Stand: Equipped for the Battle “The Sandals of Peace”

Stand: Equipped for the Battle
“The Sandals of Peace”
Ephesians 6:14-18 (CSB)

 

Key Truth: We fight from victory, not for victory, because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Main Question: What is the belt of truth and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

1.        The purpose of the sandals. 

2.        The weapon of the gospel of peace.  

“The gospel of peace” is… 

a.        Offensive

b.        Defensive

How do we stand with our “feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace”?

1.    Know the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

2.    Stand in the truths of the gospel. (Romans 14:17)

3.    Live out the Kingdom nature of the gospel. 
(2 Timothy 2:4)

4.   Proclaim the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

5.    Disciple others to live out the gospel. 
(Matthew 28:19-20. 

After the Message: 
Read Ephesians 6:14-18 How is your footing? Are you standing firm or sinking? Where is your peace found? How will you take your stand this week for “the gospel of peace”?  

What Do You Delight In?

 Thursday, October 22, 2026

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalms1:1-3

What Do You Delight In? 

Contentment. What feelings does that word stir in you? it seems that contentment is forever just out of our reach and can keep us on a continual race for the next thing that we are sure will bring us the feeling we are seeking. We reach that next thing only to realize the deep longing inside does not go away. What then, if anything, will satisfy this maddening drive inside of us for this satisfaction? 

In the verses above, the Hebrew word for blessed is esher, which leads to the idea of happiness or contentment. The psalmist is giving us a hint of what will fulfill the longing in our soul, and  it is not the “next thing.”  

Reading these verses closely we can glean much information. God is what our soul truly desires and what only God can give us satisfies above all. It is the only thing that really satisfies and brings us true joy. We can find this contentment, joy, and satisfaction by delighting in and meditating on his word. 

The Psalmist tells us that the person that delights in the Lord and his word will be like a tree planted beside streams of water. Flourishing. A tree planted by water flourishes because it is drinking in the water and grows strong and bears fruit. The fruit comes naturally as the tree is planted by the water.  Its roots go deep providing stability and steadiness in every season. When we plant ourselves in close proximity to the living water we will naturally bear fruit. Those whose delight is in the law of the Lord will prosper – not monetarily, but in their work for the Lord. Delighting and meditating on him brings us the joy and satisfaction our heart desires.

We value all the good gifts that God has given but we when we value them too much, we elevate them above God himself and make idols of his good gifts.  If you are lacking joy consider these questions: Where are you finding delight? Is it glorifying and honoring God? Are you delighted in and meditating on his word? We delight in and have appetites for what we value. Think about this – it is a good way to tell what is important to you. 

His Righteousness or My Unrighteousness

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

His Righteousness or My Unrighteousness

One of the truths the Apostle Paul wants us to grasp in Ephesians 6 is that we ARE in the line of fire…every day.  He impresses upon us that we are in a battle…not with earthly enemies, but with spiritual enemies.  Standing in my own good intentions, I am tempted to dress myself in an armor of my own righteousness.  We would all love for our personal strengths and spiritual perseverance to be sufficient in protecting us in the battles and temptations we face throughout the day.  

The reality is that a breastplate of our own righteousness is going to be completely and utterly useless in the battle.  The breastplate of our own righteousness has gaping holes in it.  We strive to keep it polished, but in the heat of battle, it proves to be little more protection than wet tissue paper.  Isaiah 64 speaks truth in verse 6: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Apart from Jesus we have no righteousness and cannot save ourselves or stand firm against the enemy’s attacks. 

So what hope do we have?  Whose righteousness will be our protection in this spiritual war?  With what do we dress ourselves against this onslaught? 

When we are dressed with the breastplate of righteousness, it is the righteousness of Christ that we wear by faith.  It is not our reputation that rejects the accusations of the enemy, but Christ’s!  It is not our faithfulness that stands, but His!  It is because of Him that Isaiah 54:17 can testify: “No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their vindication is from me.” Our heritage is that we are protected and covered in him. No weapons the enemy hurls our way will succeed. They may knock us down – but they won’t take us out. 

