E p h e s i a n s 6 : 1 5

• Today, let’s look at the Shoes of Peace. • In particular, we are going to examine the amount

of peace you have in This Present Warfare.• A pro golfer who played with Jack Nicklaus,

President Ford and Billy Graham . . .• Believers possess an inner peace when they make a

bad putt or when things go wrong in their life, they have the ability to stand firm.

• When looking at the world around you:Are you full of peace?Are you full of worry, fear and stress?• Everywhere you turn people are stressed out. • They’re stressed about their finances, marriage,

children, job or future. • There seems to be so little peace in the midst of the

trials of life.

Do you know that you can actually get to the place where you wake up thinking, “I’m going through tough times, but I’ve never had so much joy”? • That’s a great place to be, and it’s possible to get

there.• If you are not there yet, this message is for you. • You need to put on the Shoes of Peace.

John 14:27 – I’m leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (NLT)

Why would Jesus make this promise if it were not possible?

Ephesians 6:14-18 – Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit. (NKJV)

• Paul reveals that we have 7 pieces battle armor to use in our fight.1. Helmet of Salvation2. Breastplate of Righteousness3. Belt of Truth4. Shoes of Peace5. Sword of the Spirit6. Shield of Faith7. Lance of Intercession

• The 3rd piece of the armor is the Shoes of Peace.

• This illustration comes from a Roman soldier.

• The Roman soldier’s shoes consisted of 2 parts:1. Greaves2. Shoes

1. Greaves • These were metal and leather pieces that went

from the knees to the top of the shoe. • They were designed to protect the shins. • They look similar to a catcher’s shin pads

in baseball.

2. Shoe• They were also overlaid with metal and had 1-3”

spikes on the bottom. • They were similar to cleats on the bottom of golf

shoes.

• For an army, shoes are critically important. • An army moves on its feet & if they don’t have the

right kind of boots, they will be at a disadvantage. • During the Vietnam War the Vietcong set traps that

were designed to hurt our soldiers feet. • If they killed 1 American soldier, only one was out of

the way. • But, if they injured a soldier where he couldn’t walk,

it would take 2 other soldiers out.

What’s the Application?Don’t you think it is odd that Paul would use combat boots to describe peace? • Only in the Kingdom of God is peace a weapon. • Every peace-filled moment you experience brings

terror to the devil’s kingdom. • If you use the weapon of peace correctly, it will

keep your spiritual enemies where they belong—under your feet.

15 And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.• 3 Words: 1) Shod – tightly bind your shoes on your feet • When you do, you’re ready for action. • Much like a basketball player is ready once he laces

up his shoes.

15 And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.2) Preparation – readiness, firmness, solid footing • In this case, it gives the picture of a soldier who is

on firm footing. • He has spikes on the bottom of his shoes, and he is

ready and prepared.• He will not be moved.

15 And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.3) Peace – gives a foundation in your life so secure

that you can step out in confident faith without being moved by what you see or hear.

• You can look into the face of adversity without fear or intimidation.

• All the chaos that used to rule your life is replaced with a peace in every area of your life.

• When you have this supernatural peace in your life, there is very little the devil can do to move you.

• There are 2 kinds of Peace:1. Peace with God• This is the peace you experience at salvation. • Once you accept Christ, you’re at peace with God. • You are a friend of God. • But, there is a 2nd kind of peace:

2) Peace of God• It’s possible to have the 1st peace without the 2nd. • Many are at peace with God because of salvation,

but they’re not walking in the peace of God. • Instead they walk in all kinds of fear, stress, worry

and anxiety. • This is why the Peace of God is a weapon. • It protects you from the stresses of life.

What is peace? • Most people in the world define it as the absence of

something: no war, strife, noise or conflict. • But, if you think about it, you can be alone in a

cabin in the mountains and not have peace. • For a believer, peace is not the absence of

something. • It’s the Presence of Someone—Jesus!

• In reality, peace is the atmosphere of heaven invading your life.

• It’s not the removal of your storms, but the calming of your soul in the midst of the storm.

