Lessons #275 and 276
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Good news of peace (Eph 6:15)
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
We have been considering the actions believers should take to hold their ground in the spiritual warfare. The first is equipping oneself with the certainty that Christianity contains the ultimate truth of God. In other words, a believer must have the assurance that the Christian faith as expressed in its doctrines is indeed true without any equivocation. The second is equipping oneself with righteousness both faith righteousness and works righteousness as protective covering. So we consider the third action.
A third action that is necessary for a believer to hold his/her ground in the spiritual warfare is equipping oneself with good news of peace. It is this action that is stated in verse 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. This sentence is concerned primarily with defensive weapon although there is also a sense that it is concerned with offensive weapon of the spiritual warfare, as we will demonstrate later by considering the literal translation that reads and having tied the feet with readiness of the good news of peace.
To begin with, the literal verbal phrase having tied is translated from an aorist participle in the Greek. The implication being that whatever it means to tie the feet with readiness of the good news of peace is something that should have taken place. But because the main action commanded of believers that is given in verse 14 Stand firm is also in the aorist tense in the Greek, there is the implication that the action expected is one that should also be taking place at the same time as the believer takes his/her ground during the spiritual warfare. This complex concept implies not only a defensive weapon that the believer should already be equipped with but also an offensive weapon that such a person will employ in the offensive aspect of the spiritual warfare.
In any case, the apostle writes and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Because of the phrase the gospel of peace, some commentators take the view that the apostle had in mind the words of Isaiah 52:7:
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
It does not seem to me that such view is correct for three reasons. First, the context so far has been concerned with military imagery that involves defensive weapons. So, to think that the apostle had in mind the words of Prophet Isaiah because of the phrase the gospel of peace is a case where preachers preach an entire sermon based on phrases while ignoring the context. We are saying that it is wrong to link the passage in Ephesians 6:15 to the words of Isaiah simply because of a single phrase. Second, the apostle quoted from this passage in Isaiah in a context where he was concerned with the preaching of the gospel and not regarding spiritual warfare, I am referring to Romans 10:15:
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Third, experts tell us that the one who ran quickly to bring a victory-message or good news would have worn nothing on his feet in contrast to the description of Ephesians 6:15 where the feet is fitted with a footwear. For these reasons, we believe Apostle Paul was still describing the equipping of the spiritual warrior by looking at a Roman soldier who is fitted for war. In the ancient world of the Orient, people normally went about barefoot or wore sandals. For a soldier going into battle, especially the Roman soldier, it was necessary for such a person to be fitted with a footwear. Of course, we are told that the Assyrian soldiers wore laced booths which reached to the calf and which are covered by nails. That aside, the point is that the apostle was probably looking at the footwear of the Roman soldier as he wrote concerning the third action that should be taken by a spiritual warrior in the literal sentence and having tied the feet with readiness of the good news of peace.
When the apostle wrote with your feet fitted with the readiness or literally and having tied the feet with readiness he could not possibly have meant tying the physical feet with readiness. No! He meant something that is not to be understood literally as we will seek to demonstrate. The word “tied” in the literal translation or “fitted” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (hypodeō) that is used in connection with footwear so that it means “to tie or bind beneath, to put on.” The word may simply mean “to put on sandals” as it is used in the instruction of an angel to Peter when the angel was getting him ready to be freed or rescued from jail, as we read in Acts 12:8:
Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.
In our context, of Ephesians 6:15, the sense is that of “to tie on sandals” on one’s feet, only that this has to be understood in a figurative manner that becomes clearer by examining the word “feet.”
The word “feet” is translated from a Greek word (podos) that literally refers to the part of the body that is used for movement as it is used to describe the body part of Lazarus that was bound at his burial, as we read in John 11:44:
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
However, the Greek word that is translated “feet” is used figuratively in different senses. The word may refer to control or authority, as the word is used in Acts 4:35:
and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
To say that the money from sale of property was put under the apostle’s feet does not literally mean to place the money under their feet. Instead, it means to leave the money under the authority or control of the apostles to distribute as needed. The word can be used for the whole person, as it is used in Acts 5:9:
Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
The phrase feet of the men is used for the persons who buried Ananias that is why some English versions such as the CEV or the REB omitted it and so gave the translation the men who buried or those who buried. Related to this use of the word “feet” to refer to a person, is its use to refer to a person who is ready or active as it is used to describe those who preach the gospel in the passage we cited previously, that is, Romans 10:15:
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
The praise lauded here does not refer to the feet of those who bring good news but the preachers who do so although in course of their preaching, there is movement that implies the use of the feet. The word may also mean “power” as it is used in the description given about Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:27:
For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
To put everything under Christ’s feet means that everything is subjected to Him or that He has power or is in control of everything. So, it should be clear that the word “foot” although refers to part of the human body for movement has other usages in the Scripture. In our passage of Ephesians 6:15, it is used in the sense of a person.
