The Gospel of Peace

 

You know that prayer—the one that you prayed believing and then time and the enemy came against you?  It is still powerful in Jesus’ name. 

 

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:14-15, NKJV). In the New Living Translation, this reads, “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”

 

When you “shod” your feet, it means you wear shoes of a specific kind. The specific kind you wear is the Good News—the Gospel of peace that you have with God. When you are walking in peace with God, you are walking in peace with yourself and with others. If you don’t live in peace with God and others in your life, you can’t believe in the promises that come from your relationship with God. You are only prepared for the battles of life when you have prepared your mind and heart with the Gospel of the peace that is yours in Christ.

 

Are you at peace with God, or do you sometimes believe He is mad at you? Some believers think when times are hard that God is mad at them. This is a lie of the enemy. God loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. Jesus came to save you so that you can have a right relationship with His Father. Don’t get upset with God, and fight against him instead of fighting the good fight of faith. When you pray things like “why, God, is this taking so long” or “why is this happening,” you are not at peace in your relationship with God. And when we get upset with others, we wonder why our prayers are hindered. You can’t have bitterness toward anyone (your spouse, children, church, family, or friends) and expect God to answer your prayers (1 Peter 3:7). You need to be at peace with God and with others for your prayers not to be hindered. When you walk in peace, you are putting on the Good News. Grace is alive in you.

 

You fight the good fight of faith when you forgive as Christ has forgiven you. When you live in God’s peace, you are standing on His Truth that you are at peace in your relationship with Him, with yourself, and with others. You believe your worthiness is in Christ and that you are forgiven. And you forgive with the grace of Jesus that forgave you.

 

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance” (Romans 5:1-3, NLT).

 

You have peace with God. Jesus has overcome the issues of your life with the peace He has purchased for you with God. You can pray confidently and go into God’s presence knowing in your mind and believing in your heart that He will answer your requests (1 John 5:15). You can walk joyfully and confidently in His peace knowing that you have His grace to forgive as He has forgiven you. When issues in life don’t defeat you but, instead, help you persevere in faith, you walk in the peace of God. When you share God’s forgiveness, you bring His peace to not only your heart but also to others. 

 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV).

 

Believe the Gospel of peace that is yours. Make it your own. Exercise God’s truth in your life. Give your requests to God with thankful confidence. His peace, which human reasoning cannot understand, will guard your heart and mind. The peace you have is Christ alive in you. 

 

When you allow God’s peace to own your mind and heart, the enemy can’t kill, steal, and destroy the abundant life Christ has bought you (John 10:10). Faith rises from within you to shield your mind from the lies and deceptions of the enemy. You stand believing the Truth of God’s promises. You are fully convinced that Christ, the hope of glory, lives within you (Colossians 1:27). His peace, which overcame the world, has overcome your personal world of doubt and fear. You know and believe your prayer is answered.

 

Shod your life with the truth of His peace. Your life is powerful in Christ when you believe you are at peace with God. Stand in the right and the power and the truth of your position in Christ. You have His authority to stomp on and speak death to the lies and unrest of the enemy. 

 

You are fully prepared for the battle when you believe God’s truth and walk in it. His peace has overcome. It has won the war.

 

 

 

© 2022 Lynn Lacher

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