09/21 - 09/22: THE BATTLE CLEATS OF PEACE - Ephesians 6:15
September 23, 2024

A YEAR OF PRAYER

A PRAYER TO STAND FIRM IN THE BATTLE

Standing firm in the battle putting on the whole armor of God

10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 
11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, —Ephesians 6:10 - 14

And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; —Ephesians 6:15

And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. —Ephesians 6:15 (AMPC)

THE BATTLE CLEATS OF PEACE

1. The Gospel of peace gives strength to stand firm through deep roots.

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, —Ephesians 3:14 - 16

5 I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. —Psalm 118:5 - 9

So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” —Hebrews 13:6

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:17 - 19

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:6 - 8

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, —Ephesians 3:20

2. The Gospel of peace allows us to stand firm and fight in the face of the impossible.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, —Ephesians 3:20

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.
11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” —Exodus 14:10 - 14

1 I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and
put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.
4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods. —Psalm 40:1 - 4

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”
27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.
29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
30 So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. —Exodus 14:21 - 31

3. The Gospel of peace keeps us sure footed because Jesus is peace and has overcome.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. —Colossians 2:15

Therefore He says: ”When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts
to men.” —Ephesians 4:8

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Corinthians 15:57

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. —Romans 5:1 - 2

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body;
and be thankful. —Colossians 3:15

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. —Psalm 29:11

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. —John 14:27

And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. —Romans 16:20

See, God has come to save me.     I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song;     he has given me victory.” —Isaiah 12:2 (NLT)