Armed and Dangerous, a Study in God's Armor for MenSýnishorn

Peacemaker!

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” – Ephesians 6:15

When global tensions rise among nations and civil wars split unstable countries in half, we often see the United Nations Peacekeepers step in.

Founded at the end of the Second World War, the UN Peacekeeping operations have stepped in to help countries torn apart by conflict, whether internal or external, to attempt creating conditions for lasting peace. You’ve seen them on the news; brave soldiers from their own national armed forces, wearing their Blue Helmets as they join a global effort to bring peace within turmoil. Today, they consist of over 70, 000 military personnel from different nations all over the world.

Yet, lasting peace remains elusive wherever inequality, personal agendas, political ambitions, national pride, and ethnocentrism stay at the order of the day. Lasting peace can only be implemented for every nation, all people - men, women, and children - where the Gospel of Peace is taken to heart and becomes the new personal order of everyone’s day. We too, can only experience lasting peace, when we are at peace in Christ, at peace with His Gospel, and at peace with ourselves.

Now most of us might not be on the frontlines of global conflicts and civil wars like the UN Peacekeepers, but we are on the frontlines of the everyday battles for people’s hearts and souls. And as Heaven’s peacemakers, we are also comprised of willing soldiers from every tribe, tongue, and nation – working with and reaching out to people with inner and visible conflict from all nations and all walks of life...

As a man who follows Christ, you are enlisted among His peacemaking forces (Matthew 5:9). Now, you cannot force the Gospel of Peace on anyone, that’s the Holy Spirit’s doing (John 16:18), but you can live freely and proclaim boldly whenever you are asked about your hope in life (2 Timothy 4:2). All you need to do is to pray for the courage and be willing to strap in as Christ’s boots on the ground wherever you might go throughout any given day.

You might not be the missionary working in foreign fields. Or the evangelist standing on the stage at a crusade. But you are the light walking willingly into the darkness of society where Christian literature and church sermons won’t be heard or seen. You are Christ’s message to the world you know, by the way you act, the way you speak and the way you stay connected to the Gospel of Peace.

Our biggest challenge as Peacemakers for Christ, is that we get distracted by the pace of the world instead of staying in pace with the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 2:4). We tend to step back from confrontation, because we don’t want to lose arguments, instead of realizing our fight is for peace, but it’s a fight, nonetheless. And therefore, we pray for the willingness to walk in step with the Gospel of Peace every day.

So, get ready for each new day by tying your spiritual shoelaces and staying in step!

Read Ephesians 2:11-18

Check Your Armory:

What are the biggest challenges you face to willingly walk with the Gospel of Peace every day?

How can you practically overcome these challenges to be enlisted in Christ’s Peace Force?

Where and how are you connecting with people that the rest of the church might not get to reach?

What do you need to pray for today?