Tag: Ephesians

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Battle Ready: Gospel Fitted Feet!

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Highlight:

(15)  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:15

Explanation:

Roman soldiers over the years wore two kinds of footware- Caligae and Calcei.  The Caligae were a sandal. 

mil roman soldiers footwear 1
Battle Ready: Gospel Fitted Feet! 6
mil roman soldier footwear underside
Battle Ready: Gospel Fitted Feet! 7

The Calcei were more of a closed toed and provided more protection in wet and winter climates.

mainz calcei
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paul calcei2
Battle Ready: Gospel Fitted Feet! 9

As shown in these pictures they were often cleated.  This gave them the ability to stand against the enemy. 

“The underside of the caligae was fitted with studs that the soldier had to buy himself, they were not supplied by the army. Not only would they protect his feet over rough ground, but they also enabled him to use them in battle to stamp on fallen enemy warriors as his unit advanced into the opponent hordes.”  Romans in Britain – The Roman Soldier’s Footwear – Caligae and Calcei (romanobritain.org)

Here the Apostle Paul says that we should put on these boots with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.  I think it is appropriate that the boots are on the feet, because the Gospel has to be advanced.  The Gospel must be taken somewhere.  Jesus told us in Mark 16:15:

(15)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15

What is the Gospel?

The word is εὐαγγέλιον (yoo-ang-ghel’-ee-on) and literally means “a good message” or “good news”.  It is defined by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.

(1)  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

(2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

(3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

(4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

(5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

(6)  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

(7)  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

(8)  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

How is this gospel the gospel of peace?

Because we were the enemies of God, and yet God has made peace by the blood of His Son.

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Romans 3:25

1John 2:2 

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:2

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10

(10)  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

(11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Romans 5:10-11

Application:

When we go with the Gospel, sharing it with the lost, we are sharing that peace is possible for the enemies of God.  We cannot keep this good news to ourselves.  We must put on these boots to stand against the schemes of Satan who hates the advancement of the Gospel.  We must take the Gospel to every place that it needs to be proclaimed.

Response:

Lord God, help me to be able to share the Gospel with someone today.

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Devotion for January 1, 2014: Thought Wars

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (II Corinthians 10:4-6)

The weapons of our warfare…

…pull down strongholds.- A stronghold is a place that is not easily conquered but is easily defended. When evil gets a stronghold in our lives it can be deadly for a long time.
…casts down arguments and every high thing- It’s so clear that Paul is not talking about real earthly or “carnal” warfare but the battlefield of the mind and worldview.
…brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.- It’s like a benevolent dictator. “Hey stop that! That’s not a right way to think about (fill in the blank). Think this way..”
…lead to obedience.-The point of changing our thinking is changing our actions. It really does come in that order.

What are the “weapons of our warfare”?

The Word of God-
As we think about all of the things that the verses say that “the weapons of our warfare” do this is the most obvious answer. God’s Truth found in the scripture has the power to obliterate the arguments that I make about my behavior and ways of thinking that “exalts itself agains the knowledge of God”.

The Holy Spirit-
God Himself helps us to understand and apply scripture to our lives.

Prayer-
Prayer guided by the previous two helps to align my will with God’s will for me.
See Ephesians 6-This isn’t the first place that Paul uses battle language to talk about our spiritual walk. Look at the list of equipment that Paul describes there.

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— (Ephesians 6:14-18)

Application
We really do become what we think.

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Heavenly Father, I so want you to guard my heart and mind today. Sometimes the greatest enemy of my mind and heart is me. Defend me from myself. Help me not to self destruct. Help me to think the right things so I can do what is right in Your power. I love you. Amen.

Accountable to God: Day 27

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional7 Comments

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February 14, 2012

Today’s Text: Ephesians 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

Today’s Key Thought: A wise steward of their vocation uses their income to serve others.

As Christians, we have a common responsibility to work diligently. Proverbs consistently tells us that a person who is lazy or slothful will have no blessings from their laziness. Ephesians tells us that as Christians we are to put off certain sinful lifestyles, one of them being a life of thievery. Many would say, “I’m no thief!” yet millions of people willing steal from their companies or places of work every day in the form of wasted time. Financial statistics tell us that $759 billion dollars annually is literally stolen from employers in the form of wasted time in the workplace. As Christians, we have been called to put away thievery and to work that which is good in our places of employment. The reason to work diligently in our workplace is not only so that we are not thieves, but also so that we may have to give to others who are in need. A wise steward of their earned wage understands that their income is a tool to serve the Lord. A Christian is called to be a generous giver and Ephesians tells us that we should use some of what we earn from working to give generously to others in need.  A lifestyle of an open and giving hand in a world of clinched fists frees us to serve the Lord and make a sizable impact in the lives of those looking for the love (and ultimately the good news of the gospel) of our Lord in their broken lives.

Application:

Are you aware of your call to live generously? A wise steward uses their income to serve others. Today’s challenge is put aside a time for yourself (and your spouse) to agree on an amount you will use to give to a cause that will show God’s love in our world, then give generously with that amount and watch what God will do with your generous living!

Accountable to God: Day 21

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional13 Comments

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February 6, 2012
Today’s Text: Ephesians 5:15-17
Today’s Key Thought:  Wisdom is the key word in talking about the topic of our time.

 

“I’m so busy!”  Have you ever heard that before?  Have you ever thought that before?   I know I have.  It never seems like we have enough time.  But isn’t that a funny statement?  We don’t have enough time, but what is interesting is that everyone on a daily basis has the same amount of time.  Why does it seem like some people are relaxed and have enough time, while yet others seem like they don’t have any time at all?  I believe the key word is found in the verses we read today.

 

The apostle Paul tells the Ephesian church in today’s text to “walk”, or live, “circumspectly”, or carefully.  He then clarifies this statement by saying, “not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.”  Paul tells them and us to use our time wisely.  When we think about our time the Bible is telling us to be wise.  That is the key word.  Why?  Because “the days are evil.”  Times are dangerous, and if we aren’t careful we will be in danger of wasting our time.  We will spend our lives in things that don’t matter if we are foolish.

 

Application:
When it comes to how you spent the last 24 hours, would you describe it as wise or foolish?  Did you spend or did you invest your time?  In what ways are you using your time foolishly?