• Peace is like a double-edged sword: it is calming for you, but it’s highly destructive for the devil.

• Let the atmosphere of heaven invade your life and bring peace.

Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. (NLT)

• Rule = umpire or a referee who judged the athletic games in the ancient world

• Thus, we can get to the place where peace, and not worry & stress, can call the plays in our lives.

• Peace vs. Worry & Fear Which one is ruling your life?

• The devil loves to take advantage of unrenewed areas of your mind to turn you into an emotional roller coaster.

• You’re up one day and down the next. • You must learn to let the peace of God to rule in

your life during the difficult days. • Satan can try to play games with your mind and

emotions, but if you are ruled by God’s peace, he will not be successful.

• Whenever I’m having a Worry Attack, I often read Philippians 4:6-9.

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. • This is a good pattern to follow:1. Don’t worry about anything. • There is nothing that we need to worry about.Why? Because God has provided everything we need.

2. Instead, pray about everything.• Worry is self-centered, but prayer is God-centered. • Worry is nothing more than a substitute for not

praying.• Go to God about your problem. • Worship Him. • Speak His Word.

3. Tell God what you need. • Be specific and cast your cares upon Him. • The word cast means to pitch or to throw. • Never seen God mishandled any of my pitches.4. Thank Him for all He has done. • Review all the wonderful things He has done for you

in the past. God showed up faithful then, so why would He stop now?

7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 1. Then you will experience God’s peace, which

exceeds anything we can understand. • It will not make any sense to you or to anyone else

why you have peace in the midst of your storm. • I like how it says, which exceeds anything . . .

2. His peace will guard your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus.

• Guard is a picture of a Roman garrison surrounding you and keeping watch.

• Their backs to you—you’re in the middle—and they’re ready to strike down any attack against you.

• Peace will keep all worry, stress and fear at bay. • There’s a spiritual wall of peace which surrounds &

guards your hearts & minds from the devil’s lies.

8 And now, dear brothers, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Now that you have peace, how do you maintain it? • Fill your mind with Godly thoughts.

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You. (NKJV)

• Begin the habit of meditating on the Word of God. • Pull down any negative thought that may get

through the wall of peace. • This is a conscious decision on your part. • Then, the peace of God will rule in your life.

Stand• In the Ephesian passage, Paul says to stand 3 times. Having done all to stand, stand! • Remember: Stand with the confidence of a Roman

soldier who never flinches at an attack.• When you have God’s peace, you’ll not be moved. • No matter how hard it gets or regardless of what

you see or hear, you’re not moving.

Palm Tree• You’ll be like a palm tree in a hurricane. • The wind may blow fiercely against you, but when

your storm passes, you will pop right back up! • You’ll bend but you won’t break. • The Peace of God will hold you in a place of

complete confidence.• If the devil can’t disturb your peace, he can’t disturb

you.

Spikes• The Roman soldier’s shoes were not designed for

running, so he could not retreat. • Josephus writes of a centurion who retreated and

fell on some rocky soil and was killed. • You can’t run with cleats on rocky surfaces. • We are never to retreat. • We are to always move forward.

ConclusionRomans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. (NASB)

1. Crush – There is a connection between peace and crushing the enemy under your feet.

• If the devil keeps attacking you, smash him like a grape under your feet.

• Throw your shoulders back, hold your head high, & dig your heels down deep on his head.

2. Soon – This word describes how a group of Roman soldiers marched.

• They took hard, short, heavy steps when they walked in formation.

• When they marched through town, you could hear them everywhere.

• The sound of their shoes on the pavement was a warning to the people of that city.

• They would stop for no one.

• If someone fell in front of them, that was his or her problem, not theirs.

• They would just keep marching!• This shows our victorious position in Jesus Christ. • If the devil tries to stand in your way, don’t ask him

to move. • Just keep marching forward! Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. (NASB)

• There’s no doubt about it, the shoes of peace are an awesome weapon against the enemy.

• Allow the atmosphere of heaven to invade your life on a daily basis.

E p h e s i a n s 6 : 1 5