Sunday Morning Worship Service August 30, 2020

Sunday Morning Announcements and Upcoming Church Events

Good morning. Good to see you on this beautiful Lord's Day. Thank the Lord for the wonderful opportunity he's given us today to gather together and to Worship him together to fellowship. Socially distancing from one another together as as the need or has arisen a Few things to share with you from your announce from your bulletin just to remind you of these things tonight in the evening service.

We're doing these songs of the night. Salt different psalms for the last several weeks tonight. Psalm 22 The song of the suffering servant if you're familiar with Psalm 22, you remember how that begins my God my God Why have you forsaken me?

It's the Psalm that the Lord quoted on the cross and a lot connected to Calvary and to what took place on the cross, but we'll be looking at that from the standpoint Primarily of the author David who wrote it and what that how that impacted him.

So that's tonight in the evening service. You can make it back at 6 o 'clock on Wednesdays, we've been going through going around the world looking for different artifacts related to church history and this this Wednesday is the next to the last of those journeys and We'll be going to where is it China the Philippines and South Korea?

And then the last the last journey brings us back to the United States. So the last two Wednesdays for that now a couple things next Sunday you note that we're planning to resume Sunday school classes, so that would be at 930 and We have we'll have things situated there so we don't have to worry about this the social distancing and all that but 930 next Sunday and The Sunday school let out a quarter after 10 so there'd be plenty of time to get from the different places in the building to the auditorium and Get situated for the morning service.

Then after the service next Sunday We'll be having a special church family business meeting. So that'll be just church members. So one of those unfortunate kind of meetings where We have to take up a matter of dis a church discipline.

That's planned for now things could happen, you know repentance and so forth, but that doesn't we expect to have to deal with that next Sunday, so Please note that if you're a church member I want to offer a couple of things of praise and congratulations.

Thanksgiving for Hendricks and the Birth of Carrie Ann

So a couple of weeks almost a couple weeks ago now Hendricks, we've been praying for Hendricks for a long time you remember for Months and months and months of this little boy's life. He was in in hospital and I mean his life Literally hung in the balance and was not expected really to live but Through the grace of God and his working in that little boy's life.

He is now home. He's with his Parents and family. So that is a tremendous answer to prayer and a great blessing. So I know June is here this morning. June's grandma and You wouldn't believe June's grandma.

I know but nevertheless she is and I know that's a great blessing to her and To all of us as we've been praying for that little guy Continue to pray for that family though. There's a lot of Just constant care that Hendricks needs.

So we'll pray for him later. And then we also want to offer congratulations to Peter and Rene Coster had Baby number four this past Tuesday. They're here with us this morning. So congratulations have a little baby girl Carrie and Carrie and so congratulations you guys and may God bless you as you're as he already has in the Growth of your family.

Psalm 89 begins this way says I will sing of the mercies of the Lord Forever with my mouth. Will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations? We open the service this morning with that great hymn of the faith Great is thy faithfulness singing of the faithfulness of the Lord.

So Jim, please come and lead us in our hymnals.

Thank you pastor again. That's on page 109 109. Great as I faithfulness, let's stand together, please and sing verses 1 and 3. 1 and 3 of 109. Father again. We.

We thank you for your grace and your mercy this past week and father. We're so thankful for your faithfulness Your goodness your mercy each and every day and father as we Come to hear your word. Father guide pastor as he brings your word open our hearts.

Father. Hope the Spirit of God to just work in our hearts this day. Help us as we Hear your word to apply it to our lives. We pray these things in Jesus name back. Your bulletin is our psalm reading for the week Psalm 89.

We began the service with verse 1. Speaking of singing of the Lord's faithfulness verses 11 through 18. Continuing on in this Psalm follow along and your your bulletin as I read verses 11 to 18. Psalmist writes the heavens are thine the earth also is thine as for the world and the fullness thereof.

Thou hast founded them. The north and the south thou hast created them. Tabor and Herman shall rejoice in thy name. Thou hast a mighty arm. Strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne.

Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

For thou art the glory of their strength and in thy favor our horn shall be exalted. For the Lord is our defense and the Holy One of Israel is our King. May the Lord add his blessing to our reading together of his word.