So how do I put it on? 

Ephesians 2:8,9 makes it clear that our salvation is not based upon our own performance:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Likewise, we do not take on the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness through our own good works or act of will. In fact it is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect.  It is in surrender to Jesus that we are made victorious and clothed in his righteousness. He puts his righteousness on us. He takes our unrighteousness and gives us his righteousness so we can not only stand firm against the enemy, but so we can stand upright before God.  

Wrapped in Righteousness

 Tuesday, October 20, 2026

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. 
Galatians 3:27-29

Wrapped in Righteousness

Righteousness.  A word that seems unattainable some days. We know our weaknesses and sins and the things that no one else knows when they look at us.  But then there’s Jesus. Jesus knows everything about you and me.  He knows all that we hide from the rest of the world and He sees us as righteous and holy and worthy and good.  How is it that the spotless, unblemished Lord of the universe could see all that we are and still call us worthy?  

Paul wrote the verse above to the people in Galatia when they were struggling to work their selves into heaven.  They thought their actions would bring them salvation by keeping the law. Paul told them that the law would not give them anything – not salvation and not life.  It was never meant to. He had to convince them to see that doing all the right things could not save them.  They would never be “good enough” to save themselves, by themselves.  He tells how, in God’s eyes, everyone is on the same level, one in Christ Jesus. Following the rules, serving in all the ministries, going to church every Sunday will not get anyone into heaven.  Sometimes those things only serve to cover the sin, shame, and brokenness we are hiding underneath. 

The great news is that we don’t have to struggle to qualify for grace.  The minute we become His, we put on Christ like a garment and He covers all our sin, shame and brokenness with His beautiful grace.  He becomes our garment of grace, courage, safety, healing, everything we will ever need.  He covers us and protects us.  He wraps us in safety and everything that touches us has to go through Him first. He changes us – our appearance and identity.  We are redeemed and free and protected.  What a peaceful thought, our Heavenly Father wrapped around us, hiding us, protecting us, and covering the unrighteousness in us, making us righteous in Him. Jesus is the answer and the key to qualifying for HIS grace and salvation.  He is the only way to everything we need. 

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

How The Breastplate of Righteousness Will Help Us In Battle

 Monday, October 19, 2026

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB

How The Breastplate of Righteousness Will Help Us In Battle
In our current series on Spiritual Warfare called, Stand: Equipped for the Battle, we are learning about the enemy, his tactics, and how we can dress for battle in the full armor of God. As Christians every day we are on the battleground of a war that wages all around us unseen – a spiritual battle. Satan is our enemy and we have learned about his tactics. He distracts us with falsehoods to steer us off the course of God’s plan for us. These tactics weaken us in the battle and create vulnerability in our heart and mind.
Last week we learned that the Belt of Truth, the first piece of armor for believers, is to provide security, freedom, and confidence so we can stand firm in the battle. Yesterday we learned about the second piece of armor, the Breastplate of Righteousness. 

The purpose of the Breastplate: 
The breastplate was perhaps the most important part of the Roman soldier's armor—it provided protection for the torso, which contains vital organs like the heart and lungs.  If a soldier lost a foot or an arm, he could still recover, but without a breastplate, any attack could instantly become fatal. With a sturdy breastplate, the very same attacks become ineffective and useless, as blows bounce off the armor.  
Imputed or positional righteousness: Our sin keeps us from righteousness, so when Christ took on all our sin when he was on the cross, His righteousness was imputed (put on, given, transferred to) on us the second we believe. This matches up with the fact that salvation and eternity are not something you can earn with your good works. Neither is righteousness.  It is strictly bestowed upon us from God.  

On the cross Jesus gave us righteousness and took our sins. What an amazing exchange and Jesus did that for us while we were still sinners.  We could never qualify on our own, so He did it for us.  We just have to believe, and righteousness is ours.  

