Actively Prepare
(Getting Ready to Take Some Ground)
Ephesians 6:10-18
Introduction: This is week four in our series “Eight Essential Exercises for Building a Better Body.” We’ve seen our need to find our strength in the Lord. Without His strength, we can’t even complete the rest of the exercises and our relationships will suffer.
We’ve seen our need to make certain that our relationships are supported by and grounded in integrity. Without that belt of truth strapped around us, we cannot stand and our relationships crumble.
Last week we considered the need to access the righteousness of Christ. We need to be right with God before we can be right in our relationships with others, and the way we get right with God is we allow the righteousness of Christ to be given to us. And then we ask him to fill us, to dwell in us and actually change our character so that we are truly a righteous people.
This week we need to consider our need to be actively preparing to advance. The motto of the Boy Scouts is “always be prepared.” That’s a great motto, and Paul understood the need to be prepared. When he told us to have on, or put on the shoes of readiness that result from the Gospel he we was telling us to be prepared. A man without shoes is not prepared for much.
In order to be prepared for action, a soldier on the front lines will sleep with his boots on at times. Having shoes on your feet is a symbol of readiness. It means you are prepared for action. You are prepared to go somewhere.
When Merita and I take the kids and leave the house, the last thing we do is get shoes on all the kids. Once all of the shoes are on, then we are ready to go. You don’t leave the house to go someplace without shoes. Having your shoes on means that you’re ready.
Paul knew that the soldier in his day wore shoes that kept him prepared for action. Often when we think of the shoes worn in the Mediterranean world of the first century we think of sandals. But the sandals worn by the Roman soldier were different than the sandals worn by the every day citizen.
The sandals of the Roman soldier were designed for war, not for peace. When on duty he kept his sandals on so that he would be ready for action.
To be prepared for combat you need quite a different shoe than you do for going to the corner store. These were specialized sandals. They had a thick sole to protect the soldiers feet from the hot sand and from sharp rocks. They also had nails driven through the soles, giving the sandals the ability to hold firm on sandy or slippery ground. Good footing was essential in winning a war and these shoes gave the soldier the good footing he needed. He wouldn’t slip or loose ground because the spikes would bite into the earth and help him hold firm.
These shoes also helped the soldier to advance. A retreating army is rarely a winning army, but an army that can advance and take ground is an army that wins wars. The shoes of the soldier are designed for taking ground, advancing, and holding that ground, standing firm.
A soldier in bare feet was of little use to his company. He was not prepared for action. He could not stand his ground and he was ill-prepared to advance when the call to move forward came. Having on the right shoes was essential to preparation.
Paul uses this analogy when he tells the Christian to put on the “shoes of readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.”
Read with me from Ephesians 6:10-18 again.
Ep. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Ep. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ep. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ep. 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ep. 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Ep. 6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ep. 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Ep. 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ep. 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
“…the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” We are called to be ready and we find our readiness, our preparation in the Gospel of peace, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is it that we are to be prepared to do? There are three things we need to be prepared for if we are going to preserve and protect our relationships. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to be prepared for these things. Let’s take a quick look at three areas where we need to be adequately prepared by the Gospel in order to strengthen and enrich our relationships.
Prepared to Act
The first thing we must be prepared for is action. We must be prepared to act. Relationships are fluid. They are not static, but rather, they are in constant motion. As our situation change, as life happens, it effects our relationships. A relationship that is static is a relationship that is dead. But living, active, growing relationships are in a constant state of flux. Thus, we need to be prepared for action in all situations if we are going to maintain and build up healthy relationships.
Act by speaking a needed Word
(Capitalize “W” because I’m referring to the Word of God, not just “words.”)
The fact of the matter is, like it or not, that we often have to maintain our relationships by taking the time and taking the risk to speak into another person’s life. Sometimes the action we have to take is the action of addressing people with the right words at the right time and in the right spirit. We must be prepared to speak!
Look with me at 2 Timothy 4:2.
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Paul is addressing the young pastor, Timothy, with these words, encouraging him to be prepared, at all times, to speak the Word of God. He tells Timothy to be prepared to preach, but Paul’s words need not be limited to ministers who preach the Word as a full time vocation.
Anyone who knows the Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has the right, in fact they have the responsibility, to proclaim that Word, not just from the pulpit, but in every relationship and in every day life.