Christ Is Enough and the Gospel of Peace

It's next him that we want to sing today goes along with the theme of Our message which is the next piece of the gospel armor the gospel of peace the good news of peace and That that good news is that Christ is enough.

Christ is enough. Jim come lead us, please.

And that is in your blue books. That is your supplements song books page 11 number 11 Christ is enough. We're gonna be singing verses 1 2 4. We're gonna skip verse 3 1 2 4. Of number 11 says came my sin.

He claimed and cleansed me by his grace. To Christ I fly on him rely His grace is all unmoved by death. My faith cries out Christ is enough for me. I stumble Yet Jesus keeps and never sleep his right hand be.

To Christ I fly on him rely his grace is My faith Christ is For me. Rush to Christ as we pray together today.

We want to want to pray for continue to pray for Hendricks and his family as He continues to grow and get stronger But does need a lot of care around-the-clock care. So pray for him and his family. Our missionary of the week this week is Scott will acquit and Scott your member is Leader of the what's called the pep ministry pastoral enrichment program Through baptism admissions as well as the mission board has a what they call a school of church planters a lot of his ministry is Been kind of suspended.

I mean he can't he hasn't been able to do any overseas trips hopes to do one by the end of the year, but that's where he does the The focus of his ministry in enriching and equipping pastors and third world countries for the work of the ministry but in the meantime has talked to him not long ago in the meantime, he's doing an awful lot of preparation work and and revising of Curriculum and so forth.

So I want to pray for that very important ministry and continue to pray for the Folks in our church that are recovering from some major surgeries and needing rehab Harold Smith and Bob Klein Bob also with His cancer and chemotherapy and then Kathy McAllister pray for them.

And then of course, we want to pray for our nation and the the ongoing unrest. Unrest that will continue for an indefinite period of time. May be determined by the outcome of the election may not be who knows only God knows.

But the anger the hatred. The hostility, I don't know. I'm sure you saw the way that Rand Paul and his wife were accosted the other day just walking from the White House to get across the street and to get back to their hotel and was absolutely impossible for them to do so and Senator Paul's wife was sharing how She is trying to look at and talk to the people who there's an angry mob that has just surrounded them.

And she said it's like it's like they they didn't even see us as human beings there was just such a rage in the eyes and Of course the language you've been hearing the language just absolute vulgarity total lack of restraint hatred.

Also this past week, of course the whole debacle in Kenosha further rioting there and that's been going on every night and then the 17 year old boy who's Responsible for killing someone and and not because he was a rioter but because he was trying to do some protecting and that kind of anarchy in the streets is Unfortunate and it's horrible.

It's absolutely horrible and You wonder You wake up wondering. Are we are we do we get transported to another? Country that we do we enter into a time machine and get warped into the future sometime a dystopian future.

What what is going on we've been talking on Sunday mornings the last several weeks about the reality of the spiritual warfare and That's what's going on behind all of the the mayhem you see in the streets and the rioting and the anger and a hatred and the vulgarity all of those things are expressions of the wicked one and He is unrestrained in What in what's going on in a lot of these places?

And so we want to pray is that God in his grace and in his mercy would send the restrainer The one who restrains to restrain the evil that seems to be so widespread and then of course pray for The elections and pray for revival in our land and there's much in our nation to be praying for I also want to pray for our brothers and sisters in in other places and and fellow pastors in churches thinking particularly in California where there has there has been an It just an unprecedented Pressure placed on pastors.

I was watching one pastor this morning who gave an update Friday Regarding his church. His church is meeting today Sunday morning Sunday evening. They're gonna meet Wednesday evening and They will be fined $5 ,000 for every occurrence of Meeting and they also have a Christian school and they they were told they would be fined $5 ,000 for every day that they have school in in place so and that's just one of several instances of that kind of pressure placed upon churches.

So let's go to prayer. We have a much to pray for today our father when we look around us. We watch the news we read the newspaper if we do that Maybe for some of us it is so Discouraging and distressing that we have just taken a fast from all media and father that would certainly be understandable and Maybe that would be commendable for many of us for the sake of our own our own Mental health and emotional health.

But father for those of us who are very much aware of what's going on in the cities of our land The attitudes that are being expressed the hostility the anger the hatred the violence All of this is very unnerving and very unsettling.

