Wage War With Peace

Good Morning!  We’re now in the seventh message in our series titled “The War.”  After today, we’ll be halfway through the series.  In preparation for today’s message, I spent some time reviewing the messages which have come before.  One thing which stood out to me came from Carl’s message a couple of weeks back.  He shared how he wanted “to be able to look back after this series is over, for years and years, and be able to say that the body really took Ephesians 6 to heart, and they ever since that time, put on the full armor of God, thereby becoming strong in the Lord and His mighty power, so that although trials and tests come, Satan has no effect on them.”  

That caught my attention to see it again.  In one way, it is the obvious desire of all the teachings that we give.  It is our heartfelt desire that we share so that God will speak to us all and shape us all and change us all.  In another way, it struck me that, “Boy, I better pay attention.  I better focus on applying the things that I am learning.”  If I am honest with myself, I don’t easily remember what was said in the previous week, or what I’ve read each day in God’s Word, and I know if I apply myself more diligently, I can do better holding onto and meditating on these things.

So, let’s take a minute and go back through several of the insights which have come to the forefront so far.  The basis of our series is Ephesians 6:10-20.  Let’s take a look at the beginning of that passage:

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  –Ephesians 6:10-13

It is important for us to realize that we are in a war.  Because if we don’t realize we’re in a war, we are easily confused and even discouraged when conflicts arise.  This war is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).  But it is so easy to put up our defenses or even to retaliate when we face conflicts, especially in relationships with others.

However, since these enemies are not flesh and blood; they are not our bosses or coworkers or family members!  The enemies we are talking about may cause some of these people to be prickly to us, but we need to try to look past the human side of our trials.

These verses also tell us quite a bit about The War. We are told who our enemy is – it’s not a particular person or group of people; in fact, it’s not a human being at all. Our adversary is the devil, who, along with the demons (or fallen angels) that follow him, is quite real and active in our world. He is a schemer, the passage says; that is, he is a master tactician in The War, using any and all means to advance his forces. And his forces are many and mysterious, described here as rulers, authorities, and powers, as well as spiritual forces of evil.

We are instructed to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” This is something completely different than a worldly approach that says we can do it ourselves, that we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.  We are not strong in our power, but in His power.  The most important battle has been won at the cross.  As I John 3:8 explains, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”  He did this by sacrificing Himself for us.  We have access to God’s power and His armor by believing, trusting, having faith in Jesus.

We also talked about how not putting on the full armor of God is one of the most frequent mistakes Christians make when it comes to the time of testing.  It is critical to intentionally be prepared in Christ each day because we never know when trials will come.  God has given us this armor so that we can be fully prepared, not lacking in anything. (James 1:4)

Let’s pray and ask God to further sharpen our minds and soften our hearts to His message for us today in this crucial area:

Lord God, we want to learn truth from You and faithfully apply it in our lives.  Many times in my life I know my failing in applying what you have given me is because I haven’t been willing to give up something else which was really not helping me.  Help us to lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1), so that we may run the race and stand firm in trials.  We pray this in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Let’s read on in the passage from Ephesians 6:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  –Ephesians 6:14-15

We studied through verse 14 last week, and we will continue by studying verse 15 today.  Before we dig into details, I would like to spend a few minutes considering and thinking about what it takes to put on something new or additional, like armor.

For one thing, you have to put down what you’re holding on to first before you can put on something else.  I was thinking about little kids and how they’ll have some treasure that they don’t want to put down for whatever reason.  I’ve helped a toddler out of their clothes and into many a pair of pajamas one arm at a time.  They first pull the empty hand through the one sleeve, then pass the toy or object from the hand of the clothed arm to the bare arm, and then we pull the shirt off.  Now for the pajamas, first the still empty hand through the first sleeve.  Swap object to the hand of their now clothed arm.  Insert arm into other sleeve.

You do it with a smile on your face, but at the same time you just wonder what’s the big deal in putting the toy down for a couple of minutes just to make this getting ready for bed process that much simpler.

So, I think this little scene can be an illustration to us in being strong in the Lord and putting on the full armor of God.  We can’t be holding on to something else.  We can’t be trying to be strong in our own strength and be strong in the Lord.  I think even more critically, we cannot be persisting in sin and expect to get on the armor of God.

I don’t know where everyone is right now.  Many of you are no doubt fully committed to the Lord, seeking Him and striving to follow His direction each day.  Please keep going.  Do not fear the stumbles which will come from time to time.  James 3:2 explains that we all stumble in many ways.  Confess that sin to God.  Make reparations in love, as needed.  Move forward.