Our interpretation that “feet” is used in the sense of a person means that when the apostle wrote with your feet fitted with the readiness or literally and having tied the feet with readiness, he is concerned with the believer being ready for action. Of course, there is question as to how we should understand the action involved because of the clause the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace of the NIV. The problems of this clause are not that apparent because the translation of the NIV is one of the interpretative ways of rendering the clause from the Greek. A first problem is with the word “readiness” of the NIV. It is translated from a Greek word (hetoimasia) that appears only here in the NT Greek although it is appears in several passages is the Septuagint, making it difficult to be certain of its meaning here. Nonetheless, there are three meanings that have been assigned to the word. Based on the use of the word in the Septuagint, it is given the meaning “steadfastness” indicating a firmness of foundation. It is this meaning that is reflected in the REB that rendered verse 15 as let the shoes on your feet be the gospel of peace, to give you firm footing. Another meaning is “readiness” or “preparedness.” Still another meaning is “equipment” which is taken to include both the idea of steadfastness and readiness. The most generally accepted meaning is “readiness” or “preparedness” as reflected in majority of our English versions. This meaning is supported by the usage of the word in the Septuagint and because the Greek verb form related to the word has the sense of preparation in the passages it is used in the NT. Therefore, we adopt the meaning “readiness” as the meaning the apostle intended in our passage.
A second problem of the clause the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace of the NIV may only be noted if we consider the literal translation from the Greek that reads
readiness of the good news of peace. Using the literal translation raises the question of how the word “readiness” is related to the phrase of the gospel of peace or literally of the good news of peace. There are at least two possible ways of interpreting the relationship between the word “readiness” and the phrase of the gospel of peace. A first interpretation is to take readiness as coming from the gospel of peace which may be understood also as being ready for spiritual warfare because of the gospel of peace. The implication is that the believer is ready for spiritual warfare because he has received the impact of the gospel of peace. A second interpretation is to take readiness as being concerned with the gospel of peace, that is, that readiness is for the gospel of peace. The implication is that a believer is prepared in the spiritual warfare to act on behalf of the gospel of peace. Hence it is taken that readiness for the propagation of the gospel is the most effective means of combating satanic powers.
Which of these interpretations does the apostle mean? It seems that he meant both interpretation as he penned down the Greek expression that literally reads having tied the feet with readiness of the gospel of peace. This is because of the complex nature of the aorist tense involved in the literal verbal phrase having tied. We indicated that the action associated with it demands something that has taken place in the past but also involves an action that will occur when the believer obeys the primary command of stand firm of Ephesians 6:14 of the NIV. On the one hand, the reason a person could have been ready in the past because of the gospel of peace or equipped oneself with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace is that a person has already been prepared for being enlisted into the spiritual warfare because the individual has responded to the gospel of peace and so has received eternal life. Receiving of eternal life distinguishes its recipient from an unbeliever, ensuring that the person is opposed to satanic forces. A person who has already been made ready for the spiritual warfare is one that has peace with God because of the person’s response to the gospel message, as implied in Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
A person is justified (have been put in right standing with God) because of belief in Christ. On the other hand, a believer who holds his ground in a spiritual warfare is at that time prepared to defend the gospel. He will be like the Apostle who was ready always, so to say, to defend the gospel message, as he implied in Philippians 1:16:
The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.
It is only a person who knows the reality of the Christian message or the one who is assured of its impact that will be willing to prove that the gospel message is true. Thus, when the apostle wrote in the Greek the expression that reads literally having tied the feet with readiness of the gospel of peace, he meant for us to understand that a person who holds his ground in the spiritual warfare does so because he has been prepared previously by his response to the gospel message but also that individual is ready to defend the gospel message. In effect, the apostle meant that the believer is equipped both with defensive and offensive weapons of the spiritual warfare.
The defensive-offensive weapon the apostle had in mind is described in the phrase the gospel of peace or more literally of the good news of peace. This phrase also is subject to at least two possible interpretations because of the Greek syntax. It could be understood to mean that peace explains what the good news or gospel is or that the gospel or good news contains peace. Each of these interpretations makes sense as we will demonstrate. The first interpretation is justified because the Greek word translated “gospel” in the NIV is a general term that can be applied to different situations so that it can be understood as being a compressive word that needs to be made more specific depending on the context. You see, the word “gospel” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (euangelion) that originally meant “a reward for good news” and eventually came to mean simply “good news” or “the entire Christian message.” Because it is a general term, it is often associated with what the good news is about. So, the word is used to describe the good news about the kingdom of God, as in the preaching of Jesus mentioned in Matthew 4:23:
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
The good news can be related to Jesus Christ so that it is used regarding the details of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, as it is used in Mark 1:1:
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The phrase gospel about Jesus is literally good news of Jesus Christ. The word can refer to good news about God and from God, as in Mark 1:14:
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
The good news can be with respect to God’s goodness or kindness towards people, as it is used in Acts 20:24:
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
The good news may be a reference to the saving presence of Christ, as it is used by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The phrase the gospel of the glory of Christ may be understood to mean that the good news concerns the glory of Christ or that glory of Christ is the content of the good news where glory here is a reference to Christ’s saving presence. It is probably because of the comprehensive nature of the Greek word that means “good news” Apostle Paul defined it in terms of the word of truth in Colossians 1:5:
the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.
Hence, it should be clear that the Greek word translated “gospel” in Ephesians 6:15 may mean good news in a general sense so that the context should help in understanding what the good news is about. Nonetheless, by the time the apostle wrote Ephesians 6:15, the Greek word has attained the meaning of “gospel” as a technical term referring to the preaching about Jesus Christ and God’s saving power accomplished through Him for all who believe. It is in this sense that the apostle used it in Philippians 4:3:
Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
This notwithstanding, it is doubtful that the apostle intended for us to understand the Greek word in Ephesians 6:15 in the technical sense of the gospel only because of the word “peace” used in the passage. Anyway, it is because of the general nature of the meaning of the Greek word translated “gospel” that it is possible to interpret the phrase the gospel of peace or more literally of the good news of peace to mean that peace explains what is meant by the gospel or good news. The second interpretation of the phrase the gospel of peace as meaning that the gospel or the good news contains peace as its message is possible. This is because the gospel is a message that contains how to attain peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ, as implied in Peter’s sermon in Cornelius house in Acts 10:36:
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Which of these interpretations did the apostle intended to convey? It seems to me that both were in his mind although as a matter of translation only one of these could be used. But it is up to a teacher of the word to present the alternative translation or interpretation. The reason for asserting that both interpretations are intended is again due to the complexity in the understanding of the literal translation having tied or the word “fitted” of the NIV of Ephesians 6:15. As we have indicated, the action involved in the verbal phrase requires an action that has taken place prior to the believer standing his/her ground in the spiritual warfare and an action that occurs at the time of obeying the command stand firm of Ephesian 6:14. The two interpretations of the phrase of the good news of peace will enable the two actions to be true in that a believer would have been equipped with the good news understood in terms of peace as a defensive weapon prior to standing firm but will also utilize the good news that contains peace as an offensive weapon in the spiritual warfare.
How then should we understand the word peace in our passage? To answer this question, we need to understand the range of meanings of the Greek word translated “peace”. The word “peace” is translated from a Greek word (eirēnē) that may refer to a state of concord and so means “harmony, peace”, as the Greek word is used to describe the harmony that is to exist between Jewish and Gentile Christians because of the work of Christ on the cross, as the Holy Spirit stated through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:15:
by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
The Greek word may mean “good order” in contrast to “disorder”, as it is used by the apostle to encourage orderly worship in a local congregation by describing God using our Greek word in 1 Corinthians 14:33:
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,
Some understand the word peace here as a reference to harmony which is not wrong but the Greek word translated “peace” is used in contrast to a Greek word (akatastasia) that in this passage means “disorder, unruliness” so it is probably better to understand the Greek word rendered “peace” as “good order” so that it can be the opposite of disorder. The Greek word is used in such a way that it corresponds to the Hebrew word (šālôm) that may mean “welfare, health” so that it is used in greeting formula. It is probably in the sense of “welfare” that the word is used in Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians with regards to Timothy, as we read in 1 Corinthians 16:11:
No one, then, should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.
Peace here may refer to welfare in the sense of freedom from worry or a feeling of good will so that the apostle wants the Corinthians to send Timothy off in such a way that he has a feeling of good will or he is free of worrying as he leaves them. The word is used for greeting, as we find, for example, in 2 Corinthians 1:2:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word may also refer to “messianic salvation”, as the word is used in the preaching of the Apostle Peter to Cornelius and his household in a passage we cited previously, that is, Acts 10:36:
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
The word “peace” here is essentially a reference to salvation through Jesus Christ in the sense of reconciliation with God. This means that Peter announced the good news of salvation or how to be reconciled to God. Anyway, we have noted that the Greek word translated “peace” has a range of meanings so there is the question as to how it is used in our passage of Ephesians 6:15. Because of our interpretation of the literal phrase of the good news of peace or the gospel of peace of the NIV, the word is used in both senses of harmony and messianic salvation. This should not be that surprising since peace as referring to a state of harmony refers to that harmony that exists between God and man because of reconciliation between God and man brought about by the death of Christ on the cross and as the harmony between individuals. In any event, our concern is to understand in practice how a believer is equipped for spiritual warfare through readiness associated with the good news or gospel of peace.
To be equipped for spiritual warfare through readiness associated with the good news or gospel of peace requires thorough understanding of the two concepts of the words “gospel” and “peace.” In effect, if we are to be equipped with readiness for spiritual warfare we should understand the gospel and peace as they pertain to believers. We consider first the concept of the gospel because it is one that we have summarized in the NT. We know that no one is qualified to be enlisted in the spiritual warfare without being a believer, implying that the person has responded to the gospel message. But for readiness for spiritual warfare, it is necessary for a believer to have a sound understanding of the content of the gospel message. We mean that the believer should be sure that he/she is grounded in what the gospel means. There can be no equivocation with respect to what the gospel message is since a person who is not grounded in this understanding may not be able to withstand any spiritual assault on the Christian faith in terms of its message. For example, Christians often face hostile responses that challenge their claim as the only true faith. We have, for example, people say that there are several ways to God so how could we Christian claim to have the message that leads to God. A believer who is not grounded on the gospel message will waver under such attack, leaving the door open as to the possibility of any other way to God. A believer who is grounded in his/her understanding of the gospel message will be able to defend it or hold his/her ground when it is assaulted since we are commanded to be able to defend what we believe, as stated in 1 Peter 3:15:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
This aside, a believer who will hold his/her ground in the spiritual warfare should understand the essence of the gospel message that is given in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4:
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
There are four elements of the gospel the apostle mentioned here although one of them is not easy to recognize, but it is the most important element that should not be missed. The first element is that Jesus Christ is God. A person will immediately respond by saying that there is nothing in the passage that indicates what we have stated. But there is. It is found in the word Christ that means “the Anointed One.” The use of the word Christ is not merely to identify the One who died for our sins but to draw our attention that the first thing a person need to recognize is that Jesus Christ is God. The deity of Christ is to be understood first from a logical viewpoint. If Christ is not God, then His dying for our sins would not carry any weight. The death of a human being would not accomplish anything with respect to our sins. Anyway, the primary reason for asserting that the mention of Christ in this passage is a way to convey His deity is due to the Scripture. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle John gave the gospel message in simply way as that of believing that Jesus Christ is God in John 20:31:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Christ is described with the phrase the Son of God. Bear in mind that John was a Jew. Jews who lived in the time of Jesus Christ knew that to describe any one as the Son of God is to say He is God. This is evident in the response of the Jews because Jesus addressed the first member of the Godhead as His Father, as we read in John 5:18:
For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
So, when John wrote in John 20:31 you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God he meant that for a person to have eternal life, the individual must believe that Jesus is God. We should not doubt this because the apostle had already indicated that Jesus is God, as we can gather from John 1:18:
No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
The point is that the name Christ used by Apostle Paul in summarizing the gospel message is to indicate that Christ is God, which is the first element of the gospel message. A second element of the gospel in 1 Corinthian 15:3 is that Christ died for our sins. This second element should be understood firstly as indicating that sin is offensive to God. For unless sin is offensive to God then there is no reason for Christ to die for our sins. Secondly, the fact Christ died for our sins means that the believer has received forgiveness of sins and so will no longer come under eternal condemnation as the apostle indicates in Romans 8:1:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Thus, no matter how Satan tries to accuse the believer he/she should be confident that because Christ died for him/her that any accusation of Satan would not lead to God reversing His gift of eternal salvation. The third element of the gospel message is that Jesus was buried as that is expected of someone who died. In fact, it is the burial of Jesus Christ that removes all the theories floated around concerning the death of Jesus Christ that included that someone else was crucified instead of Him. If He was buried, then there can be no doubt that He was the One who died on the cross. Furthermore, His death and burial prove conclusively that He is truly a human being since only a human being could die physically. A fourth element of the gospel message is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the corner truth to our salvation. It is resurrection of Jesus Christ that assured us that we have the right standing with God forever or that we are justified, as implied in Romans 4:25:
