Ephesians 6 | Shoes of Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
For this week’s BlogThursday post, I will be discussing the third Armour of God in Ephesians 6 which is the 'Shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ Every day we are fighting a war against Satan, who seeks to destroy us, and in Ephesians, Paul teaches us that we must take action and put on God’s armour which protects us from spiritual warfare.
Background
After highlighting the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness, Paul now draws attention to the soldier’s footwear, which was distinctive from other types of shoes from that time period. Calcei are soft leather shoes that were worn by the Romans. Soleae are slippers worn indoors by both sexes. But Roman soldiers wore bulky combat sandals known as ‘caliga,’ which are half boot and half sandal. Paul explains the need for Christians to maintain their resolve in the last chapter of Ephesians. Paul purposefully includes every item of God’s armour. The shoes of “readiness given by the gospel of peace” are the third item which make up the armour of God and help us feel secure as we stand. “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you will be fully prepared” (Ephesians 6:15). In general, we don’t think of shoes as a soldier’s armour. However, if you think about it, we run the risk of being struck fatally by the adversary himself if we enter the battlefield without any of these pieces of armour, and shoes are no exception.
What do shoes have to do with the gospel of peace?
A victorious soldier had to be prepared for battle. He had to have studied his enemy’s strategy, be confident in his own strategy, and have his feet firmly planted so that he could hold his ground when the attacks came. A soldier’s battle shoes were studded with nails or spikes, like cleats, to help him keep his balance in combat. He knew that, if he lost his footing and went down, it wouldn’t matter how great the rest of his armour was; the enemy had him. When we are ready with the gospel of peace, we live with the understanding that we are continually under attack from Satan, but with our armour, we stand firm and ready.
The “peace shoes” that God supplies His soldiers have two purposes: defensive and offensive. In order to defend ourselves against the “flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16), we must have confidence in our position in Christ. To do this, we must understand that God will always protect us and help us when we seek him, as he is a loving and caring God. Therefore, knowing he is with us when we are
Experiencing spiritual warfare gives us so much comfort because we know God is greater than any troubles we may face, and he will also stand firm with us. In the same way, God also expects us to go on the offensive and spread the gospel of peace to others. God knows that when we are active in speaking of him to others, we not only charge into Satan’s territory but also dig our shoes more deeply into the truth and will be much harder to dislodge.
How can we apply this to our lives?
The mention of shoes in the Bible reminds us of the importance of being prepared, humble, and obedient in our walk with God. Having our feet fitted with the shoes of the gospel of peace allows us to be ready to share God with others at all times. As Christians, we should always be prepared, as we never know when an opportunity may arise to share the good news of the gospel with someone else. - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” - Romans 1:16.
It's essential for us to wear the armour that God has given to us. Each piece of armour has a unique purpose, which protects us from spiritual warfare, the attacks we cannot see at once with our own eyes. With the armour on, we can stand strong against the enemy and get closer to God by trusting in him.