And father we pray today That you would give us grace as your people to be able to look at all these things through the lens of our Christian worldview and to see the spiritual warfare that's going on and to see the lack of restraint on the part of people as Being a lack of restraint Against the wicked one who is inciting all of this our desire our prayer from our perspective is that we would long for the Holy Spirit and the restraining power and work of the Holy Spirit to hold back the evil and those in your army Lord would be Powerfully effective at Restraining the wicked one and his armies as they seek to wreak havoc in our land and So much destruction and heartache and misery and even loss of life.

And so father we pray that you would be merciful to us as a people as a nation. We pray that you would be gracious At the same time father that we pray that and long for that we must also recognize our need as a nation for revival for People men and women young people boys and girls to repent of sin and turn to Christ we do realize that ultimately the only hope of peace and joy is Found in Christ.

It's found in the good news. It's found in the gospel and so father we pray that your word the gospel message would be amply clarified and communicated in our nation during these days and We also pray that by your grace.

There would be a turning back to biblical principles Christian principles that have Guided our nation for a couple centuries and more father how vital those principles are for a prosperous and healthy people a healthy nation and yet we have Forsaken those principles.

We have a we have accepted the murder of Preborn children as as just a commonplace Medical procedure father. This is deplorable it is Reprehensible it is immoral. We have made it acceptable father, we need to repent of this sin and we need to turn from it and Father we need healing.

We know this can only come from your gracious hand. We plead for it. We also pray father for the work of your servants in missions around the world, you know, many of our missionaries are Very restricted in what they're able to do in terms of their normal ministry.

Father, we cannot help but think that the wicked one's hand isn't involved in some of these things as well the restricting of the gospel ministry. Father we pray that you would give wisdom to our missionaries and give them Give them a boldness and give them effectiveness wherever they may be let may be laboring and we think of Scott Williquette and the very important ministry of Training pastors for the work of pastoral ministry the preaching of the word the teaching of the word in their home countries.

I pray that he might be able to get back to that Training, you know on a foreign on foreign soil soon pray in the meantime give him wisdom in organizing and structuring material And lectures and classes that he may be even more effective.

Father we pray for those in physical need today we think of Harold and Bob and Kathy and we pray that you would be gracious to them and strengthening their bodies and making the Rehab process effective.

May it be efficiently accomplished. We also pray for Hendricks and that you continue to strengthen his little body and Give him health. Give patience and grace to his parents and those caring for this little boy.

And I pray that their care would be most effective. We also pray for Carrie Ann and thank you for this new life brought into the world this week. I pray that you would bless this little one. May she grow and strength and strength and I pray for her family.

They would continue to bring up their children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. And so our Father and our God we commit these things to you today. And we pray that by your grace you would meet each of these needs and this we ask in Jesus name.

The Armor of God and Spiritual Warfare

Before the morning message and We have you turn again to your in your blue books the supplemental books that to. Number 34 number 34 How can I keep from singing? How can I keep from singing with the joy of Christ in our hearts?

Let's sing together Let's stand together if we would on verses just 1 and 4. Verses 1 and 4 of number 34 How can I keep from singing? How can I keep from singing.

Thank you, maybe see the scripture reading this morning is Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6 and be reading verses 13 Through 18 this morning again. Ephesians 6 verses 13 through 18. Heard you to follow along and your copy of scripture as I read beginning in verse 13.

Paul in closing out this letter to the church at Ephesus is Reminding the church of and the believer the Christian in the first and in the 21st century of the reality of spiritual warfare. That we are involved in if you're a Christian you're a follower of Christ.

You're in this you're in this warfare and because of that he says in verse 13 wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God That you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness and Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taking the shield of faith wherewith you should be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 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 and Watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints a brief prayer.

So our Father and our God as we consider this piece of armor that we need to put on our feet I pray that today we would be encouraged By what you have provided for us this we ask in Jesus name. Amen. Well several years ago, it's been 20 some years ago now my first serious attempt at hiking Was in one respects a dismal failure.

Oh, the goal was accomplished. It was to start out at this trailhead three miles three miles from the summit of Camel's Hump in Vermont and and so three miles up and three miles back and so in one sense, it was a success because That was accomplished got to the summit and got back down.