Imparted or Practical Righteousness: Imparted righteousness is the real, inward change or transformation that results in righteousness that God instills in believers. It is the deep inward transformation and renewal that happens in believers that helps us live according to His will. Imparted righteousness results in the outward display of righteous living before the Lord. Walking in righteousness means actively living a life that has been changed by God. 

What is the breastplate of righteousness and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

What is your most dangerous vulnerability?  Our most susceptible area is our heart. The soldier’s breastplate covered the heart. Satan often attacks our hearts - the seat of our emotions, self-worth, and trust. God's righteousness is the breastplate that protects the Christian’s heart. We must focus our hearts on Jesus Christ and his righteousness. We must do all we can to protect that focus. We can do that by living righteously – with integrity, honesty, and diligence. Righteousness keeps the heart from ever being wounded and losing its focus.

Pastor Jim gave us four points of how we can leverage the Breastplate of Righteousness in spiritual warfare:

1. Know who you are in Christ. We are redeemed, a child of God, more than conquerors, God’s workmanship, a new creation, and so much more. We forget who we are in Christ when the enemy tries to make us feel unworthy.  
2. Stand in who you are in Christ. Take your stand in the full armor of God.
3. Grow in who you are in Christ. Learn all you can through reading the Bible, studying, discipleship and community. 
4. Live out who you are in Christ. Live out the imparted righteousness you have in Christ before him. 

The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us.  Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. When Satan attacks the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. When we are clothed in righteousness, we are impenetrable. Our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us. Be aware and stand guard.  Allow Christ to work His life and will in you. Allow His Holy Spirit to give you the power to live above sin. Every day intentionally live in His righteousness so it can protect your heart.  

Read Ephesians 6:14-18. Do you have a right relationship with God through Jesus? Are you living “rightly” in obedience to Him? What needs to change so that you can?  

Stand: Equipped for the Battle “The Breastplate of Righteousness”

 

Stand: Equipped for the Battle
“The Breastplate of Righteousness”
Ephesians 6:14-18 (CSB)

 

Key Truth: We fight from victory, not for victory, because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Main Question: What is the breastplate of righteousness and how will it help us in our spiritual battle? 

1.        The purpose of the breastplate. 

2.        The weapon of righteousness.  

a.         Imputed or positional righteousness

b.        Imparted or practical righteousness.

How do we leverage the Breastplate of Righteousness in spiritual warfare?

1.         Know who you are in Christ. 

2.         Stand in who you are in Christ. 

3.         Grow in who you are in Christ. 

4.         Live out who you are in Christ. 

After the Message: 
Read Ephesians 6:14-18. Do you have a right relationship with God through Jesus? Are you living “rightly” in obedience to Him? What needs to change so that you can?  

Open Blind Eyes

Thursday, October 15, 2026

But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.  Acts 26:16-18

Open Blind Eyes 

While traveling to Damascus on a mission of hate and persecution towards Christians, Paul is blinded by a light from heaven, which turned out to be Jesus getting his attention. …I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Acts 26:13-15 God goes on to tell Paul that He is sending him out to “open blind eyes…” So, here is Paul, his eyes blinded by Jesus’ light, being commissioned to go and open blind eyes. Paul was blinded for three days after this transformative meeting with Jesus on the Damascus Road. 

Satan is always looking for ways to distract us from the truth. Blinding us to the truth is one of his greatest tactics and today, with all the media platforms we have, it is easier than ever for us to be deceived if we are not careful. In this passage, the eye is symbolic for the window to the mind. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 Paul says, "The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4

When our eyes are opened, we see the truth of the reality of what is happening. We see the truth before us, but we greatly feel the weight of being deceived. We have all been blindsided at some point in our lives when we were shocked to discover the truth. We can also choose to close our own eyes to the truth sometimes because we don’t want to deal with it, but this is different. This is Satan deliberately deceiving us and that is what he is best at doing. He is called the great deceiver (Revelation 12:9) and the father of lies (John 8:44) for a reason. 