How is it that we act in speaking to others? What are we to say with this Word, this Gospel, to other people?
We should be prepared to act by speaking a needed word of…
Rebuke – When we rebuke someone we warn them. We take the risk and tell them that they are out of line or that they are headed in the wrong direction. A rebuke means that we tell someone they are wrong and warn them. A rebuke is often harsh. It may be spoken in love or out of concern, but it is till, most usually, a harsh word spoken to someone. It’s how we get their attention and let them know that they are on dangerous ground relationally and spiritually.
Correction – A word of correction is similar to a rebuke but with one key difference. Whereas a rebuke is simply a warning or telling someone that they are out of line, a word of correction tells them that they are out of line, but it also offers the needed support and direction to help change the course. When a friend or a family member or a fellow church member is off course, we speak a word of correction to help them get back on track. We don’t just warn, but we warn and attempt to help them change directions.
Both a rebuke and a correction are difficult to do. They are both risky because they are often not received graciously if at all. They are risky because they involve poking a hole in someone else’s pride. They are risky because no one likes to be humbled and to receive a rebuke or to receive correction means someone else has humbled us rather than we humbling ourselves and that’s hard to swallow.
Fortunately, being prepared to step into action by being prepared to speak isn’t all negatives and risks. There is another manner of speech we must be prepared with if we are going to build up healthy relationships and if we are going to honor our Lord by speaking his Word, the Gospel. We need to be ready to speak words of encouragement.
Encouragement Often we assume encouragement is simply being a cheerleader, but it is much, much more than that. The actual Greek word that we translate as “encourage” means, “to come along side of and offer comfort and support.” That’s much more involved that simply being a cheerleader for someone. Cheerleaders make a lot of noise and can get the crowd excited, but they can’t get on the field and help carry the ball. A true encourager gets on the field.
The story is told of a young boy who was sent to the corner store by his mother to buy a loaf of bread. He was gone much longer than it should have taken him. When he finally returned, his mother asked, “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“Well,” he answered, “there was a little boy with a broken bike who was crying. So I stopped to help him.”
“I didn’t know you knew anything about fixing bikes,” his mother said.
“I don’t,” he replied. “I just stayed there and cried with him.” That’s encouragement.
He didn’t just cheer the other fellow on; he came along side him and helped carry his grief and disappointment. He was a true encourager.
We need to be ever ready to speak words of encouragement. We need to be constantly looking for opportunities to come along side of on another and offer kind words of encouragement.
To build healthy relationships we need to be prepared to act, by being prepared to speak a needed Word. But we also need to be prepared to act by always acting out our faith.
Act out your faith
Another cliché that is also real, foundational truth is “Actions speak louder than words.” It’s great if we are prepared to act by speaking, but our speaking is hollow and meaningless if we don’t act out our faith.
Look with me at James 2:14-18
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith same him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
“But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Shoe me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” James 2:14-18
All of the words of rebuke, correction and encouragement in the world are totally without meaning if they are not accompanied by true action. Preaching every sermon ever preached, speaking the entire Bible to friends and family members means nothing if you are not living out your faith in your day to day actions.
If you want to see your relationships change, grow and become healthier, then start to live out your faith in them. Your words are important, but your words, when not backed up by your faith, are empty and meaningless.
When we strap on the shoes of the Gospel, we are prepared for action. We are prepared to act in Word and we are prepared to act out our faith! But we must be prepared in another way. We must be prepared to answer!
Prepared to Answer
We need to make certain that we are prepared to answer when an answer is required of us. There will be times when, in our relationships and in other arenas of life, we will have to answer for who we are in Christ Jesus. At those times we need to have on shoes of readiness so that we may be prepared to answer.
Answer when you are accused
Jesus made it very clear that the world will not understand Him and it will not accept Him. He also made it clear that those who know and love Him will also be misunderstood and, at times, mistreated by those in the world. That includes some of the people you find yourself in relationships with.
Perhaps you are the only believer in your family. Perhaps your spouse or your children or your parents don’t understand you as a Christian and maybe they don’t like you as a Christian. Christ said this would happen.
Maybe your co-workers just don’t get it or maybe the people you live next door to don’t understand your commitment to Christ. Be prepared. In fact, we are to be prepared when those people who don’t understand us bring accusation against us because of our faith.
