How can it be that thou, my God, should die for me? Good morning, my friends. This is missionary James Robinette with Mission Africa. And by the gracious will of the Lord, it is my joy to look to the scripture in the teaching and preaching ministry of the word of God this Lord's Day morning. It is also my joy to fellowship with you in the ministry of the word. We continue today in Ephesians chapter 6. I'll soon begin reading in verse 14. Please follow along in your Bibles as you can. I'll be reading from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible. Friends, our contact number is 0782652143, and you can learn more about our ministry, Mission Africa, at www.missionafricajk.simplesight.com. Praise the Lord. He is ever faithful and ever good. Hear now the word of the Lord, beginning in Ephesians 6 verse 14. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. That's through verse 18. Let us pray. Father in the highest heaven, once again, we give you glory and thanks. We praise your mighty, faithful, righteous name. You are the Lord, the God of all creation, and there is no other. And we give you thanks, too, that your precious word has reached us, that the truth, that your son is the savior of the world, has been communicated to us through your precious word and that by your spirit we have believed in him and been saved from our sins. And we have come to God. We worship you, God of all of creation, of the heavens and of the earth. God of all peoples, God of all that exists, the one true and living God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit. We praise you, faithful and righteous Lord. And so bless your precious word to our hearts and bless the teaching and preaching of your ministry. I pray that your spirit will bring life into our hearts, blessing and wisdom, grace, that we might meet with you once again, and I ask it for the glory of God and the blessing of God's people. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Praise God. And we continue today, friends, at verse 15, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Last November, when I last preached from Ephesians chapter 6, I mentioned to you that the preparation of the gospel of peace means that because of the gospel, which brings us to be at peace with God and which blesses us in this peace that we have with God, through this glorious gospel, the Lord has caused us to stand in the truth. And that because we have believed the truth and because we stand in the truth, we hold to the truth, we are made ready and we are prepared by the gospel. We are enabled to hold to the truth in every difficulty and circumstance in our lives as Christians. The glad tidings has fortified us so that we stand. We do not fall in sin, but we stand in Christ and we stand in great part because we fear God. We have trusted Christ. We have come to know God. We believe in him. And by his marvelous grace, we who are saved have become obedient to the Lord and we seek to do his will. This standing in Christ that I have just described to you has enabled us to face great pressures and great struggles, yes, even fierce battles for the Lord, but Praise God in this battle for our lives, for our souls, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith in his gospel, we are readied today and we stand today and we are prepared for all that comes in this world because of the preparation of the gospel of peace. in a real sense, because Christ was crucified. And we might think for a moment of our great sovereign, of the Lord, of the great potentate, the sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of his church, how it is that he battled and conquered And as we think for a moment of his crucifixion, the great final battle that he waged with evil, in which he overcame all evil, the man Jesus Christ stood, though his feet were bloodied and pierced, Christ's feet were spiked. The metal bit into his feet. And yet the Lord stood, the man stood by faith in his father. Praise the Lord. And Christ had lived a life of perfect faith. He was readied for the greatest trial of his human life, if you will. That is, that because he believed and obeyed God, he was prepared for the death of the cross. this agonizing death and by faith the Lord Jesus stood and by faith overcame all. Now as we think of Christ crucified and of these bloodied pierced feet, his feet, we see that We stand because He has died for our sins, because He has overcome the enemy by His blood, by His sufferings, yes, by His piercings and death. We are readied and we are fully enabled in the grace of God. And praise God, we rejoice in the good news, the evangel, that the precious Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, enables us to stand and yes enables us as soldiers of the cross to not only stand in the fiercest of battles but also to bring the good news to the peoples. It is the gospel of peace that changes men's hearts and brings them to be at peace with God. There is no peace for the wicked We find the scripture says in Isaiah 48, 22, but this powerful gospel brings peace to sinful men as it is proclaimed by God's children, by the soldiers of the cross who bring the gospel, who, if you will, are moved by the gospel. They are prepared. They wear these shoes, the preparation of the gospel of peace, and they move in these shoes for the glory of God to bring the gospel to the peoples, to all nations. We find in Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 20 and verse 21 that the Bible says, Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead That Great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And so through the precious blood of the everlasting covenant that was shed at the cross, God makes us complete or perfect in every good work to do his will, to hold to his truth, to exercise saving faith, and to serve God in gospel proclamation because of this precious saving faith. He works in us to sanctify us, to make us well-pleasing in his sight. And wonderfully, God here calls himself the God of peace, the Father. who brought up the Son, the Lord Jesus from the dead, who is here called the great shepherd of the sheep. Praise the Lord. To Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen. And so the gospel is the instrument that God uses. God works by the gospel. And God moves men. He changes their wills. He changes their hearts. And he brings men into a condition, a state of readiness and preparation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to hold to Christ in every possible distress and circumstance yes he prepares