Ephesians 6:15 . . . “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace.”
Don’t you just love shoes? It is amazing to me how a pair of shoes can make or break an outfit. Whether you want to go dressy or casual, trendy or sensible, shoes provide the foundation for most every fashion occasion (except swimming, perhaps.) Just think if I tried to wear sneakers with a ball gown, or six-inch heels with a softball uniform. Not only do the wrong shoes ruin an outfit – they can make it impossible to accomplish the purpose for wearing that outfit in the first place!
We are warriors, and we must wear the right shoes to fight a war! Roman soldiers wore leather shoes with metal spikes in the bottom, kind of like cleats. These shoes provided the stability to stand firm against an enemy. They also provided traction for climbing over rough terrain.
Friends, the gospel of peace – which is the good news of Jesus Christ – provides the foundation we need to stand firm against the enemy. It also provides the traction we need to make progress in this journey called life. The gospel of peace is the essence of Christianity. Many times, we Christians get caught up in various issues, or we focus our attention on some abstract theology, and we forget the basics! When we face the enemy without our shoes, we quickly lose traction, and we slip and fall. We don’t make much progress as barefoot soldiers.
But when we wear our shoes, we are prepared to stand firm against the enemy. When we wear our shoes, we are equipped to make real progress in our journeys – no matter the terrain. As we suit up for battle, let us never forget the basics of the gospel of peace: 1) We were separated from God, by sin. 2) God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment for that sin. 3) When we accept what Christ did for us, through faith, we can have peace with God. This truth provides our very foundation – our shoes, which will keep us from slipping.
Dear Father, Thank You for providing me with the foundation I need to be a successful fighter and traveler in this life. Thank You for making it possible for me to have peace.
Amen
I just love the points you have brought out in this post. Actually, I do not remember hearing it stated quite this clearly.
Oh, how right you are that we often get hung up on doctrinal points and differences and forget that we have the gospel of peace! Yes, these points are sometimes very important, but it makes no difference how right we are if we do not treat each other with love. I get the wrong shoes on without even noticing what is happening sometimes.
I appreciate you, Renae!
Thank you, Jeanette. I’ve really enjoyed digging deeper, and discovering the simplicity in God’s Word! For years, I struggled to really understand this passage, but now it is one of my favorites. 🙂
Blessings to you.
–r