“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…Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the devil” (Ephesians 6:13, 16).

The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can be strong in the Lord and his mighty power to stand firm against the devil’s schemes:

1. Put on the helmet of salvation to protect your mind
2. Put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart
3. Put on the belt of truth to protect your character
4. Put on the shoes of the gospel so that you are ready in season and out to proclaim the gospel of peace
5. Take up the shield of faith to extinguish the fiery arrows of the devil

Imagine yourself out in the open in the middle of the battle field. And when you look out to the horizon, you see a legion of Roman soldiers approaching your ranks in such a formation.

If you were on the opposing end of a legion of Roman soldiers, it would be a dreadful sight. The Romans conquered the known world through such tactics.

Notice that the shield of faith is most effective when it’s used in tandem with others. In isolation, it’s helpful but not nearly as formidable. It’s in partnership with others that the shield is most effective.

While we come to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior as individuals, Christians are not meant to live solitarily. As soon as one receives Jesus as Lord and Savior, they become a part of God’s family, God’s body, the church. On our own, we are more vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Together, we become a formidable force against the schemes of the devil.

You were never meant to live out your Christian life in isolation. You belong in the church. It is impossible to be a Christian and not be a part of the body of Christ.

There are several ways you belong to the church:

1. Corporate worship. Worship is meant to be celebrated as a community. With Covid, the situation is more fluid, but even if you cannot show up in person for worship, it is good and right to worship with others at the appointed time. We have made this as easy as possible for you to join in worship online. Make it a non-negotiable item that you set aside time to worship God.
2. Small groups. You learn to practice faith, love, patience, service, hope, joy, etc., in community with others. The best tool to help you grow deeper in relationship with God and with others is in small groups. We offer multiple small groups throughout the year. If you want to grow in faith, one of the best tools for that is small groups. Sign up today for one of the small groups if you haven’t done so. You can sign up by calling the church office.
3. Service to God by serving others. Growing in Christ is for the purpose of increasing our capacity to serve God by serving others. Find an outlet to serve and volunteer. Call the office, one of the pastors, or your small group leader to talk about different ways you can serve.

God’s greatest weapon against the schemes of the devil is the church of Jesus Christ. Got it?

So take it up. Take up the shield of faith.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…Stand firm then…with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:13, 15).

The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can be strong in the Lord and his mighty power to stand firm against the devil’s schemes:

1. Put on the helmet of salvation to protect your mind
2. Put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart
3. Put on the belt of truth to protect your character
4. Put on the shoes of the gospel so that you are ready in season and out to proclaim the gospel of peace

What does it mean to stand firm with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace? And, why do shoes even matter? What do shoes have to do with the armor for soldiers?

Why do shoes even matter? Ask any athlete why having the right shoes matters for both the condition of the field and the weather. Wrong shoes and you are at a great disadvantage.

The cost of being ill-prepared in athletics is a loss, in war it meant your life.

Being prepared with the right shoes absolutely mattered in battle.

The Greek literally reads, “and having shod the feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace.”

What in the world does that mean?

The Greek for “fitted” literally means to shod. Shod means to put on shoes.

What kind of shoes are we to put on? The shoes of the readiness of proclamation or the sharing of the gospel of peace.

Note that the proclamation and the sharing of peace doesn’t just happen. It has to be “put” on. The readiness and the preparedness of the proclamation of the gospel is intentional. So when you shod your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace, it means you start the day prepared and ready to share the gospel of peace. You are heading in to the day with the intention of looking for opportunities to share the gospel of peace with those around you.

The sharing of your faith doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you are prepared. How can you be prepared?

• Know your story. How did you become a follower of Jesus Christ? What difference has that made in your life?
• Know the story of salvation through Jesus Christ. We are sinners in need of a Savior. God sent Jesus to die for sinners on the cross so that through him all might be saved.

Be prepared. You start the day with the intention to share about the goodness of God. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is not accidental. Disciples are prepared to share. Disciples intend to share.

So, does that describe you?

Isn’t time to shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace?

Put it on!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power…stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” (Ephesians 6:10, 14).

To be strong in the Lord and his mighty power, put on the full armor of God.

• Start with the helmet of salvation.
• Then the breastplate of righteousness.
• And thirdly, the belt of truth.

What does the belt of truth refer to? What does it mean to put on the belt of truth?

The belt for the Roman soldier had two main functions.

1. The Roman soldier wore a loose garment. The belt functioned to keep the loose garment from being unmanageable. The belt kept the garment together so that it would not get in the way of the soldier when he needed to fight and defend himself.
2. The belt was where he carried his sword.

The belt was not decorative. It was absolutely necessary to keep the soldier battle ready.

What does the belt of truth in the armor of God refer to? It has to do with character. Put on the belt of truth to protect your character.

Character is who you are when no one else is watching.

I appreciate what Mignon McLaughlin says about character. He says, “Character is what emerges from all the little things you were too busy to do yesterday, but did anyway.”

Character is something you commit to before the need for character arises. Character are those values and commitments that you predetermine to be committed to.

By the time you need character, by the time you need the resolve to stand firm, when you are in the midst of a battle with anger, jealousy, rage, lust, etc., it’s too late. That’s not the time you pray and think about whether you should be a person of honor and integrity. These are things that you commit to long before the need for them arises.

How do you put on the belt of truth? You predetermine now who you are, what you stand for, what you live for, and what you will die for long before you find yourself in the midst of a battle to prove your character.

The time to win your battle against anger, jealousy, rage, lust, etc., is before it starts.

That’s your belt of character.

Put it on. The belt of truth.