us to do what he desires us to do to walk in the good works he is appointed for us and he enables us to suffer as necessary in the great plan of God that the gospel may reach God's people everywhere. We understand that from these thoughts the importance of the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace and Paul is referring once again to the picture of the Roman soldiers shoes and in research I have discovered that there were basically two types of shoes that Roman soldiers wore. And they wore these particularly in times of battle. There was a shoe that was fitted for warmer weather. This was much more like a sandal or a kind of sandal-like boot. And then there was a shoe that was worn in colder weather, which kept the feet and the toes warmer. there was more leather in this and there were more straps of leather. This was really much more like a boot but both types of shoes that the Roman soldiers used were fitted primarily for use in battle. It is called the calagi or shoes or caliga which is the singular for a shoe, and these were heavy-duty, thick-soled, open-work boots with hobnailed soles. Caliga comes from the Latin calus, meaning hard, as hobnails were hammered into hard leather soles before being sewn onto a softer leather lattice. And so this enables us to see that this kind of sandal-like boot had pieces of metal, we call those hobnails, which were inserted into the sole of the boot and it really served, the hobnail did, as a type of grip. It would grip the ground so that the soldier in battle would not slip or slide. It really was a great means to help his stability and his ability to stand in the midst of battle, because if the soldier fell in battle, then usually that was fatal. And so this short nail with a thick head, the hobnail, would grip the ground and it was attached to the leather sandal. to these open-toed sandals in the summertime and to these more boot-like sandals in the wintertime, which provided more warmth for the soldier. It's believed that Paul, who at various times in his life and ministry had close contact to Roman soldiers in his imprisonments, saw this gear, this foot gear, if you will, upon the Roman soldiers and then use this picture to really wonderfully illustrate by the leading of the spirit this condition of preparation in the gospel of peace. That is that the Roman soldier's foot gear enabled him to stand in the fiercest of fights. And so it is that the gospel Our footgear prepares us for every circumstance in life and in spiritual battle, you see. Praise the Lord. And so this necessary truth, the footwear of the Roman soldier, the preparation of the gospel of peace, our being readied for every condition in battle is so necessary Christ stood by faith, we stand by faith, and so the vulnerable foot is in a sense protected here for the Christian soldier by the very good news which he believes in. The good news protects him, enables him to stand, enables him to move, it enables him to move with vigor and strength and uprightness and mobility and it enables him to at times exert great energy. It enables him to do absolutely remarkable things for Christ's glory in the service of Christ and in the faith of Christ. The Christian soldier who is prepared by the gospel of peace, who wears this foot gear, if you will, is blessed to become a peacemaker. And we remember that Jesus tells us in Matthew, chapter five, that peacemakers are blessed by God because they shall inherit the earth. Now, amazingly, again, remember the captain of our salvation, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for us. In John 16, verse 33, he says, These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, that is, pressure and pain, distress, yes, even fear, but be of good cheer. In other words, take courage. I have overcome the world. Praise God. And so the captain of our salvation stood in the fiercest battle that any man has ever faced or will ever face. And he conquered. He stood in battle. And we stand in battle. We stand in all distresses because of the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of peace has liberated us and we stand in it. Praise the Lord. I want to share with you now a few thoughts from a friend of mine. His name is Peter Jeffrey. Some years ago, Peter went to be with the Lord. He helps us to better understand this gear, the gospel of peace, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. Peter writes Since ancient warfare was fought mainly by hand-to-hand combat, sureness of foot was one of the most important qualities in a soldier. This is what Paul is referring to when he says, stand firm with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. The Roman soldier's footwear could perhaps best be described as hobnailed sandals. Josephus the historian called them shoes thickly studded with sharp nails. This was unusual in those days and it gave them a great advantage over the enemy. Another man mentions that it is because of these shoes that the Roman soldiers wore that Julius Caesar's armies had such a great success. His men wore military shoes that made it possible for them to cover long distances in such short periods that again and again the enemies were caught off guard, having deceived themselves into thinking that they still had plenty of time to prepare for adequate defense. In the victories won by Alexander the Great, this same factor had played an important role. And so the Roman soldier had a firm footing, and he was set. He had great mobility, oftentimes on slippery ground. And so with his stability and mobility, he was ready. And in his state of readiness, this ready mind, if you will, he was zealous and confident for battle. And so the Apostle Paul tells us that as we are engaged in battle, the gospel of peace should produce these same things in us, that is, zeal and confidence for battle. Peter Jeffrey makes mention of the glorious peace that surpasses all understanding that we have with God because we have been justified by faith alone in Christ. Romans five, verse one. And he makes mention that we are really, in a sense, soldiers of peace. That is, we battle with evil, but we have been brought to peace with God. We enjoy the peace of God. Even in battle, it is possible for the Christian to enjoy God's peace, because in this warfare, there are three crucial factors which sum up how worthwhile it is. There is the nobility of the warfare. There is the certainty of victory in the warfare. And there is the glory that awaits the victors. We conquer, and we conquer by the preparation of the gospel of