But it was a miserable success in this way. I had never done any serious hiking before so I didn't have any of the right equipment to do it. But I knew this hike was coming up. So I went out and bought myself a pair of hiking boots hiking shoes.

And I thought I was getting the right stuff. I thought I was getting good material. Um got this pair of boots they were on sale. I think I probably paid 25 bucks for it. If you've done any serious hiking and have purchased hiking boots, you know already there's a problem there.

I didn't realize there was a problem the things were made of leather. They had they had soles on the bottom that had grooves in them like they would grip The side of a mountain if you were falling off but um I put the things on and I started up the hike and I realized boy my.

My feet kind of slip around in these things in some places. Then I started to realize My feet are being pinched in other places. So the whole the whole trip the whole hike. My feet were in were miserable.

They felt awful. They felt even worse the next day when all the blisters Started to show up. Really badly and and you know what happens to blisters and all the rest of that. I learned a very critical lesson in that first hike and that is proper footwear is Critical it is critical.

To a successful hike. Well, the same is true the need for proper footwear. It's also true for a foot soldier a foot soldier. Now in the letter that paul has written to this church at ephesus. He he places a great deal of emphasis on the feet.

Let's trace this through the through the letter. All right, so go back to chapter 2 in verses 1 to 3. I want you to notice. I want you to notice this emphasis. I think it's uh, I think it's significant.

Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3. He says you hath he quickened. That is god has made alive you who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past you walked. According to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air.

We've been talking about him already this morning, right the prince of the power of the air. The spirit that now is at work in the children of disobedience. Among whom we also had our way of life in times past.

In the lusts of the flesh and fulfilling the desires of the flesh in the mind. And were by nature the children of wrath wrath even as others. So what paul says here in chapter 2 verses 1 to 3 is that you used to walk before you came to christ.

Before you were made alive. You used to walk. Uh as you were directed by the world the devil and your flesh. Look at verse 10. He says but we are his for we are his workmanship created in christ. Jesus unto good works.

Which god hath before ordained that we should what? We should walk in them. So whereas you used to walk According to the dictates of your flesh and the world and the devil. You now need to walk in good works consistent with jesus.

Now turn over a chapter further to chapter 4 and the first verse. Chapter 4 verse 1. He says I therefore the prisoner of the lord beseech you that you walk worthy Of the vocation or of the calling where with your you've been called you have been called if you're a follower of jesus.

You've been called to be a christian. A christ-like one that's your calling and you are to walk worthy Of that christ-like calling now in verses 17 through 19 Paul continues discussing this walking as a christian.

He says that christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you being rooted and grounded in love May be able to comprehend. I'm sorry chapter 4 verse 17. He says this I say therefore. And testify in the lord that ye henceforth walk not as other gentiles walk in the vanity the emptiness the futility of their mind.

Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of god through the ignorance of that is in them. Because of the blindness of their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all in cleanness with greediness.

So you're not to walk like that. You're not to walk like that. You're not to walk as unbelievers in the futility of that unconverted mind. Chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 He says be therefore followers of god as dear children and walk In love, this is stuff you do with your feet, right?

Walking is what you do with your feet. It says walk in love as christ also had loved us and given himself for us. An offering and a sacrifice to god for a sweet smelling savor. So we are to walk in sacrificial love and in verses 8 through 10 He tells us we're to walk as children of light he says for you were sometimes darkness.

But now are you light in the lord walk as children of light? For all the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth walk as children of light proving demonstrating showing What is acceptable?

Unto the lord. You're to walk as children of light and walking and and in doing so walk out of the darkness. In verses 15 and 16 here of chapter 5 He says see then that you walk circumspectly. Not as fools, but as wise redeeming the time because the days are evil we are to walk circumspectly that is with Thoughtfulness with care with carefulness with wisdom.

And then finally in chapter 6 more into our text and context for this morning He says put on the whole armor of god that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. So so far he's been talking about different ways in which we walk and we need to walk.

Where we and contrasting that with the way we used to walk but now Still using the analogy of the feet. He says you need to stand. He says stand against the wiles or the schemes of the devil and in verse 13 He says take unto the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand or to resist In the evil day and having done all to stand and then verse 14 Excuse me verse 14 stand therefore stand therefore.

