Tag Archives: shoes

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD – 5

Christian Life,

Ephesians 6:15 NLT
[15] “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

A soldier can only stand firm on two feet. To use his weapons effectively, he must be able to balance with both feet firmly on the ground. So, God has provided us with equipment to stay in balance, and to help us recognise when one foot is not firmly planted.

Despite some interpretations of this Scripture, based on the King James Version…

Ephesians 6:15 KJV
[15]”and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

…this verse in context is not about the “going” of evangelism, but about “standing” against the enemy.

We need sturdy shoes on both feet to stand steady against the enemy’s attacks. What are the shoes of peace we wear to give us sure footing in our stand against Satan?

Romans 5:1 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ…”

“Peace with God” refers to our standing in grace. We are no longer at odds with the Father because Jesus has paid our debt of sin and reconciled us to the Father. There is peace between us and God since His anger at our sin has been removed.

This peace takes care of our guilty conscience. We are free to approach the Father without fear because we have a standing in righteousness and an Advocate, Jesus, who speaks for us if we sin. One foot is secure in our shoe of peace with God.

However, without the other shoe, we will easily be overcome when Satan launches His missiles at us. Yes, we are free from guilt but what of the day-to-day situations we face? How can we be sure of God’s love and goodness when stuff happens? How do we know who is responsible for our hardships and who we can trust?

Satan’s favourite ploy is to blame God, citing our troubles as punishment for whatever we might have done wrong. This tactic immediately sows doubt in our minds about our salvation. “Am I really saved because…?” Guilt, not peace, grips our hearts. How can we have the peace we need to stand on both feet?

Paul provides the perfect solution.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
[6] “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And THE PEACE OF GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God’s peace in our hearts and minds only comes when we turn our anxieties over to Him. I call it “spilling our guts to God.” God knows everything we think, including our doubts and fears, and the lies Satan tells us that can throw us off balance.

When we come clean with God about everything and choose instead to thank Him for His love and faithfulness IN OUR TROUBLES, something amazing happens! PEACE!!!

The other shoe provides the secure footing we need so that we are not pushed over by the devil’s lies. Peace with God and the peace of God keep us steady against the onslaught.

Paul completes his prescription for sure-footedness by revealing the source of our peace. Once again, when we fill our minds with truth, i.e., all the good things God is and dones for us, God Himself with be with us to stand guard over us and to hold us steady in times of testing.

Philippians 4:8-9 NIV
[8] “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. [9] Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the GOD OF PEACE will be with you.”

Paul has one more piece of information about this peace that helps us “play the game of life” with peace as our “referee”.

Colossians 3:15 NLT
[15]”And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

The peace of God is a very important part of our equipment. It’s like the referee’s whistle when we break a rule in the game of life.
The referee blows the whistle to alert us to a “foul”. God’s peace is disturbed. The Holy Spirit warns us to stop the game and go back to where we went wrong.

The devil will try to derail us with condemnation. God’s Word tells us to put the matter right with confession and forgiveness.

1 John 1:8 NLT
[8] “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”

Hiding our sin from God will not restore our peace.

1 John 1:9 NLT
[9] “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

Our standing in righteousness remains intact. The peace of God, when we come clean with Him, is back in place to guard our hearts AND minds through Jesus.

1 John 3:21 NLT
[21]”Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.”

The Holy Spirit does not make us feel guilty. It’s the work of our conscience to alert us when we have gone wrong. The Holy Spirit calls us to repentance and confession and restores our peace when we follow God’s instructions.
Without our shoes of peace, our feet are vulnerable. We must ensure that both feet always wear God’s protection of peace.

Whose Dust Are You Wearing?

Bible Study, , , , ,

WHOSE DUST ARE YOU WEARING?

“And when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you.'” Luke 10:10,11

Jesus was a rabbi, trained in the educational system of His day. It was customary for a rabbi to select a group of disciples to be trained to follow and imitate him. His shoes were fitted with a flap which kicked up dust when he walked. His disciples would walk in a line behind him and the one closest to him would be covered in the dust kicked up by the flaps on His shoes.

It was such an honour to be covered with the dust of one’s rabbi that one would not wash it off but rather show it off. This dust symbolised the blessing of the rabbi’s influence and it was used as a verbal blessing spoken over people, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”

By contrast, Jesus instructed His disciples to wipe off the dust of a town that would not receive them. He did not want them to be influenced by the attitude of hardness expressed by that town’s rejection of them. They were His representatives. What they said and did was what He said and did because He identified with them completely in their ministry. Therefore, if the people of a town rejected His disciples, they rejected Him and His Father.

There is a lesson for us in this teaching of Jesus. If we are disciples of Jesus, we are to wear His yoke, His way of interpreting the Scriptures and His way of living the Word of God. We will live under His influence, covered with His dust, if we walk close behind Him. But if we allow the influences of ungodly people, their dust, to cover us, we will, in turn, shake off that dust on other people as we go through life.

Jesus said that we are to shake off the dust of unbelieving people because it will affect the way we wear His yoke and carry His dust in the world. We need to ask ourselves daily, “Whose dust am I covered in today? Do I walk close enough to my rabbi to be covered in His dust, or am I carrying the dust of the ungodly world because I have not shaken it off?”