22*)
-- “If you do
this (i.e., not worry but telling God what you need), you will experience God's
peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His
peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7*)
-- “Let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15**)
-- “May the Lord
of peace Himself always give you His peace no matter what happens. The Lord be
with you all. (2
Thessalonians 3:16*)
As God’s children, we should remain
firmly grounded in the Gospel of peace through the power of God’s Spirit. If we
believe what God’s Word says about our salvation (having peace with God) and
our intimate fellowship with God (possessing the peace of God), Satan has no chance
to topple us from our sure foundation! Indeed, that is the way to obey Paul’s
command: “Stand therefore, ... having shod your feet with the preparation
(or: preparedness) of the Gospel of peace...”
( Ephesians 6:14-15***)
( Ephesians 6:14-15***)
Translation: * New Living
Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version.
About “ Satan and our
rebellious lives”, see Meditations 19-21.
About “What must I do
to be saved?”, see Meditations 22-26.
About “The Holy Spirit and His
ministry”, see Meditations 27-34.
About “God’s major project:
transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ”, see Meditations
45-48.
About “Do not bring sorrow to God’s
Spirit”, see Meditations 49-55.
About “Personal Christlike love for
the Father and His Son”, see Meditations 56-64.
About “How to overcome the
power of sin in my life and in my church", see Meditations 101-121.