“On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witness to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Matthew 10:18-20
In this passage we see that His Holy Spirit will bring to mind what we are to say when we stand accused because of our faith in Christ. However, he didn’t say we can’t be prepared. That doesn’t mean we have a ready made answer for all those who would attack our faith. Paul clearly says that our preparation comes from the Gospel of Peace.
The best way we can be prepared to answer when accused is to KNOW THE WORD OF GOD!
When we have been putting the Word of God into our minds and hearts on a regular basis, when we know the Gospel, the Holy Spirit can and will bring it to mind so that we are prepared to answer when accused. We can’t be prepared with the Word until we know the Word.
Not every answer required of us will come from a hostile source. If we are acting out our faith then others will see it and questions will arise. We need to be prepared to answer simply when we are asked.
Answer when you are asked
Peter writes “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.” I Peter 3:15
When your life is different, the people you share relationships with will see it and will want to know why. We must be prepared to answer their questions. The number one means of evangelism is people sharing their faith with their friends in a day to day context.
When you live your faith they see it. They’ll ask about it and if you are prepared to answer, the Holy Spirit will use that to bring them into a life saving relationship with Jesus Christ. But you must be prepared to answer.
The gospel of Jesus Christ prepares us for action and it prepares us to answer. It also prepares us to advance.
Prepared to Advance
An army wins wars when it can move forward and take ground. It must advance. I remember watching the images of the Gulf War in my parent’s living room while I was in college. I was in awe at the incredible power of our air force. We could target, with pin-point precision, targets of strategic interest or of psychological importance and hit them from miles away. Our bombs were bigger, smarter, faster and deadlier than those of the Iraqi army and air force. But, we could not win the war until we took ground and you can’t take ground in an airplane.
I required real soldiers, in real uniforms, wearing real boots, to go into Iraq and take ground and ultimately defeat the enemy. But no victory occurred until we were able to advance.
Paul calls us to use the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of peace, to be prepared to advance. He speaks of our spiritual enemy, the devil.
Ep. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
And then mentions the armor of the spiritual warrior. Too often we think of this armor in terms of defense against the enemy. But the boots of a soldier prepare them to advance, they must move forward and engage the enemy.
As I have said in the past, our relationships are in the cross-hairs of the enemy. He knows that if he can shipwreck our relationships that he can shipwreck our faith, our homes and our churches. Rather than sitting by and trying do defend ourselves against his attacks, should we not go on the offensive and be aggressive about protecting and strengthening our relationships?
When we take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into all of our relationships, not ramming it down the throats of others, but living our faith and answering the questions that faith generates, we advance the Gospel of Christ and we enhance every relationship we are a part of.
How is it that Jesus enhances the relationships we have when we are prepared to advance the gospel?
It’s like the story told of the two young boys who were decorating a float for their church to be in the towns Easter Parade. The boys had a small wagon and they had put a cross in the wagon. They were decorating the cross with beautiful flowers and garland. It was a very, very attractive little cross.
As they were working the pastor of the church came along and seeing the beautiful cross said, “No, no, boys you have it all wrong. The cross that Jesus died upon was not beautiful. It was an instrument of death. It was rugged, and ugly and harsh. There was no beauty about it.”
At this one of the boys replied. “We know, but we thought you said that Jesus never touched anything and left it the same.”
How true that is. Jesus never touches anything, even our relationships, and leaves them the same.
When we are prepared to act with our words and to live out our faith, when we are prepared to answer for the hope we have, we are able to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of salvation in our relationships. Protecting them and enhancing them with the touch of Jesus.
Application: We are called to be ready. We must be prepared. One of the greatest things you can do for any relationship you have is allow the Gospel of Peace, the story of Jesus and His incredible love for us, to prepare you for action.
Today, what do you need to do to be actively prepared?
Do you need to make certain your words are words of truth that correct and encourage?
Do you need to begin acting out your faith rather than just talking about it?
Do you need to know the Word so that you can be prepared to answer when an answer is required of you?
Do you need to begin advancing the gospel in every relationship you find yourself?
Paul calls upon the believer to be ready. Today, let me challenge you, use the gospel and be prepared. It will change you and your relationships.