So with all of this emphasis on walking and now standing Functions these are functions of course of the feet. It it's no wonder that in the panoply of god the full Orb orbit of equipment that god has provided for you as a christian soldier.

That one of those pieces of equipment of armor has to do with your feet verse 15 He says and your feet shod with a preparation of the gospel of peace. The way the king james translates that it's a little vague and we'll say more about that in a few minutes.

Let me read that for you as it's translated in the esv. He says and as shoes for your feet as shoes for your feet. Having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Explain that translation in a few minutes.

But what one thing I want you to notice already with that. Uh with that statement in verse 15 is the way paul so far Has consistently been using Okay Pardon the reference to english grammar here, but he's been using a participle a past participle.

And that participle is expressed well in the esv where he's where he writes having put on the readiness having put on. It's the same Form of a verb past participle that he uses when he writes having put on or fastened on the belt of truth and having put on The breastplate of righteousness.

So the point is that when you face the foe This is equipment. This is armor that you have already Put on having put on the belt of truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having Uh having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Now these pieces of equipment are Significantly important because of the battle that we are in. Remember paul exhorts us in verse 11 put on the whole armor of god including the belt of truth the breastplate of righteousness and your and and this this equipment for the feet.

That you may be able to stand against the wiles the schemes the methods of the devil. I want to kind of Take a little side trail here for just a minute and talk about that schemes those schemes of the devil those Tactics of the devil.

I want to do so because just this morning in my reading every morning in my devotional reading I read uh One of the entries in this little book that spurgeon Wrote and uh Several years ago, obviously spurgeon lived in the late 1800s Entitled flowers from a puritan's garden.

And what spurgeon does in this book is he takes a quotation from the puritan thomas manton? And then he makes comments on that. And so what I read this morning Is from thomas manton first. Here's thomas manton's quote.

He says this he says until we see Until we sin until we sin. Satan is a parasite. But when once we are in the devil's hands He turns tyrant. As an angler when the fish hath swallowed the bait discovers himself.

Or as a hunter lies out of sight Till the beast is gotten into the toils or into the snares of the nets. And then he shouts and triumphs over his prey. So the evil one lets not his enmity be seen. Until he has deceived his dupe.

Now that's what the puritan said. Listen to how. Listen to what spurgeon said in comment on that. He says how often have I seen this? A soul tempted by the pleasures of sin one day And driven to despair by remorse for it the next.

Satan first acts as a deceiver. Then as an accuser. While men can be made to suck down sin He will make it sweet in their mouths. But when the poison is down He makes it bitter in their bowels. At the first he tells them that there is no punishment.

And by and by that there is no mercy. Do you get that significance? When he's tempting you he tells you There's no punishment for this. There's no just go ahead. Just go ahead do it. Take this bait. It's enjoyable.

You'll like this. You'll you'll you'll be glad you did. There's not going to be any punishment for this. Remember? That's what he said to eve right thou shalt shalt thou surely die. Will you die? Will you really die?

There's no punishment for this. Ah, but then you take the bait. You swallow it down. And then he tells you there is no mercy for what you have done. You can't be forgiven for that sin. Spurgeon closes his comment with this prayer.

He says lord teach us how to baffle sin's arts. And rescue men from his wiles. No, mere human wisdom can match his subtlety. Instruct us then by thy spirit that we may be as wise. To win souls as he is crafty to destroy them.

Satan is crafty. We need his armor the armor that god has provided for us take it upon ourselves and that armor includes. That armor includes footwear the right kind of footwear. So just as you just as you need that belt of truth.

And just as you need the breastplate of righteousness. You need the right kind of footwear you need your feet shod. With as the king james translates it the preparation of the gospel of peace. Now to understand what this means We have to first of all understand the imagery.

May seem pretty obvious why you got to wear shoes. Well, obviously paul is alluding to the armor of the roman soldier as he Goes into battle. And the footwear of the roman soldier had some unique features.

It wasn't just a pair of any any old pair of sandals that anybody would put on. The footwear of the soldier had on the bottom of it cleats. They were like nails that were that were driven through the bottom of the the the footwear.

