SWORDS BIBLE STUDY: Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

By Mari

 

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

 

It is hard to run on rocky ground without shoes, and this is the point of having your feet shod! Barefoot might hurt and pretty soon your feet would be cut up and bleeding, no longer able to walk much less run!

 

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

 

So to run a race without shoes would be foolish. To enter into battle barefoot would also be foolish.

It is the same in the spiritual world. We need our feet shod spiritually with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Rom_10:15  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!

 

The term “shod” in the days of Paul simply meant strapping on your sandals! The Roman soldier wore sandals called caliga, which were thickly studded sandals with cleats on the bottom of them. Those cleats were used to dig in giving the soldier the ability to stand in the face of battle. That is what the sandals were made for and spiritually speaking they help us also to STAND firm in the face of SPIRITUAL battle.

 

What do you think this means “with the preparation of the gospel of peace”? I believe it means to prepare oneself for sharing with those who do not know the gospel.

 

And how do we prepare to do this? Of course it means knowing the gospel for us TODAY! This means having studied and read our Bible! Most particularly the Apostle Paul’s epistles from Romans through Philemon so we know how to rightly divide the word of truth!

 

Definition of preparation

1: the action or process of making something ready for use or service or of getting ready for some occasion, test, or duty

2: a state of being prepared

3: a preparatory act or measure

4: something that is prepared; specifically : a medicinal substance made ready for use (Merriam Webster)

 

We prepare for our dinners by shopping and then putting a meal plan together. We might prepare for a party by cleaning our home, dressing up, and preparing food for our guests. This is the same thing, only we as ambassadors should be preparing ourselves with the proper study of the word of God as well as practice to deliver the gospel of peace plainly to another.

 

Do you find it interesting that we are being prepared and given tools of protection and one tool is an offensive weapon, the sword … while our feet are shod to be able to withstand an attack…however in this case standing firm with the gospel of peace.  This is simply telling us that while taking the gospel to others we should expect attack, but we are to STAND against THIS particular attack with PEACE…the GOSPEL OF PEACE.

 

So I do not write a book here I hope you will study too, but I believe the gospel of peace that we as ambassadors, soldiers have prepared ourselves to take to the lost is the ministry of reconciliation, given us by God.

 

We are not going to war, we are not bringing the judgement of God on others, as God is not imputing trespasses to us today, but has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

 

The gospel of peace brings righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)

Rom 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

 

Peace with God stops all confusion, because our God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.

1Co_14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

 

Peace comes from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Co 1:2  Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Peace is a fruit of the Spirit.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 

Christ is our peace. (Eph 2:14)

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

 

Peace is a good word to study in the Bible, how many times it is used and what it says to us. Two of my personal favorites that I know so well in my life in Christ are:

Php_4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Php_4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

The wonder of it all is that God has given us armor to help us to give the gospel of peace to those who are perishing, just as we once were perishing.

 

We, Christ in us and we in Him, are not only ALLOWED but DIRECTED to SHARE this GIFT He gave us with others! We are indeed PRIVILEGED to know and understand the plan of God for our lives. With God’s provisions we are able to live and to walk and to serve and to act with and in Him!

 

The Lord through our Apostle Paul tells us that we need to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

 

Are you prepared?  How did you prepare?

 

Remember, while it is good to go to church services and Bible studies, the point is not just to be ever learning without ever being shod in preparation to move forward!  Understanding the plan God has for us all is important! We are to take what we learn in His word rightly divided AS our preparation, and be ready in season and out of season to give the gospel of Christ to others!

 

Not only to the lost, but also to the saved,  most of which do not know the fellowship of the mystery!

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

It is about placing your faith and trust in HIM, not in yourself and your perceived abilities or lack thereof…Remember, God chose the foolish things to confound the wise…and the weak things to confound the things which are mighty.  Trust God!

1Co_1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Ti_4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

2Co_5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

1Ti_4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

 

We are able to do this when we PUT ON the new man. We are able then to battle when we have PUT ON the armor of God.

We put on the new man when we RECKON the old man dead!

Rom_6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

We put on the armour of God when we work in HIS strength…in the power of HIS might. (Eph 6:10) We put on the armour of God by faith.

 

 

There is NO need to be afraid when you are STANDING firm in His word. When you are girded up with truth and the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace! You are now working in HIS strength!

 

The Gospel of the Grace of God: 1Co 15:1-4 I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you…By which also ye are saved…How that Christ died for our sins…And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: