Written by:
Sister Maxine Shackelford
Ephesian 6:11-13 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Putting on the whole armor of God comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15, that will be discussed in this article,) the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which will be discussed in the next three month’s articles.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil days, which are upon us at this present time. Putting on the shoes of the “The Gospel of Peace,” is simply sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. It has a similar meaning with the Hebrews word “shalom.”
Standing in the shoes of peace, can only be accomplished by having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; given to us as a gift when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior through repentance. “Standing Firm” …. How can we stand firm in spiritual warfare? When we became Christians, we gained an enemy. Satan and his demons desire to steal our peace and joy, kill our physical bodies, and destroy our witness and callings.
In this final section of Ephesians, Paul addresses this war and how Christians must stand firm. Paul includes each of the pieces of the armor of God intentionally. The third piece Paul mentions that composes the armor of God is what he calls the (shoes) of the “readiness given by the gospel of peace.” We’re in a battle for hearts and minds, challenged by rampant immorality and ignorance in our society. Despite our best effort, we find it nearly impossible to shield our families from bold immorality on the airways, on television, and online. Ignorance is tolerated, even celebrated. We as Christians find ourselves battered by ungodly cultural winds, often confused and distracted as churches strive to prepare us for the storms.
We generally don’t consider shoes as being a part of a soldier’s armor. But think about it. If we walk onto the battlefield without any of these elements of armor, we risk fatal blows from the enemy himself, rendered to us. Shoes stand at no exception. If soldiers don’t have solid, supportive, comfortable shoes that will hold up on the field of battle, they will not be able to prevail.
Likewise for Christians, we must be fitted in shoes of peace to carry out “the great commission,” (Matthew 28: 19-20), (Mark 16: 15-20).
The Gospel of Peace anchors us…. giving divine confidence that when the battle for our souls rage, and the enemy world comes against us, we can stand firm knowing that: 1) we are saved because of the Gospel, and 2) that we are at peace with God when all around us is in chaos. To put on the shoes of the gospel of peace means being able to stand firm, and ready and eager to find opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others! “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
When Satan attacks with a flaming missile of doubt, such as …” if God really loved you, He wouldn’t have let this happen”. We dig our peace shoes into the turf of God’s Word and reply, “it is written: All things work together for the good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
As Christians, we’re called to share the good news of Jesus Christ with other people. Having our shoes fitted with the gospel of peace allows us to carry out our commander’s orders in sharing the good news with others!
Scriptures to Reference:
Ephesians 6:14-15 ESV
Romans 8:28
Timothy 2:15
2Timothy 4:2
1 Peter 3:15
Mark 16: 15-20
Matthew 28: 19-20
Researched and written by:
Sister Maxine Shackelford, GOHM