Mobility
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:15
Scripture
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Sermon Description
The Christian soldier must always be ready and prepared for action because the enemy is always active and his attacks are unexpected. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:15 titled “Mobility,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns to know the devil will do anything to get a Christian down. Paul exhorts believers to have “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” meaning there must be a firmness and a mobility, ready and prepared for action. Preparation is the element of mobility, which is of great significance in warfare. Christians must not only watch the enemy, but be ready to counter his moves and meet him where he is attacking. Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that this means the Christian cannot be sluggish of spirit, dull, or complacent. Like David, the Christian must be ready to fight in God’s way, no matter how impossible or ridiculous it seems. They must have firmness in strategy: the battle against the devil is the same as it always has been. But they must have mobility and adaptability that is always true to the fundamental teachings of Scripture, because the enemy is always varying his tactics. Christians hold onto old principles, but apply them in a manner that is effective against and adaptable to modern challenges.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is exhorting Christians to stand firm against the devil's schemes.
- The only way to stand against the devil is by putting on the full armor of God.
- One piece of the armor of God is having your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
- Christians must have a firm footing and always be ready and prepared for spiritual battle. The enemy is always active and his attacks are unexpected.
- Christians should not be slow or sluggish. They must have mobility and adaptability.
- The battle is fundamentally the same in every age - against the devil and his forces. But tactics must adapt to the times.
- Christians must avoid rigidly adhering to old forms and facing old problems. They must face present problems.
- The problems today are complacency, sentimentality, and the notion that beliefs do not matter.
- Christians must fight these problems with the gospel of peace - peace with God, peace within, and peace with others.
- Without peace, Christians cannot stand against the devil. Peace gives joy and strength.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.