I I like it. I like to think of it as like. Like the cleats that an athlete would wear a football player on a on a muddy field or a baseball player. The the cleats of a baseball player or a pair of soccer cleats and you understand that imagery, right?

What's the purpose of the cleats on the bottom of that athletic footwear? It's the same purpose that was on the the cleats were on the footwear of the roman soldier. They were to provide stability and traction.

There was also a strong sole on the bottom of that military sandal. So that uh the feet would be protected. Protected from what would ever be on what would be underneath and so one thing that uh enemies would often do knowing the route that The other side the other army was going to take.

They would they would put hidden spikes or um Gins they're called or a little like little sharp little projectiles. Just it just at the surface of the ground. And if the feet were not protected those spikes would would penetrate the feet.

And then of course, you know Greatly hinder the advancement of the enemy soldier. So those strong soles on the bottom of that Military sandal was very important. And then also as part of that footwear.

Were were these uh pieces of leather the greaves they would be called. That were attached to the calves and then would protect the calves and the ankles of the soldier. So with that imagery, there are three basic functions that become clear those Sandals as military sandals would provide stability mobility and security.

Stability mobility and security. All right, so that's the imagery. But what about the interpretation of this verse, right? Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I won't ask you to raise your hand.

But I would venture to say that the vast majority of you have read that before and you've heard that verse before. And you've really wondered. What exactly? Does that mean having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace?

There are basically two interpretations and one of them one of them sees the feet being equipped with the gospel of peace. Being equipped with the gospel of peace so that it's kind of like Playing off of what isaiah wrote in isaiah 52 verse 7.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news? And so. The application of this would be. Of this interpretation would be listen you as a christian soldier.

You need to have your feet prepared with the gospel. So that wherever you are whenever the opportunity presents itself to share the gospel. You need to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you.

You always need to be ready to communicate the gospel now that may be true. That is true. You know, we're exhorted to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you. But is that what this is saying.

The other interpretation is to say that this is teaching that our feet are to be equipped by the gospel of peace. Feet being equipped by the gospel of priest and peace. Now remember the the imagery that the purpose of that roman soldier's footwear was primarily stability and security as well as mobility stability and security and some mobility.

So I venture to Hold to this second interpretation that what paul is telling us here is that our feet need to be equipped By the gospel of peace. Now, let me explain why? Because that may be new to you.

You may have always heard the other interpretation that that you know That this is telling us we need to have our feet prepared with we always need to be ready to share the gospel with anybody. But what this interpretation does is it sees that?

The gospel of peace Provides for us as followers of christ the essential benefits That we need So that we can stand. What's the big exhortation in this text? Put on the whole armor of god so that you may what?

Stand and when the evil day comes so that you may be able to stand and so To say that the gospel of peace equips you. The gospel equips you to stand. It is consistent in the context with this whole notion of standing.

It's in other words this the context is not calling us to an aggressive Advance as warriors of the as warriors of christ as soldiers of christ. It's exhorting us to stand Also to see that our feet need to be equipped by the gospel of peace Is consistent with the context regarding the pieces of armor?

Look at those pieces of armor. And you realize that All but the last piece is defensive in nature. Protective defensive in nature. Your feet having having Girded up your loins with the gospel with the belt of truth.

Having the breastplate of righteousness is the defensive piece of armor. What we're going to see next week lord willing. Is the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the of the wicked and then the helmet of salvation.

And the last piece of equipment here is the sword of the spirit is the only offensive piece of weaponry That is mentioned and of course a sword can also be defensive as well. So so the idea that our feet need to be equipped by the gospel of peace.

That gospel of peace serves as a defensive piece of armor and we'll see why in just a few minutes. It is it is consistent with our understanding Of what the gospel of peace is. So what is that gospel of peace?

How should I understand this? How would I then apply it? How would I apply this interpretation? That Again as the esv translates it as shoes for your feet. Listen carefully again to what he says having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

How do I apply that interpretation? Well, let me suggest a few things. You are as a follower of jesus. You are equipped to stand When you have put on the gospel of peace. Let me say that again. As a follower of jesus you are equipped to stand against the schemes of the devil.

When you have put on the gospel of peace, how have you put on the gospel of peace? You've put on the gospel of peace in the first place when you heard it. In the second place when you believed it. In the third place when you received it.