Shoes of Peace
Shoes of Peace
Stand, therefore, with . . . your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. (Eph. 6:14–15)
Dig In!
We’ve been talking about putting on the full armor of God in order to protect ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. Continuing to get dressed for battle, the next essential piece of armor we need is a good pair of shoes—“gospel of peace” footwear, as Paul puts it. Even though shoes are made for walking, they are also helpful for digging in deep and defending your turf.
In spiritual terms we need God’s peace if we hope to stand firm against Satan’s attacks. A troubled heart simply doesn’t defend itself well. By contrast the peace of God that comes from the gospel helps keep us balanced and clearheaded. It’s a peace that “surpasses every thought” (Phil. 4:7). So while chaos and trouble prevail on the outside, peace reigns on the inside.
Advance!
While our armor is mainly defensive in nature, our gospel shoes enable us to take peace wherever we go, impacting all of our relationships. We are called to be peacemakers. This certainly includes working for peace among believers, but it also includes sharing the good news with unbelievers who are not yet at peace with God. In seeing ourselves as ambassadors for Christ in this way, we experience more of God’s peace ourselves. Christianity was never meant to be a private affair. He wants His peace to extend to others, and He wants to use us as instruments of His peace.
Bottom Line
Satan hates peace. God loves it. The gospel of peace gives us peace within and peace without.