The Gospel of peace brings serenity to our entire lives because we know that the Lord is with us, that we are eternally saved, and that nobody can pluck us out of His Hand.
Having feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace is the third aspect of the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Before being fitted feet with this readiness, one must first put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Each aspect of the armor of God is crucially important to our Christian walk. In this article, we are going to be discussing the third piece of the armor of God—having feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace.
Readiness of the Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:14-15 tells us, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The Gospel of peace is the message Jesus has given to us as His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The Gospel of peace is also mentioned in Romans 10:15, “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Contained within the Gospel of peace is also the promise of our salvation through placing faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). With this assurance we are given from the Gospel of peace, we can know that we are God’s children and that nobody can pluck us out of His hand (John 10:28). The Gospel of peace lives within our hearts, and it helps instruct us of what we must do to obey God’s commands (Romans 10:8-10). The Gospel of peace brings serenity to our entire lives because we know that the Lord is with us, that we are eternally saved, and that nobody can pluck us out of His Hand.
Aiding the Spiritual Battle
During the time Paul was speaking to the Ephesian believers, they knew how important a soldier’s armor was to him in battle. The soldiers would wear battle shoes that had nails or spikes in them to aid them in battle. The nails or spikes in their shoes would help keep their balance and prevent them from falling. Paul was connecting these shoes to the spiritual shoes Christians need to wear within the armor of God. The feet fitted with readiness create stability and perseverance in our Christian walk.
By having our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace, we have enough knowledge bout the Bible to know that we are constantly at risk of being a victim of Satan’s attacks. This knowledge propels us to cultivate the armor of God to better protect ourselves from the evil one's schemes. Our shoes in the armor of God help us defend ourselves against the devil and oppose his lies. Similar to the rest of the parts of the armor of God, God has given us these shoes to extinguish the lies of the enemy who lies and seeks to convince us that we aren't worthy, chosen, or forgiven.
With our feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel of peace, we must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word. We must know who we are in Christ, our position before God, and assurance of our salvation. If we waver in any of these areas, Satan will try to cause our downfall. Therefore, we must have our feet fitted securely and have the belt of truth buckled around our waist and the breastplate of righteousness firmly in place. We mustn't neglect any parts of the armor of God because Satan will try to cause us to fall in every way he can.
Deflecting the Enemy
Common lies Satan tries to throw at us are doubts about God's goodness, the trustworthiness of the Bible, and our forgiven, empowered selves. The enemy will manipulate situations and deceive us for us to believe his lies. By putting on the full armor of God, we will be able to take our stand (Ephesians 6:10-11). Bad things will happen, but we cannot doubt God in the dark times. Even in the difficult seasons of life, God is still with us. When a tough time happens, such as the loss of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the loss of a loved one, it can cause us to doubt God’s goodness. Yet, when we firmly root ourselves in the Word and put on the full armor of God, we are reminded of this biblical truth, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
When we think of shoes, we know we stand in our shoes, but we also walk and run in our shoes. In the same way, God wants us to be prepared to not only stand our ground but also to walk in opposition to Satan’s lies and threats. The Lord wants us to share the truth of Him and what He has done with others (Matthew 28:18-20). To do this, we must move and go places with our feet fitted with the readiness of the Gospel of peace. It needs to be noted that once we take the incentive to share the Gospel with others, we will be more at risk of spiritual warfare since Satan wants to prevent the spread of the Gospel.
Satan is completely opposed to the Gospel, God, and whoever follows Him. This is why Satan and his demons are constantly trying to prevent the lost from coming to know Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan is said to be the “god of this age,” and he wants to prevent anyone from turning to the light and leaving the darkness of unbelief. As Christians, who are going out to help the lost come to know Christ, Satan will constantly watch our every move and try to prevent us from sharing the truth. Do not let this bring you to fear because God is our mighty protector, and He is stronger than Satan. Nobody can thwart God’s plan—not even the devil (Job 42:2; Proverbs 21:30).
Thus, we need to be intentional about putting on every part of the armor of God, including having our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace. It can be hard to put on the full armor of God each day, yet it is what we must do to take our stand against the devil and his demons. If you struggle with putting on the full armor of God, pray and ask God for His help. The Lord loves you, and He will aid you each day. There will be work to do on your end, too, such as reading the Bible, meditating on it, and applying it to your life. The full armor of God, including having your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace, will help you combat the attacks of the enemy and discover God's good, protective nature.
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