On my desk sits a book with a dark image on its cover: a Christian soldier stands alone, surrounded by spiritual foes. Seven arrows and a spear are aimed at his heart, and death and the devil are upon him. The soldier has armor and a shield, but still looks hopeless. He is outnumbered and outnumbered, and he knows it perfectly well. He has his hands folded and looks up to the sky.
As a description of the Christian’s spiritual warfare, this image has some value. We live in “an evil generation” (Ephesians 6:13). Lies fly toward us like invisible arrows as we wrestle with “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). We often feel besieged, cornered, tempted, cast down, overwhelmed, and oppressed. Lordwe cry, Save us.
But if we imagine Christ’s saints to always be on the defensive and never on the offensive, then our idea of spiritual warfare needs a sharper edge. Richard Loveless writes: “In popular belief, the Christian attitude toward the fallen angels is defensive; in Scripture, the church is on the offensive, and the blows it receives from Satan come from a retreating enemy.”Dynamics of mental life136).
“We are, first and foremost, the attacking church, not the attacked church.”
The Lord Jesus did not command his disciples to bow down and defend themselves, but to launch the most spectacular offensive in the world (Matthew 28:19–20). We are not, first and foremost, a church. Attackedbut the church attackSo, among the spiritual weapons Paul gives to believers in Ephesians 6:12-18 is not only “the sword of the Spirit” but also “as sandals for your feet, the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15, 17).
With peace in our hearts and gospel on our lips, we are ambassadors for the victorious Christ, and the tide of war is irreversibly on our side.
Soldier’s shoes
There is some uncertainty about the shoes of Christian soldiers in Ephesians 6:15. In the Roman wars (from which Paul seems to draw his imagery), soldiers’ shoes were stand We are firmly under attack. In context, Paul three times calls on Christians to “stand up” (Ephesians 6:11, 13–14), so the “equipment through the gospel of peace” could mean our preparation to stand firm in the true gospel rather than being “tossed about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).
On the other hand, Paul’s words here are strikingly similar to the prophet Isaiah’s description of the happy gospel. Messenger“How beautiful are the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings upon the mountains! How beautiful are the feet of him that proclaimeth peace, that bringeth good tidings of happiness” (Isaiah 52:7). Ian Duguid writes, feet, Good Newsand peace They are mentioned only three times in close proximity in the Bible: Isaiah 52:7, Nahum 1:15 (an echo of the Isaiah text), and Ephesians 6:15. These shoes are not just for standing firmly, Marching.
Notice also the intensity of the devil’s attack in Ephesians 6. In this battle, flaming arrows fly, swords wound, helmets are tried. Only “the whole armor of God” can protect us (Ephesians 6:13). But think about it: what kind of church would the devil launch such a full-throttle attack on? A calm, quiet church? A church that focuses on its own work? A church that shares the gospel only in small groups on Sundays?
Probably. The devil hates faith in Christ wherever he finds it. But what he really fears is Moving Forward The church. The feet that God hates most are marching, stomping feet, feet that roar with every step of their way the destruction that is coming to God (Romans 16:20).
“Wherever we go, Christian soldiers are willing, eager and ready to talk about Jesus.”
The devil may not be so concerned about a silent church, just as Pharaoh was not concerned about the multiplication of the Israelites. But he will unleash his power to stop the front from moving forward and to keep the church of Christ from stepping into his realm of darkness. He will swing his bow against men and women who embrace Paul’s ambition.[Pray] For me, as words are given to me Open your mouth boldly(Ephesians 6:19)
Misconceptions about Missions
Paul’s explanation of the church’s evangelistic mission corrects a common misunderstanding.
First, Paul wears this armor. whole The church is the whole church, not just a pastor or an evangelist. Yes, the risen Christ has given the church “evangelists” (Ephesians 4:11) — wonderful, restless saints who are eager to speak about Jesus and who seem to do so effortlessly. But Jesus gave such evangelists “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), which includes preaching “the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). Some Christians are formal, gifted evangelists, but all Christians are messengers.
