THE HEALTH OF THE CHURCH: EVANGELISM

Ephesians 6:13-18 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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times…

Evangelism is not only a duty but a key indication of the vitality of a church. If a church doesn’t evangelize, it is not only failing in its duty before God and its brethren, but it is also anemic.

If God has blessed us, we have a duty to “declare” His righteousness and goodness:

·       The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Psalm 92:12-15 ESV)

Our Lord blesses us for a reason – “To declare that the Lord is upright.” When we fail to do this, the church languishes as it does whenever it fails to put on its entire set of armor. Perhaps surprisingly, one piece of its armor is evangelism:

·       and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness [to evangelize] given by the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)

Paul harkens back to Isaiah regarding the necessity of the feet to carry forth the Good News of the Gospel (Romans 10:15), evangelism!

We have to be ready to proclaim the “Gospel of peace.” Consequently, evangelism requires that we are prepared to make a defense for our Hope (1 Peter 3:15). Armor is a fitting metaphor, and the appropriate shoes are a necessary part of that armor. It suggests, as Paul had intended it, that we need the full coat of armor. If we are lacking just one piece – the Word, righteousness, faith, prayer, or salvation – we are vulnerable to attack. Without shoes, we cannot go forward. The enemy will simply attack us where we remain unprotected.

Paul associates the armor of evangelistic warfare with “divine power” and not a weapon of the flesh.

·       For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

As we “destroy arguments” that come against the Gospel and take them “captive,” the Holy Spirit is intimately involved in this process. In the next verse, Paul relates this warfare to the health of the Church:

·       being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:6)

When we fail to have our feet clad to carry forth the truth of the Gospel, disobedience reigns to the detriment of the Church. This leaven will affect the entire loaf of bread (Galatians 5:9).

It is only the Gospel backed by the Spirit that can change lives. It is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), as many have testified. To neglect the Gospel is to neglect the welfare of the Church and the armor of God.