It may be that some of you are holding on to things which you don’t need to be holding on to.  Those things may be keeping you away from the Lord’s strength and inhibiting your ability to put on and keep on His armor.  I’ve been facing this kind of struggle in my own life.  In the trials and responsibilities that I face, I get tired and even exhausted.  And so, I’ve been reenergizing myself and comforting myself in other things.  These things aren’t even evil, but they aren’t good either.  Mainly, it’s eating too much, especially snacking before bed and then watching way too much on YouTube. I’ve known I was doing it all along, but I’ve been convicted in the last week or so, I need to give up on those things.

That doesn’t mean I’ll never eat another snack before bedtime, and it doesn’t mean I’ll never watch another video on YouTube.  But what I hope it does mean is that I won’t endeavor to get comfort or “strength” from those things.  My mental picture thinking of this was, put down the bowl of popcorn to get dressed for battle.  Can you imagine trying to put armor on while holding a bowl of popcorn without spilling any? It just can’t work.

I’ve got one other general reflection about the armor of God, before we get into the passage.  Carl explained how the armor description that we have here is based on that of the Roman soldier.  It is interesting that the weaponry and armor of the Romans remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of years from the time of the Republic through Imperial times.  It is interesting to think that this metaphor of armor would have not only been familiar to hearers at the time Paul wrote, but it also remained contemporary for another 400 years or more. 

Why didn’t this armor change for so long?  The obvious answer is because it worked.  The Romans were so successful on the battlefield that soldiers did not expect to be hurt or wounded much less killed in battle.  One theory of why the armament worked so well is the nature of the enemy.  The armies they faced in battle were simply less well equipped.  Due to the economic might of Rome, the soldier’s equipment could not be matched by any adversary.

What parallel am I trying to draw?  Think about whose armor we’re talking about.  It’s God’s armor.  He designed it and made it for our protection.  You and I, dear Christian, have the same armor to wear as the Ephesians had 2000 years ago.  Is it outmoded?  Is it no longer adequate?  Of course not, your armor is still state of the art.  It cannot be matched because the One who makes our armor cannot be matched.  The value of the armor of God is something we should appreciate.

Fred shared last week on verse 14 which covered the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness.

He explained how we need to counter the often partial, one-sided, and sometimes downright erroneous news we are exposed to with the Good News of the Gospel and the Whole Truth.  What is the truth?  Jesus Christ has already gained the total victory, and He has won the complete War at the cross. And, we should start each day being firmly grounded in this whole truth.  I encourage you to make time each day, first thing, if possible to some spend time in prayer and read some from God’s Word.  If later in the day is better for you to have devotionals, that’s great, but it’s just good to set out your day with the Lord and His truth before you, to put on the belt of truth.

The next component of the armor is the breastplate of righteousness.  Jonathan and I had some dialogue this week about whose righteousness makes up the breastplate of righteousness.  Commentators agree as Fred shared last week that this is personal righteousness, not our positional righteousness in Christ.  Ephesians 4 says that we have new life created to be like God in righteousness and holiness.  “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24) Ephesians 5 says that we are to live as children of light in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).” (Ephesians 5:8-9) We strengthen our protection by devoting ourselves to the things that please God and by avoiding sin.  Doing these things demonstrates to us that we are living on that foundation of truth we already talked about.

The evil one doesn’t remind you about the time you stood firm and did the right thing.  No, he reminds you of your failures.  If there is nothing new, he’ll go back into your past.  What if you have fallen recently?  Well, remember that all your sins are forgiven past present and future.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to live righteous lives rather than simply keeping us from sinning only.

With this view, we can ask ourselves the question Fred posed, “Is my righteous living protecting my heart from Satan’s evil schemes or have I forgotten to put on my breastplate of righteousness?”    

Let’s move on to Ephesians 6:15, “Stand firm then … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

First we put on the belt of truth.  That’s the base, the anchor of our armor.  Then, we put on our breastplate which protects our heart.  Then, we get our feet ready.  There’s no one listening to this today that doesn’t have multiple pairs of shoes.  Aside from the fashion statements and coordinating of shoes and outfits, we all know the need to wear shoes.  There are times where it is downright painful if we don’t have shoes.

We’re funny about shoes.  I know I have more than 6 pairs.  Sandals, boots, a couple of pairs of tennis shoes and a couple of pairs of work shoes.  Yesterday, getting ready to leave the house and go work on the message at the church, I grabbed my socks from Friday which were on top of my work shoes to throw them in the dirty clothes.  I made the mistake of picking up those same shoes rather than picking up my tennis shoes which were next to my work shoes.  Now, you’ve got to picture this.  I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  I’ve got white athletic socks on.  I’m talking to Melissa, and just as happy as you please, I’m putting on brown leather shoes.  I got one shoe on before I realized that I was putting on the completely wrong pair of shoes.  Even after I realized it, I could have just gone ahead and put on those shoes and worn them all day.  Since I was just going to work on the message and go to Brookdale, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference other than being a fashion faux pas.  However, if I was going to run a race, and I put on my brown leather work shoes instead of running shoes, then I would be at a significant disadvantage compared to others who were wearing the proper footwear, right?

As we’ve discussed before, the picture of a soldier in Paul’s mind is obviously the Roman soldier.  Roman soldiers had a nice piece of footwear for that time.  It was kind of like a sandal boot.  It had imbedded metal spikes in the sole for traction.  It was pretty well closed on the top, so it offered a reasonable amount of protection to the foot.  It was open enough to be ventilated and was not as likely to cause blisters.

It’s not the best idea to base our Christian life on the strategies of the Roman army, but there some ideas that Paul is using as parallels.  The Romans were known for their aggressiveness in battle.  Their thought was always to take the fight to the enemy, to push him back.  The Romans could have worn armor all over their bodies.  They had that kind of technology, but instead, they kept their legs free and their feet shod with light comfortable footwear, ready to run.

We are to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  That’s what lets us stand firm and even move forward against the enemy. 

There is a book called The Christian in Complete Armour written way back in the 17^th century by William Gurnall, a preacher and author.  I’m going to borrow from his writings in this discussion on Ephesians 6:15.  The discussion will cover three questions:  What is meant by the gospel?  What is meant by peace and why is it attributed to the gospel?  What is the significance of feet and what is intended by fitting them with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace? By far, we will spend most of our focus on the second question about peace.

What is meant by the gospel?

The gospel is the best news and most joyful words that anyone could ever hear.  It is the news by which God first forgives and then He gives to us.  Because of its power, no bad news can come after the glad news of the gospel.  It’s not that no bad thing can happen to us.  But, this news is good.  It is exceedingly good.  It applies to everyone who hears it.  It is unheard of.  There is nothing like it anywhere, from anyone.  It is unlooked for.  We didn’t do anything ourselves to bring this news about.  And finally, it is true and certain. 

The gospel is simply God’s heart in print.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word … that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day.  –I Corinthians 15:2-4

What is meant by peace and why is it attributed to the gospel?

Peace is a comprehensive word.  It covers a lot of ground.  Jesus included peace in His teaching at the Last Supper.  He left a blessing of peace with the disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27) True peace is a blessing of the gospel, and only of the gospel because when we sinned against God, it caused us to fall out with ourselves and all the world besides.  We can never come to peace in the other areas until peace for us is made with God.

The broad topic of peace can be divided in this way.  1) Peace with God which is also called the peace of reconciliation.  2) Peace with ourselves which is also called peace of conscience.  3) Peace with one another which is the peace of love and unity.  4) Peace with others, or the peace of security and service.  Due to the time available, we’re only going to look at the first two:  Peace with God and Peace of Conscience.

Even the angels themselves proclaimed peace at Jesus’ birth.  “Peace on earth.”  (Luke 2:14)  And Jesus fulfilled this proclamation.

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [Jesus], and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. –Colossians 1:19-20

By this reconciliation, we have peace.  This peace comes as a direct result of Jesus sacrifice.  It is therefore a good news of peace, the gospel of peace.

Peace of conscience is peace with ourselves.  It is a quietness in our souls where condemnation and fear do not wreak havoc on our thinking.  It is something that we all hunger for deeply.  Our days and nights can be dark and terrible when we do not have peace with ourselves.  Peace of conscience is a blessing of the gospel, and it is only a blessing of the gospel.  There is no other way to true peace of conscience apart from the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

When our conscience knows Jesus and the gospel of Jesus, it won’t obey anything else.  Mr. Gurnall had an effective analogy.  If you should come to a criminal who is on the way to their own execution, and you put a flower into their hand and told them, “Be of good cheer, smell on that,” it would bring them little joy, right?  It quite possible could make them feel worse.  But, if you should come to this same person with a pardon from the governor, place that in their hand, and said be of good cheer? That would reach their heart and they would be overflowing with joy.

And so, anything short of pardoning mercy is not worth considering to a troubled conscience.  Nothing can stop a conscience from accusing except that which stops God’s wrath from threatening.  Gurnall described the conscience as God’s sergeant which he employs to arrest the sinner.  This “sergeant” can’t release his prisoner at the request of the prisoner.  He doesn’t “do deals.”  Instead, the sergeant only listens to whether the debt is fully paid.  What then is the status of our guilt-debt?

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.  –Hebrews 10:22-23

Our conscience is appointed to judge our actions and state whether good or bad, pardoned or unpardoned.  If our state is pardoned, then the conscience will acquit us and comfort us.  All is forgiven.  If our state is unpardoned or guilty, then the conscience will accuse and condemn.  Not forgiven.

The guilty conscience accuses us of sin.  It then condemns us into wrath which is the deserved punishment for sin.  But the sprinkling of the blood of Christ on us cleanses us from this guilt.

Let us consider some additional verses about our state before God:

You have come … to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word.  –Hebrews 12:23-24

This water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. –I Peter 3:21

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.  –I John 5:6

As I was reading through these verses, I John 5:6 came to mind.  I’ve always tried to understand that verse in terms of how Jesus Himself came by water and blood.  I’ve never thought of it in terms of how Jesus came to us.  He has established a new covenant in His blood.  He came for us by his blood.  He also symbolized our dying and being reborn in Him through the water of baptism.  He has made a way for us to come to Him by water.  The message is clear.  There is cleansing for anyone who comes to Jesus Christ as Romans 8 explains.

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  –Romans 8:34

We are no longer condemned.  There is no one who condemns.  Romans 8 goes on to explain how nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, and we are more than overcomers through Him.

Gurnall though describes the conscience as a hard lock, and even though the key fits in the lock (which we see in the verses above), yet if the hand holding the key isn’t strong enough, it cannot turn the lock, the conscience will not open, and its doubts and fears will not be resolved. 

Keeping with the analogy of the conscience as a sergeant holding a prisoner, and even though the debt of guilt was paid in full in heaven, the sergeant will not let the prisoner go until the warrant comes from heaven to authorize it.  Who alone but the Spirit of God can bring this pardon?  Therefore, resolution of an accusing conscience must be the work of the Spirit, nothing else can do it.

It is the gospel alone that presents the Spirit of God as a Comforter of sinners.  Jesus told us He would send the Comforter to us when He went away to the Father. (John 16:7, 10) And, He would go to the Father only by the way of the cross.  It is therefore by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection that the Spirit comes down to us.  The Spirit does not speak a new message or a message unique to Himself, but rather He speaks what He has heard.  (John 16:13) What we have in the gospel is the message that the Spirit speaks.  What he comforts us with is none other than the soul-reviving message of the gospel.  The Spirit comes to glorify Jesus.  (John 16:14)

Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead.  –Romans 1:4

Gurnall points out that Christ showed His strength when He unhinged the gates of the grave and made His way out of that dark prison by His glorious resurrection.  And that it requires no less power to break open the dungeon where the guilty conscience lies shut up as one living among the dead in their own despairing thoughts.  The same stone and seal are on a sinner’s conscience to keep them down as was on Christ’s grave to keep Him down from resurrection to life.  It wasn’t the literal stone and seal on the grave that pressed down upon Christ, but it was the curse of the Law for sin.  Divine justice rolled that stone down upon Him.  An angel could roll away the grave stone but could never remove the curse of sin.

A distressed conscience is like that grave where its own guilt has laid it.  What is that grave?  At its worst, it is the lowest hell in its fears and dismal apprehensions:  I am damned, I am forever undone.  But, what is it though that keeps them down in this grave?  The curse of sin sticks like a dagger in their heart.  The wrath of God lays like a mountain of lead on their conscience.  And, unless you can pluck out the one and roll off the other, it is impossible that they can be raised to any peace or comfort in their pained conscience.

But … but … that weight and that curse are the same that rested on Jesus to keep Him from life.  So the same power and strength has been sent to you to comfort you that enabled Jesus to be raised to life.  The Spirit which kept the Lord from seeing corruption in the grave and restrained death when it literally had Jesus in its mouth; the Spirit which raised Him with honor to life and immortality (I Peter 3:18) is that Spirit which Jesus sends to us as His messenger to come and satisfy the shaken consciences of all His children on earth concerning His love, His love as a Father.  This is the Spirit that has every ability of a Comforter.

The Spirit is pure and holy.  He cannot deceive.  He is “the Spirit of truth.” (John 14) And, if He says that your sins are forgiven, then you can believe Him.  He does not flatter.  If your sins were not forgiven, He would have brought a different message because He can reprove as well as comfort, convince of sin as well as of righteousness.  He is so unresistable that none can hinder the effectiveness of His comforts.

This is a direct quote of Mr. Gurnall, “So sweetly and powerfully does the comforting Spirit overrun the heart with a flood of joy that the soul can no more see her sins in the guilt of them than Noah could the mole-hills when the whole earth was under water.”

If you are hungering for that kind of peace, then I invite you to ask the Lord to fill you freshly with His Holy Spirit.  There is a wonderful coupling of verses.  God commands us to be filled with His Spirit, and He promises to give us that which we ask according to His will.  So if He commands us to do something that we have to ask Him to do, and then we ask Him, He has to follow through and do it.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. –Ephesians 5:18

And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him.  –I John 5:14, 15

Let’s take a moment now and bow our heads.  If you would like, pray silently, and ask the Lord to fill you freshly with His Spirit. 

This may be something you would like to do each day or throughout the day as you seek to have the sense and feeling of His assurance and comfort grow in your life.

Okay, one more question to answer … what is the significance of feet and what is intended by fitting them with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace?

Consider this analogy: the foot is to the body what the will is to the soul.  We go where our will sends us.  The one whose feet are well protected and doesn’t fear any type of terrain can go through thick and thin, fair or foul, stones or straw.  All kinds of terrain are the same to the person who is wearing good shoes.  And so, when the will and heart of a person is alert, prepared, and ready to do any work, it is as if they had good shoes and were prepared against all kinds of trouble and difficulty which one has to go over to do the work.

A prepared and ready heart can run where others cannot even walk.  The person with a prepared heart doesn’t dwell on difficulty or even persecutions, but goes singing over them as Paul and Barnabas were able to do in the Philippian jail.  But, an unprepared heart hangs back and though it may be brought to submit, it will go on with much complaining and slowly with pain in every step.

Ephesians 6:15 calls it the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace because the gospel of peace is how God works the will and the heart into the readiness and preparation to do or even to suffer what he calls us to.

It is our duty to be prepared and ready to meet with any trial, and endure any hardship which God may lay out for us in our Christian warfare.  The peace which the gospel brings and speaks to the heart will make us ready to wade through any trial or trouble that meets us in our Christian journey.

Did anyone read the Faithwalkers devotional yesterday?  Do you remember what the title was?  It was written by Barbara Wilson who is from a church up in Raleigh.  It was titled “A Die to Selfer.”  Everyone likely knows the phrase, do-it-yourselfer, right?  Well, Barbara took that familiar name and flipped it on its head to give us a phrase that describes what our lives as Christ followers should look like.

The passage accompanying the devotional was John 15:4-5.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  –John 15:4-5

We should abandon pride and ego, the kinds of things that draw attention to ourselves and no longer disseminate our own thoughts and opinions so that we receive glory for ourselves.  Instead, we are to die to ourselves and stay connected to Jesus for life because apart from Him we can do nothing.

Great good and glory for Jesus come from dying to our own selfish desires and letting His Holy Spirit work through us moment by moment.

Tim warned us in one of our earlier message that most of the time it is Christians who disqualify themselves in spiritual warfare. They think they aren’t good enough to have a useful role in The War. But he also reminded us that Satan wants us to give up. He wants us to think that we’re not good enough, but we mustn’t disqualify ourselves. Every time we say no to Satan and yes to Jesus we strike a blow in the battle. In this war, every little thing matters. Every time we pray, every time we speak a word of truth in love, every time we act unselfishly, every time we humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness, every time we do something God’s way and not the world’s way – we push that front line forward a little bit. We put Satan our enemy on notice and Jesus our commander-in-chief is glorified.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, help us to be ready with the gospel of peace both in our preparation to share it and in preparation to allow it to transform our thinking and our lives.  Help us to reject a do-it-ourselves attitude and instead choose to die to ourselves.  We want to cling to you, connected to life and truth with the peace of conscience which only comes from You. We pray all this in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.