peace. The gospel brings us to be stable in Christ Jesus. That is, we have learned spiritual stability This enables us to have an unswerving confidence in what God has said. Martin Luther, the great reformer, who is a great example to us of unswerving confidence in the fiercest of battles. That is that Martin Luther believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was born again and he stood against the pressures of the Catholic Church of his day and he stood believing that Christ alone was his savior. He was caught up in great and fierce battles. His life was in danger at many times, and yet he held to Christ and he preached Christ in the midst of this great struggle. And he conquered in Christ. Martin Luther had stability because of the preparation of the gospel of peace. He was able. Peter Jeffrey helps us to understand, too, that we must think through the implications of this great stability and mobility, and we must apply these truths in our lives. That is, because the gospel enables us to hold to Christ, we should be quick to move. That is, the gospel should run through our ministries. We must be active in obeying the commandment of Christ to take the gospel to all peoples, to all the nation because of this stability and because of the nature of the preparation of the gospel of peace. We see too that the preparation of the gospel of peace makes us to effectively advance the gospel. Praise the Lord. That is, as we war in the Gospel, as we bring the Gospel to others, as we move in the Gospel, if you will, and we read those marvelous verses in Hebrews 13 and We find also in Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7 that the gospel prepares us to conquer and overcome fear and all anxieties. The inward peace of God actually guards us, garrisons us, which is a military term, against outward cares and worries. We're also encouraged that Colossians 3, 13 through 17, speaks of the peace of God which reigns in the hearts so that we are fully equipped for every battle and ultimately conquer in every battle. Praise the Lord. And so Peter Jeffrey encourages us to be faithful to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and to move into action for Christ with zeal and complete readiness. He mentions that zeal is not simply a matter of temperament. It is a product of the work of the gospel in our hearts. If we have tasted of the gospel of peace and seen the invincible advantages it gives us, then with the gospel shoes on our feet, we do not wait to be attacked, but rather we fly into battle. He gives us a good illustration from the Second World War from 1945, and he writes, Nearly every commodity was scarce in Britain and the people had to use ration books to obtain food, clothing, and furniture. It was impossible to buy gym shoes, but the schools had some for the children to use. It was a great day when the children were allowed to put on these very special shoes for physical education or games. The schoolyard would be filled with boys and girls running up and down in wild abandon. The zeal and enthusiasm this footwear gave them was unbelievable. In the same way, when the Christian has his feet fitted with the gospel of peace, he will be ready and anxious to do battle in the name of his God and Savior. And Peter encourages us to make application, put on this footwear. When it is put on, the peace of God rules in our heart. And when our confidence rests unwaveringly on the truth of the gospel, we are really ready and we are victorious in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. Helpful thoughts from Peter Jeffrey, who is enjoying the glorious presence of the Lord now in absolute holiness and perfection. He is with the Lord and standing in his presence. And by faith, Peter speaks to us still today about standing in the grace of God. We find friends too about the glorious peace of God that we stand in, as we have been describing it, that Jesus tells us about the peace that he gives to his people in Luke chapter 10 verse 5 and he also describes to us in Luke 24 the peace that he gives he says peace I give to you not as the world gives to you but my peace I give to you that is a description of the very peace of God himself that he blesses a Christian with so that we enjoy the very peace that God himself enjoys as Christian believers. John chapter 20 also relates to us that Jesus says, peace I give to you. He has blessed us with peace through his glorious gospel. Acts chapter 18 tells us about the peace that enables a Christian to always speak That is, the peace that comes by the grace of God in the gospel enables us to, without fear, open our mouths. That is, we do not hold our peace, we are not quiet, but we speak forth as we see in the examples of the apostles, the disciples, the early Christians. We find in many places in the New Testament a prayer that God's grace and mercy and peace would be with God's people. Peace from God the Father, from the God of all peace. And so, my friends, let me encourage you today to hold fast to the Lord. and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your hearts. And then because of the preparation, the readiness that the gospel of peace brings to you, Speak for Jesus. Speak about Jesus and serve him and move. You have mobility in the gospel. That is, serve him, take action for the name and the glory of your great God and Savior. As a Christian believer shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, You are victorious. You will prevail. You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. You are born again. And without doubt, God will do mighty and wonderful things as you follow his leading in these areas. May God bless you, dear friend. Father in heaven, thank you for the word today and the teaching. Bless it to my listeners hearts. And I pray that the result of this teaching would be the application that I have just spoken of, that is, that Christians would enjoy their peace with you through the gospel, and that they would stand in the gospel, and that they would take action in the gospel, that they would speak for you, that they would not hold their peace, that is, that they would open their mouths and speak for you, the Lord God, and that you would work powerfully through Their witness through their declarations of your nature and of the great glories of salvation the truth of God Bless them and bring this to pass Because you have given us your word and you have directed us by it. I ask it in the name of Jesus Amen, and amen. And so my friends until next Lord's Day morning. May the Lord bless you