Jesus wants us to open blind eyes by telling them the truth of the Gospel. We are partners with the Holy Spirit. We plant the seeds, but the Holy Spirit is the one who does all the work. We speak the truth, we show the truth, and we share the truth, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction. We want their eyes to be opened but we also want them to have something better to believe in than what Satan has given them. 

How can we open blind eyes?  What is our part? There are two very important things we can do when it comes to opening blind eyes:

·         We pray for God to open the eyes of the blind. 

·         And we speak words of truth about Christ so that when the people's eyes are opened there is something to believe. God will give us the right words at the right time.

Pray for the miracle of spiritual sight for the blind and put the truth of Christ into a person's mind with a testimony. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, not ours. Our job is to speak the truth in love – Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:5-6

Four results will come from the opening of blind eyes:

• Being turned from darkness to light
• Being turned from the power of Satan to God
• To receive forgiveness of sins
• To receive an inheritance among God’s people

Satan does not want blind eyes opened. He will try to stop us from doing this so get ready and be on the lookout because he is prowling. But Jesus has commissioned His church to carry this out. He wants us out there exposing His truth to all who have been deceived. Let’s go. 

Who Are You Not Listening To?

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 1 John 5:9-10

Who Are You Not Listening To? 

Today the greater question than Who are you listening to, is Who aren’t you listening to? We have so much information at our fingertips that is has become cliché. The truth is becoming harder and harder to discern. There is one place the truth will be the same forever. God’s truth is unchanging – it will never change when our circumstances change, our feelings change, our homes change, our lives change. God’s truth will remain the same for us in all things. 

We do listen to the testimony of people, and we can often find ourselves persuaded by it, forgetting what we know to be the truth - that the testimony of God is greater. People’s opinions definitely have an effect on decisions we make from what to wear, to what to drive, to who to marry. Even if we are not physically listening to what everyone says on social media, we are being influenced by what we see. We take it as truth but often it is not. We seek approval and consolation from our close friends and even from those we don’t even know. Social media has made it easy for us to let a whole world of people we don’t know into our lives as far as we are willing to post it. 

A testimony is a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law. A witness with a testimony is essential for revealing the truth of what happened in any given circumstance. In the passage above, John wants believers to know that we do not have to have blind faith. Instead, our faith is based on the most reliable testimony, the witness of God Himself. We listen and are influenced by many people, some that we don’t know personally. How much more then should we be influenced by our Creator, the Creator of all things? The One who loves us enough to send His Son to pay our debt? We can have confidence in God and trust Him because His promises are true, and His truth stands the test of all time. 

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself…

As His children, we actually have His truth embedded in our very beings. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit who bears witness inside of us. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:16 If we reject Jesus as our Savior, we are rejecting the testimony God has given of His Son, therefore saying God is a liar through our unbelief. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. People who refuse to believe God (in the full sense of the word believe) don’t intend to call God a liar, but they are doing just that.

Do you know someone who has rejected the Gospel, or God? If so, stop and pray for them now. 

The Real Truth

 Tuesday, October 13, 2026

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:1-3

The Real Truth

The book of Colossians, a letter to the church in Colossae, was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome. He was writing to warn them against some false teaching that was going on in the church. He begins by telling them of the struggle he felt for them because of the spiritual warfare that was going on within their fellowship. He had never been there in person, but he wanted them to know that he deeply cared for them and what they were experiencing.                          

Paul wants to encourage the believers and he wanted them to know that they already had each other and Jesus. He spoke of them being “knit together in love,” unified in their love for each other and for God. As believers, they already had complete understanding of Jesus Christ, who holds all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Real wisdom and knowledge does not come from books, but from Jesus. This true wisdom would unite them, unlike the false witness that causes division among them.  