Secondly, Paul aggressive,simply Reactiveevangelism. Christians who faithfully follow Jesus may indeed attract attention and even questions, but our gospel shoes are meant to prepare us for such moments (1 Peter 3:15). But it is precisely because the feet of God’s messengers are “beautiful” that “bring up They give us “good news” not because they give it when we ask, but because they give it. Such shoes send us to people and places we would never have approached otherwise. They propel us across oceans and streets, to exchange words with strangers, to ask bold questions, to invite neighbors where no one else would.
Third, faithful evangelism is Intention and desire than MethodNo doubt methods are useful for evangelism. But methods cannot create a desire to share Christ where one does not already exist. So in Ephesians 6:15, Paul speaks of the Christian soldier as Preparation: “Put them on like shoes on your feet. Preparation given through the gospel of peace.’ Wherever they go, Christian soldiers are ready and willing to speak about Jesus.
With Captain Christ
Perhaps, like me, you too need help putting those shoes on. I recall two situations recently where I needed help. do not have We miss golden opportunities to share even a single word about Jesus because we are not prepared. We find that many days it is much easier to work, rest, read, play, eat, or do household chores than it is to say “Yes” to our friends and neighbors. So how can we be more prepared to share the gospel of peace?
“Behind every honest word you speak is royal authority. Every hill you see will one day bear a royal banner.”
In a way, just meditating on those words Preparation It may help shape your daily prayers and plans. want Part of being prepared is getting into the habit of praying, “Lord, give me an opportunity to talk about you today, and give me the courage to seize it.” It also involves putting yourself in places and among people where opportunities are likely to arise.
But the most moving thoughts come from remembering what spiritual battle we are fighting and which Captain we are following.
He came and won
First, consider the captain whom you will follow. Unlike other captains, he does not give orders from the rear of the army. Nor does he hide among his men, as Ahab did by wearing someone else’s clothing (1 Kings 22:30). No, before he gave us our shoes and bade us depart, he “came” (Ephesians 2:17). He came, Preached Peace. He comes. Had made Peace. He comes. became (Ephesians 2:14-15, 17) Jesus didn’t just run at the head of the army, He was our lone victor, alone, utterly alone, exalted.
And now, every call from Jesus comes with a promise: “Behold, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). The shoes that Jesus hands us are an invitation to follow in his beautiful footsteps, to spread the peace he won, and to know the fellowship with him that can only be had by furthering his cause all the way.
He will fill the earth
Then see where your captain leads. When Paul mentions “rulers” and “authorities,” “cosmic powers,” and “spiritual forces of evil” in Ephesians 6:12, he is certainly telling us to see them as fearsome enemies. But he is also trying to remind us that in chapter 1 he wrote that our resurrected Lord Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God, “far above all things.” rule and authority and Power and Domination(Ephesians 1:21) Moreover, Christ is the “head over all things,” and the church is “his body, the fullness of him who fills all things in all” (Ephesians 1:22–23).
Christ, our sublime and unassailable Commander, already rules over all our enemies. Their time is short, their days are numbered. His kingdom has already spread so far that our enemies are afraid to look upon it. And it will spread Must Continued. His Kingdom Intention Press forward until the gates of hell collapse under the feet of Christ’s victorious body.
So J. I. Packer wrote to trembling evangelists:
You are not on a foolish mission. You are not wasting your time or theirs. You need not be ashamed of your message or be half-hearted and apologetic in delivering it. You have every reason to deliver it boldly, freely, naturally, and with the expectation of success.Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty116)
There is a king’s authority behind every honest word you speak. One day a royal banner will fly on every hill you see. So, Christian, don’t think of yourself as just a defending soldier. Yes, put on the armor of God and defend yourself against attacks. But put on your shoes too, and pray and run and speak under the royal banner of the advance.
