The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

The  Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

(Ephesians 6:15)

Warfare by definition is the absence of peace. 

But in spiritual warfare, personal peace becomes part of the Christian’s armor.

 

Roman soldiers, about whom Paul was writing, wore hob-nailed sandals. They were specifically designed to be surefooted in battle. They had a thick base, made of wood and leather, and often had short spikes embedded in them to give the soldier extra traction on inclines or in bad weather. Even on the slickest ground they could stand in hand-to-hand combat and not slip. Paul used this concept of Roman warfare, being properly shod when going into battle, to remind us of the importance of having a firm foundation.

 

The Scriptures say that the shoes we wear are the gospel of peace. In other words, we are to be prepared with the Good News of peace. The foundation of our fighting in the spiritual battle is the settled peace within us that God wants us to have. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Satan is the destroyer of peace. His purpose was to bring division and separation from God to the people on earth. His first act was to create division between the angels. So when we do combat with him, we need to have an implement of warfare that will enable us to withstand that particular attack of division and restlessness. In this case, the implement to use would be the gospel of peace, according to Ephesians 6:15.

 

The Relationship of the Shoes to the Armor

Remember, the whole imagery of Ephesians 6 is that the believer literally needs to equip himself with Jesus Christ.  He is to put on the Lord Jesus, and in the power of Christ, go forward into battle. Begin by putting on the girdle of truth, which is Christ. Then, put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is living according to that truth, protected from the enemy’s arrows. Living out the truth leads to peace, which is what Paul is speaking about in verse 15. You start with the truth, which brings you to righteousness, which leads to peace. You are no longer struggling to prove yourself to God; He has declared you righteous in Jesus Christ.

Remember, we are not in battle against people. We are in battle against the realm of thoughts and attitudes, and so it is important that we are equipped with the inner peace from God. Much of the spiritual battle takes place in the realm of our outlook in life. It is not the situation in which we find ourselves that is critical, but how we look on that situation in the power of Christ. We are to remember that in Jesus Christ we have peace. Ephesians 2:14 says, “He Himself is our peace.” As we appropriate that truth into our lives, we can go into the battle and be victorious.

Most often it is when the battle is almost unbearable and the circumstances look impossible that Jesus speaks peace to us and gives us encouragement to keep us fighting. He is our peace, and that is the foundation upon which we must do battle. That is the relationship of the shoes to the rest of the armor.
 

The Requirement of the Shoes for Armor

Luke 21:26 tells us that in the last days men’s hearts are going to be failing them for fear. Have you noticed how fear, stress and violence are increasing in our world? Because of that we are to be men and women who stand apart from the world. We are to have a ministry of peace to people who are afraid. But how can we minister to them if our own hearts are troubled and filled with fear? They will just look at us and wonder what we have to offer them that is different. We must go into this world with a gospel message that brings peace and do it with the settled assurance that Jesus Christ is at home in our hearts, bringing peace to our souls.
 

 

The Reason for the Shoes as Armor

Matthew 6 tells us why we are to have peace and reveals to us why, without God’s peace operating in our lives, we will not win the spiritual battle. Here are five reasons that suggest we may not be prepared to go to war without the shoes of the gospel of peace.
 

Without shoes, you are ungrateful

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus tells us, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, what you should put on. Is not life more than meat and the body more than clothes?”  It is saying, “Don’t be ungrateful for the provision you have.” If you don’t have the peace of God operating within your heart, you are being ungrateful. You cannot be fighting fervently for the Lord and at the same time be doubting Him in the very basics of life. You cannot go into battle as a warrior for the Lord Jesus while at the same time you are distrusting His very concern for you as His child.

Without Shoes, You are Unreasonable

Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air; for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.” Jesus asks, “Are you not more valuable than they?” It is unreasonable to not believe that God considers us, who have been made in His own image, more valuable than the birds of the air that He provides for.
 

Without Shoes, You are Unproductive

Matthew 6:27 says, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? You can worry all you want but it won’t change things. So what good is it? It is totally unproductive. If you do not have on the shoes of the gospel of peace, you will accomplish nothing.
 

 

Without Shoes, No One will Know that You are a Christian

Matthew 6:31 says, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink? Or ‘What shall we wear?’ This verse simply suggests that if you get all worked up with worry over how you will provide the basic necessities; you are acting no different than the world. There is nothing distinctly Christian about your attitudes. Where is the sense of security and peace that is yours because you belong to Christ? Without the shoes of  peace how can anyone tell if you are Christian or of the world.
 

Without Shoes, You are Unprepared

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Jesus in Matthew 6:33-34 clearly tells us that our lives are to be filled with peace, not with worries over the things of  the world. That’s why David wrote, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you” (Psalm 55:2), and Peter said, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). You cannot be a warrior when you are torn up inside with doubt and worry and cannot be strong and confident in battle, standing secure in Him, if you don’t have the solid footing that comes with the gospel of peace.
 

The Requisitioning of Shoes for Armor
 

How does one requisition the shoes of the gospel of peace?  

First, you need to meet the Author of Peace. You may not have peace in your heart because you have never met the One who gives peace. Hebrews 13:20 calls Him “the God of Peace.” Second Thessalonians 3:16 refers to Him as the “Lord of Peace.”  First  Corinthians 14:33 says, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.” He sent Christ into the world to be your Savior and He wants you to come to know Him and fill up your life with His peace.

Second, you need to meditate on the Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” As you meditate on the Author of Peace, He fills up your life with His peace.

Third, you need to manifest the spirit of peace in your life. The Bible says that peace is one of the inevitable results of the Spirit of God controlling your life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…

We ought to pray every day, “Jesus, through Your Holy Spirit, take control of my life. Cleanse me from sin. I confess it, and now Spirit of Christ, take control. Take up residency in my heart. You sit on the throne of my life.  I give myself totally to You.”  Now when bad thoughts or attitudes come to mind, bow your head and say, “Lord, I don’t want it this way. I know it is a sin to not to trust You. I confess my sin. Now Spirit of God take control again and grant me peace. You may have to do this many times over and over again until, little by little, He does get control and that sense of peace comes to reign within.

Fourth, we put on the shoes of the gospel of peace by meditating on and memorizing the Word of peace. Psalm 119:165 tells us, “Great peace have those who love Your law.” What a great promise! If you meditate on and memorize God’s Word, then as you face the troubles and turmoils of battle, He will bring to mind the truth that you have committed to your heart and your mind.

If you want to invest your time in something that is worthwhile, fill your heart and mind with the truth of God. Then when Satan attacks, you can call forth God’s Word to defeat him, and remain in perfect peace during the fiercest of battles.  Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Let not your heart be troubled, and neither let it be afraid.” And Jesus lived that out as an example for us to follow.”  Even as Christ went to His death on the cross there was a calmness and sense of direction about the events. His life was secure, and He wants you to be standing firm, wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace.

This was taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare, 2002

Next will be "The Shield of Faith"

~Annie~