Fight Club 203 - Know Your Tools



Could you imagine someone being attacked and standing still? Staying in place? Not moving? No? Me either. This next piece of your armor blows the whole "stand still" belief out of the water.

Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. - Ephesians 6:15

Put the firm foundation of the gospel of peace on your feet. Ready your feet. Get ready to move based on the gospel of peace. Don't stand still. Move based on God's Word and direction. For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you (Deuteronomy 20:4, 31:6). If you're standing still, you're stuck right there. If you don't go anywhere, if you don't add action to your faith, guess what? You're limiting what God can do for you.

Okay - so what is "the gospel of peace"?

The gospel is the good news. Not just how someone "gets saved" and becomes a Christian. It is the entirety of the Bible. It is God's good news. It is all of His promises. And in Jesus' first sermon, He said He read from Isaiah and said that He was anointed to preach the gospel - the good news - to people.

What is good news to a poor person? Their needs will be met. They won't lack anything anymore. What is good news to the broken hearted? That they will be comforted. What is good news to the captive? That they will be set free.

You get the idea? Do you understand yet? God's Word is good news. His promises for you are the gospel. ALL of His promises. Which leads us to the next part... peace. And when you put the two together, "peace" really helps to qualify and quantify the "gospel."

You see... *sigh*... you have to understand that "peace" is not just "tranquility." That's the closest English word to describe what Biblical peace is.

In the Old Testament the word used is "shalom." In the New Testament it is "eiréné" (pronounced like: eye-ray-nay). Both of those words are defined as wholeness. Being complete. Lacking or missing nothing. It is translated as "peace" - or viewed as "tranquility" - because when you are complete, when you don't lack anything, when you are whole in every sense, the only thing you lack is stress, strife, and worry.

Think about it. Two quick examples. When you have plenty of money and have the means to meet your needs (or even your desires), aren't you "at peace" financially? When you're perfectly healthy, feeling great, and able to do all the things you want to do, aren't you "at peace" physically? Of course! You have a sense of tranquility because you are whole in those situations. You don't lack what you need.

That is what Biblical peace is all about. That's what the good news is! That's what Jesus came to give us. His peace (John 14:17). Wholeness that comes from God - not from the world! (Not the time or place to take that dive right now...)

"Peace" is tranquility and harmony with others, but Biblically, it is also security, safety, prosperity, health, and protection.

Wrap yourself up with God's Word. Get in alignment with Him that you can stand tall knowing that you're approved by Him. Because you've surrounded yourself with His Word and you know you are in right-standing with Him, you can prepare your feet with God's good news of wholeness. You can get ready to move. You can act on God's good news of being complete - lacking nothing.

Bonus material: Here's another helpful tidbit... when we see the Holy Spirit in scripture, is He ever standing still? No. I know what someone out there is thinking... in the beginning, He was hovering over the waters. Hovering isn't a passive task, it's active. The only reason He wasn't in full blown motion (like every other time we see Him in scripture) is because He was waiting for the Word of God. Well guess what? God has already spoken! The Spirit lives in you. If the Spirit isn't moving, it's because you aren't moving. Get up and go based on the Word of God! Act on your faith! Know that God is He Who goes with you!

Practice the love of God.



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