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
The four elements of the gospel we considered, summarized the gospel message but one who understands the gospel message should be aware that it is a message that speaks to God’s coming judgment on those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as Apostle Paul indicated that it is also the content of the gospel he preached in Romans 2:16:
This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
The gospel message is one that offers eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as we read in John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The response of faith is important that when Apostle Paul was questioned regarding how to obtain salvation, his answer was that it is through faith in Christ in Acts 16:30–31:
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Furthermore, a person who understands the gospel message will also be eager to let people know that it is a message that is concerned with receiving God’s righteousness that permits a person to be in right standing with Him, as implied in Romans 3:22:
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
Understanding of the contents of the gospel message enables the believer to take defensive action when the gospel is being assaulted. You see, a believer who is in readiness with respect to the gospel has a good understanding of it so that the individual will be able to defend its truth against those who want to challenge its validity or those who imply that there is another way of salvation other than through faith in Christ. Jesus Christ is clear that there is no other way but Him, as Apostle John records in John 14:6:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Holy Spirit put this truth in a different way through Apostle Peter, as we can gather from Acts 4:12:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Thus, good understanding of the gospel message enables the believer to defend it. But that is not all. A good understanding of the gospel message enables the believer to use the gospel message in an offensive manner. In other words, the believer should take the gospel to the domain of darkness in the sense of witnessing or presenting the gospel to those who are in darkness.
We have considered the contents of the gospel that a person who is to withstand any assault from satanic forces with respect to the gospel message should recognize but there are other facts such an individual should also understand. First, the gospel is powerful that it is God’s means of salvation, as stated in Romans 1:16:
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Second, a believer should be mindful never to do anything to hinder the gospel message in keeping with Apostle Paul’s attitude, recorded in 1 Corinthians 9:12:
If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
Third, the gospel offers hope of eternal future to the believer, according to Colossians 1:23:
if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
The apostle speaks of hope that is associated with the gospel. This hope certainly includes bodily resurrection. The believer should latch on to this hope during spiritual warfare that may involve suffering to the body. Fourth, the gospel is such that a believer should never be ashamed of it. It is this fact that is implied in the apostle’s assertion in his epistle to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
Anyway, these facts we have stated are to be remembered by the believer amidst spiritual warfare. In effect, the believer should endeavor to apply these facts during spiritual warfare that may involve an assault on the gospel message.
The second concept that a believer needs to understand to be equipped for spiritual warfare through readiness associated with the good news or the gospel of peace, as we have indicated, is peace. This should begin with understanding that the believer is in harmony with God and so in right standing with Him, as indicated in the passage we cited previously, that is, Romans 5:1:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
This peace is possible because of the reconciliation work of Jesus Christ on the cross, as stated in Colossians 1:19–20:
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
The peace that believers have with God needs to be sustained to be able to withstand one’s ground in spiritual warfare. This, of course, is attained by focusing and applying the teaching of the word of God as we can gather from the assertion of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples with respect to the peace He gives, as we can read in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The peace the Lord Jesus gives is conveyed through the Holy Spirit since a facet of the fruit of the filling of the Spirit is peace, as stated in Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Another means of enjoying this peace is through prayer in which the believer commits life’s care and worries to the Lord, as indicated in Philippians 4:6–7:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This peace God grants to the believer is a protection in spiritual warfare and so the believers should endeavor to maintain it by avoiding sin and in case the believer fails, that sin should be immediately confessed to ensure the filling of the Holy Spirit. Anyway, this peace is a defensive weapon to be used during spiritual warfare. But there is also a sense peace may be considered an offensive weapon. This is the case when the believer’s goal is that of striving to maintain peace with others as that is what the Lord requires of believers as indicated in Romans 14:19:
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
The instruction in this passage implies that a believer should ensure not to take any action that will create disharmony between the individual and others. An action we take that is directed towards someone is to be considered an offensive weapon and so if we are careful that we do not do something that will destroy the harmony between us and someone else then we have used an offensive weapon in the spiritual warfare. It should be important to keep in mind that we are required as part of the spiritual warfare to strive to live in peace with everyone as indicated in Hebrews 12:14:
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
All in all, you should be equipped with a good understanding of the gospel message and a good understanding of the concept of peace in order to hold your ground in the spiritual warfare that is raging around us constantly.