Feet Shod with the Gospel of Peace

.

Peace means unity, agreement, concord, oneness. Where there is peace there is no disagreement, no animosity, no conflict. Peace is a husband and wife, married 30 years, traveling down the road and chatting happily about what a great life they have. Peace is a sigh of contentment, a silly grin on your face, being completely happy with where you’re at, what you’re doing, who you’re with, where you’re going, what you’ve accomplished. Peace is lacking nothing, overflowing with goodness, floating in a sea of abundance, with the full awareness that everything you will ever need in life has been completely provided for.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  (Ephesians 6:13-15)

“The preparation of the gospel of peace” means the preparations which arise from or flow from out of the good message of peace – “the gospel-of-peace’s preparations.”

Of all the pieces of armor, this seems to be perhaps the weakest. I mean, how does having something on your feet make you a better spiritual warrior? Well, it turns out that without having your feed shod, you’re stuck in one spot, and will remain open to the same attacks over and over again! If you want to go places with God, you’ve got to have your feet shod. That’s how important it is!

Notice that it’s called the gospel of peace! Not the gospel of good works, not the gospel of always being right. Not the gospel of don’t sin or God will be angry with you. Not the gospel of correct doctrine, not the gospel of you coming to my church. Not the gospel of always getting what I want, not the gospel of an easy life. Not the gospel of everybody liking me, not the gospel of ease and comfort. It’s the gospel of peace. Peace with God! It’s the gospel of living with a peaceful heart, a peaceful soul, a peaceful spirit, a peaceful presence!

In every single one of Paul’s writings, he starts with “grace and peace.” In his letters to individuals (Timothy, Titus, Philemon) he adds the word “mercy.” So all the content of his writings was intended to help bring this peace into the lives of those he wrote to. Paul was the apostle of grace …

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If you have heard of the administration of the grace of God which was given to me for you …  (Ephesians 3:1,2)

… and he was also the apostle of peace. His feet were shod with the preparation of (his planning and thinking and deciding flowed out of ) the gospel of peace. His message to all he preached to and taught was, “Because of God’s grace in providing you the perfect sacrifice of the life of His son, you are now at peace with God. Receive His peace! Walk in His peace. Let all your thinking flow out of His peace!”

If your feet are not shod with the gospel of peace, you can’t go anywhere with God. A warrior’s unshod feet meant he had to fight while standing in the same place, or face being crippled. Imagine having to fight a foe who can move about at will, while you are stuck in one spot! Having the message of peace firmly established in your mind and heart will enable you to position yourself for spiritual victory.

So lets talk about that preparation, shall we?

Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; And the peace of God which surpasses every understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:7,8)

You’ll notice that the promise is not that you’ll get whatever it is you’re asking for, but rather that God’s peace will guard your heart and mind. In the power of this peace which is guarding your heart and mind you’ll thus be able to position yourself to receive the solution, whatever and whenever it comes. Minus this presence of God’s message of peace to you, you’ll miss out on any movement on your part (preparation) which may be required in order for you to receive the answer to what troubles you.

And let the peace of God rule (referee) in yours hearts, to the which you are called in one body, and be ye thankful.  (Colossians 3:15)

It is God’s gift of peace to you which enables you to move with the spirit of God and to be at the place you need to be at in order to receive the answers to your prayers, the solutions to your troubles. It is His peace itself which will determine your best course of thinking and action, if you’ll allow it! It is His peace which will determine which preparations, if any, you’ll need to make, so that all God’s perfect will can come to pass in your life.

Do you think Jesus was at peace with his Father, God?

I and my Father are one.  (John 10:30)

The more you understand and walk in the power of God’s peace, the more your preaching of the gospel will change. What you believe God wants another person to know will change from how to behave a certain way, to simply being willing to accept that God loves them just the way they are. Jesus Christ had this to say in his prayer shortly before being taken by the Jews to be tortured and killed:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe unto me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in me, and I in You, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that You have sent me.  And the glory which You gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and You in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them, as You have loved me.  (John 17:20-23)

This oneness with God is His peace, and when any and all thinking about how to solve the problems and challenges of our life flows from out of the good message of this peace, then we are positioning ourselves for victory, for we have placed ourselves in the heart of God, in total harmony and unity with Him. You can not go places with God if your feet are not shod with the gospel of peace in your heart, and the thinking which flows from out of that peaceful heart.

Stay spiritually nimble and agile, ready to mentally move wherever your peace with God determines you should go. Satan won’t be able to pin you down and hammer you with the same devilish attacks again and again. Why? Because when he comes to attack you again, you won’t be there! Stay nimble. Remain at peace with God in the spirit of Christ.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace …  (Galatians 5:22a)

__________________________________________________________

Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

The Helmet of Salvation
The Shield of Faith
Loins Girt with Truth
What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and How to Preach It.

Get notified when new studies are posted by subscribing in the upper right corner.
Your information will not be shared.
_______________________________

The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon

_________________________________________________________