The Armor of God-The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

July 26, 2023

The Armor of God-The Shoes of the Gospel of peace

What is the Armor of God?

Whether you want to believe it or not, we are fighting a spiritual battle against spiritual forces of evil daily! Regardless if you are a believer or a non-believer it doesn’t exempt you from the warfare. The Apostle Paul exposes exactly what kind of enemy we are facing when he states, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” Ephesians 6:12. We are fighting an opponent that we cannot see with the naked eye.

Our battle is against a very militant and highly organized demonic kingdom led by Satan himself. He is a very powerful adversary and in our own power we are no match for him. In the spiritual realm there are two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. They are consistently at odds with each other but they both have the same goal in mind, to win your soul.

The Lord’s Kingdom promises us eternal life with Him in heaven and life on Earth in abundance, John 10:10. The kingdom of darkness promises us eternal damnation and in complete separation from God. The enemy will make you think that you don’t have to live your daily life fully surrendered to Christ. He wants you to think that it is okay to live for Jesus and live in sin. That is one of his ultimate schemes. His mission is to take as many people to hell with him as he can.

Our problem is that we don’t take the time to learn our adversary. Life is completely spiritual and the first step to understanding the spiritual realm is acknowledging that it exists in the first place. One of the greatest deceptions that the devil uses over and over again on Christians is making us think that he isn’t real. If you don’t know that you are fighting a real and potent enemy, you’ve already lost the battle.

That is why the Apostle Paul makes it clear on the importance of putting on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-17 lists all six pieces of armor when Paul states, “Therefore take up 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 girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Even though Paul is describing physical armor he is referring to spiritual pieces of protective covering. We can never forget that spiritual warfare is an everyday reality and we are fighting the schemes of the devil daily. Just like any warrior going into combat, they need special attire so that they can be fully protected. God is providing us with His Armor because He knows that it is the only way that we will be able to stand a chance against our adversary the devil.

Make no mistake about it, he is strong and powerful and within our own strength we are not resilient enough to overcome him. However, with the Lord’s Armor properly fitted without any cracks in it, Satan doesn’t stand a chance against us! The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of what every piece in the whole armor of God is and how to accurately put on and keep on each piece.

In this article I am going to go over the third piece of armor that Paul mentions in the book of Ephesians verse 6:15, the Shoes that are prepared with the readiness of peace.

Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

In regards to the physical description of this piece of armor, the Apostle Paul is referring to shoes that were prepared for battle that the Roman Soldiers wore in his day. In order for them to walk through harsh terrain, rugged territory, or uneven ground; they had to make sure that they had a solid pair of shoes on. These shoes had spikes that came out of them that would dig in the ground so that the Roman soldier can gain his footing while fighting.

Let’s take a look at the shoes described in the Word of God. Ephesians 6:15 states, “ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Here we can see that Paul is going into detail on the spiritual aspect of what these particular shoes provide us with and that is peace. The word “peace” in this passage is the Greek word “eirēnē” which means: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ.

In other words you don’t need to fear anything that a person can do to you because you know Whom you belong to. The Word of God tells us Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” When you stand by faith knowing that you are saved because of what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross at Calvary you don’t need to worry about the things of this world. There is an inner peace when you know that you have been afforded the free gift of salvation.

That doesn’t negate the fact that you will have to face trials and tribulations whether you are a believer of Jesus Christ or not, nobody is exempt. It is during those storms that we need to be able to stand with our feet firmly planted regardless of unstable ground. The only way that one can have the kind of footing needed to sustain the unpredictable tests of life is by relying solely on the strength and peace that only the Lord Jesus Christ can provide you with.

What exactly is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Simply put, it is the Good News that while you were a sinner, Christ died for your sin allowing you to be reconciled back to the Father in Heaven. We now have a free gift of eternal life with Christ Jesus. The devil will try to make you think that you aren’t saved, or that God doesn’t love you, or that He will never forgive your past. The devil is a liar!

His hope is that he can knock you down and cause you to get off course and that is why your shoes are so significant. When the fiery arrows are being thrown by the enemy you need to have your feet securely lodged which will make it less likely for you to be moved. You are not in the battle alone and that is why it is so critical to have complete trust in God being certain that He will never leave you nor forsake you, Hebrews 13:5!

Some verses that describe the peace of God are:

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Here we can see that the Apostle Paul is giving clear instructions to the Church at Philippi. If they can pray about everything and not allow the storms of life to cause them to become anxious, the peace that only the Lord can provide them with will guard their hearts and minds through Christ. The peace that you receive during your tribulation because of your prayer is powerful. It has the ability to confuse the enemy because he won’t know what to do with it.

He will not understand how you can be standing so assured when things in your life are in complete chaos. Spiritual warfare is a daily reality and you are going to have to face it whether you believer in the spiritual aspect of life or not. That is why the Lord has provided us with His Armor so that we can be completely prepared for the battle when it comes.

Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

The prophet Isaiah through the leading of the Holy Spirit is letting us know that the Lord will keep us in perfect peace when we keep our eyes on Him. We can trust Him. Trust Him to come through on His promises, trust that He will never leave our side, trust that He will provide you with everything that you will ever need when the enemy comes in like a flood attempting to knock you down.

The question is do you believe that He is Who He says that He is? When you digest the Lord’s Word and allow it to saturate your heart and your mind there will be no fear or doubt. You will be able to rest in perfect peace because your trust is in the only One that can provide that kind of peace.

Another word that we need to dissect from the verse of Scripture out of the book of Ephesians is the words “the preparation.” This is the Greek word “hetoimasia” which means: preparedness and readiness. It is having the ability to be ready in season and out of season. One of the best ways that you can be prepared for the flaming darts that the devil will throw your direction is by staying in the Word of God.

That is how you are going to extinguish the enemy’s weaponry. When Satan attempted to come after the Lord Jesus Christ, He stated “It is written!” If the Lord counterattacked the enemy with God’s Word, how much more do we need it as our weapon? It is our responsibility as Christians to understand the Word of God, Study the Word of God, and live by the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 states, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

As Christians we should be well versed enough in the Lord’s Word that we can distinguish the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it, the devil and his entire demonic kingdom know the Bible very well and they will try to use it against you. That is why it is imperative to know Scripture and understand it so that you can stand firmly planted when tested.

Another important aspect of these particular shoes is to go forward sharing the Gospel of peace to everyone around you. With the strength of the Lord we can boldly proclaim His Name without any hesitation or reluctance. You will face adversity because the devil does not want the Lord’s Word to be shared with others. He knows that the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, Hebrews 4:12.

So by spreading the “Good News” to others, it gives them the tools that they need to fight back when the enemy attacks and he can’t stand it! For this reason, we need to be immersed in the Holy Scriptures so that when Satan attempts to shut us down we have enough Truth stored in us to prevent that from happening.

Conclusion

One of the biggest mistakes that we make as believers of Jesus Christ is that we underestimate our enemy. He is very powerful, highly militant, and extremely deceitful. In our own abilities we are no match for him, we need the power of the Lord to overcome him. That is why He provides us with His armor so that we can be fully prepared for the battles that we will have to face.

This article breaks down the third piece of armor listed in Scripture and that is the shoes that are prepared with the Gospel of peace. We have to know who we are in Christ, be able to stand on the firm foundation of the Gospel of Christ, and have the ability to articulate the importance of the Good News to others. If we stay ready we won’t have to get ready and having our feet firmly planted ready for warfare allows us to remain a step ahead.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

The Armor of God-The Belt of Truth

The Armor of God-The Breastplate of Righteousness

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration