Sunday, 4/22/18
Eph 6:15 The Armor of God, Pt 10, 

Shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Pt 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhcCXLQhbxw

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Vs. 15, “And having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.”

The Roman soldier needed sure footing to enable him to march, to move quickly, and stand his ground when necessary. The Roman sandal or military shoe was bound by leather throngs over the instep and around the ankle, and the soles were thickly studded with nails to permit surefootedness. This would give him a firm sure footing in case of attack.

The analogy we have here is for the Christian soldier to stand firm against the attacks of Satan, his demonic forces, and world system. To do so, we must see to it that our feet are properly protected and equipped.

The thing to be “shod or sandaled” is “the feet,” HO POUS, in the Accusative, Masculine, Plural. Rather than saying to put on “sandals,” sandalion, we are commanded to shod our “feet.” In other words, we are to wrap the feet, protect the feet, and provide for the feet. As you know, the feet provide great stability for the whole body. That is the first message here. To make sure we are stable in all that we do. The feet also give the body motion: forward, backward, and side to side. With the feet, we can stand still, walk, run, and jump. The feet are a wonderful creation by God to provide these things for us.

All of this is analogues to what the gospel of Jesus Christ provides for our soul; it gives it the potential for motion, momentum, stability, height, depth, breath and width, Eph 3:18, as it gives us spiritual life and the ability to advance in that life. The Bible is filled with many analogies regarding the feet and the abilities it provides for us.

Metaphorically, the way of one’s feet refers to the way of one’s life, e.g., Psa 119:101,105; Prov 4:26.

Psa 119:1, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.”

Psa 119:101-104, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. ¹⁰²I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me. ¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”

Psa 119:105-106, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. ¹⁰⁶I have sworn and I will confirm it, That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

Though the feet can be used for good, they can also be used for evil, 1 Kings 2:5; Prov 1:15-16; 5:5; 6:13, 18, 28; 7:11; 26:6; Mat 18:8; Rom 3:15, as we see in the seven things God hates, Prov 6:15-19.

Prov 6:16-19, “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: ¹⁷Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, ¹⁹A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Rom 3:15, “Their feet are swift to shed blood.”

1 Kings 2:5, “Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist, and on his sandals on his feet.”

“Feet in sandals,” is also used in an expression of the Lord’s love for the members of His body, His bride, Song of Sol 7:1.

Song of Sol 7:1, “How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince's daughter! The curves of your hips are like jewels, the work of the hands of an artist.”

We also note that when things are placed “under the feet,” it represents power, rule, and authority, Psa 8:6; 110:1; Mat 22:44; Acts 2:35; Rom 16:20; 1 Cor 15:25-27; Eph 1:22; Heb 1:13; 2:8; 10:13.

Eph 1:22, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.”

Rom 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

For our Lord to gain His authority, His “feet” were pierced on our behalf, Psa 22:16; Luke 24:39-40.

Psa 22:16, “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.”

Worship of the Lord includes the feet, in falling at, sitting at, washing, and kissing, Mat 15:30; 28:9; Mark 5:22; 7:25; Luke 5:8; 7:38-46; 10:39; 17:16; John 11:2, 32; 12:3; Rev 1:17.

“Feet” are used by our Lord to teach the rebound technique of 1 John 1:9, the cleansing of our sins experientially post-salvation, as they are positionally at the moment of salvation, John 13:5-14. Vs. 14, also speaks to our outreach and service to others, both believers and unbelievers, so that they too can have the cleansing found in Jesus Christ.

There is much celebration when a fellow brother or sister is restored to fellowship with God, Luke 15:22, 32, cf. Luke 15:6, 9.

Luke 15:22, “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet’.”

Luke 15:32, “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.”

Luke 15:6, “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”

Luke 15:9, “And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!'”

“Feet” also indicates our righteous acts of Divine good production, 1 Tim 5:10; Heb 12:13.

1 Tim 5:10, “Having a reputation for good works; if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.”

Heb 12:13, “And make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”

“Feet,” as in our verse, indicates the firm ground we are to stand on in the spiritual warfare, Psa 40:2.

Psa 40:2, “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”

And, as in our verse, it is used to indicate how God views those who bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are lost in this world, Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15.

Isa 52:7, “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

Rom 10:15, “How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

When evangelizing, if people reject your message, you are not to take it personally, but put it behind you, forget about it, and move forward to the next opportunity for witnessing. Remember, they are not rejecting you but are rejecting the Lord, Mat 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:11.

Mat 10:14, “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.”

Mark 6:11, “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.”

Luke 9:5, “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

Luke 10:11, “Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.”

At the same time, we are to have discernment as when to witness the gospel and when not to, Mat 7:6.

Mat 7:6, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Yet, when we do have opportunity to witness, we are to use the best of our spiritual abilities to save those who are in darkness and bring them to the peace of God, Luke 1:79.

Luke 1:79, “TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

With all of these in view, our feet need to be prepared to stand firm in the spiritual warfare we are in.

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A PERSONAL NOTE FOR YOU

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.”

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have;” it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it, and it can never be lost or taken away from you [John 10:28-29]. Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life [also called eternal life in Scripture] is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you. God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place. Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held against us.

Right where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:

"Yes Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ,
died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."

If you have done that, I Welcome You to the Eternal Family of God !!!

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Grace Fellowship Church
Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard
23 Messenger Street, Unit 3
Plainville, MA 02762

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