“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…Stand firm then…with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:13, 15).
The Apostle Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can be strong in the Lord and his mighty power to stand firm against the devil’s schemes:
- Put on the helmet of salvation to protect your mind
- Put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart
- Put on the belt of truth to protect your character
- Put on the shoes of the gospel so that you are ready in season and out to proclaim the gospel of peace
What does it mean to stand firm with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace? And, why do shoes even matter? What do shoes have to do with the armor for soldiers?
Why do shoes even matter? Ask any athlete why having the right shoes matters for both the condition of the field and the weather. Wrong shoes and you are at a great disadvantage.
The cost of being ill-prepared in athletics is a loss, in war it meant your life.
Being prepared with the right shoes absolutely mattered in battle.
The Greek literally reads, “and having shod the feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace.”
What in the world does that mean?
The Greek for “fitted” literally means to shod. Shod means to put on shoes.
What kind of shoes are we to put on? The shoes of the readiness of proclamation or the sharing of the gospel of peace.
Note that the proclamation and the sharing of peace doesn’t just happen. It has to be “put” on. The readiness and the preparedness of the proclamation of the gospel is intentional. So when you shod your feet with the readiness of the gospel of peace, it means you start the day prepared and ready to share the gospel of peace. You are heading in to the day with the intention of looking for opportunities to share the gospel of peace with those around you.
The sharing of your faith doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you are prepared. How can you be prepared?
- Know your story. How did you become a follower of Jesus Christ? What difference has that made in your life?
- Know the story of salvation through Jesus Christ. We are sinners in need of a Savior. God sent Jesus to die for sinners on the cross so that through him all might be saved.
Be prepared. You start the day with the intention to share about the goodness of God. Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ is not accidental. Disciples are prepared to share. Disciples intend to share.
So, does that describe you?
Isn’t time to shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace?
Put it on!
Praxis: Faith in Action 