The false teachers were trying to lure them away from the truth of Jesus to the lies of the enemy of their souls. And today he is still alive and well today, working to deceive God’s children with lies. Paul’s warning to the Colossians is for us today as well. Anything and everything we seek should go through Jesus and His truth. He is the beginning, middle, and end of everything.                             
We can always find the “truth” we want to find. There is plenty of false truth in the world today – at our fingertips. The real truth found in Jesus is available to all who seek it. His truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is unchanging. Everything we believe in and act on should be filtered through this real truth. 

We need to be on guard against what sounds good or feels good on the surface but is not from Jesus. We can guard ourselves against these false truths by studying and learning His truth and being careful about what we let into our hearts and minds. When we are saturated with the truth that is in Christ and is Christ, it will be impossible for us to be led astray. 

When we become a child of God, we are set on a path that only leads to Him. If we keep our eyes on Him, we will live by His truth. False truths will not withstand the tests of this life. Paul was writing these things from prison, where the truth that he knew in Christ Jesus was literally all he had to hold onto. The bond and love we share with other believers, as well as knowing His truth as we walk through life is what will carry us. It is the foundation we can build our lives on – a foundation that will not be shaken. 

The Weapon of Truth

Monday, October 12, 2026

Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist… Ephesians 6:11-14a

The events of recent years in our country have been, at times, confusing in a way that left us questioning what is the actual truth about what was happening. We learned that we cannot always trust many of the institutions that we before and made it hard to feel confident that they were sharing the actual truth. The news and social media was flooded with false stories and information leading people to feel vulnerable and scared at times. It was hard to know what to believe and now with the rise of AI, it is even harder to know at times.

In our current series on Spiritual Warfare called, Stand: Equipped for the Battle, we are learning about the enemy, his tactics, and how we can dress for battle in the full armor of God. As Christians every day we are on the battleground of a war that wages all around us unseen – a spiritual battle. Satan is our enemy and we have learned about his tactics. Among those tactics and high on the list is lying and deceiving. He plots out ways that he can speak lies to us in order to try and make us doubt the truth and goodness of God. He distracts us with falsehoods to steer us off the course of God’s plan for us. These tactics weaken us in the battle and create vulnerability in our heart and mind. 

In his sermon yesterday, Pastor Jim gave us the purpose of the belt and how to "put on" the belt of truth every day. 

The purpose of the belt – The purpose of the belt of truth for believers is to provide security, freedom, and confidence so we can stand firm in the battle. 

Security - The belt of truth holds us up and holds everything all together. It holds everything we need for battle. It is the foundation of our lives on which everything else is built. 

Freedom – The belt of truth frees us to stand and move like we need to. The soldiers would tuck their tunic into their belt so they could move unencumbered in battle. They wouldn’t get stuck or trip or catch it on anything. The truth allows us to stand and move unencumbered. We can secure our whole being in the truth

Confidence – The belt of truth gives us purpose and certainty to move. Confidence in the truth helps us stay focused in the battle and not distracted. 

The weapon of truth – The truth of God spans all time and never changes. The world changes and often changes truth along with it, making truth relative. People change truth to fit their purpose, whims, circumstances or desires. Relative truth is subject to an individual’s interpretation. 

What is the nature of relative truth?

Relative truth is inconsistent
Relative truth justifies every atrocity in history.
Relative truth leaves us without hope.

For the believer, God’s truth is the same and never changes, especially on the battlefield. How can we “put on” the belt of truth every day? 

-              Acknowledge Jesus as the truth and surrender to Him.

-              Grow in your relationship to Him as the truth. 

-              Spend time learning more about His truth (in His Word). 

-              Apply His word to your daily life.

-              Proclaim His truth to others through your words and lifestyle. 

Satan uses lies and deception to attack us and try to weaken us. The belt of truth provides a defense against the lies and deception of the enemy. Without the security of the belt of truth holding us up we are vulnerable. Use these steps above to make sure that you fasten the belt of truth around you every day.

Have you “fastened” God’s truth around you? Are you walking in it every day? How can you do so this week?