Friday, July 25, 2008

The Gospel of Peace

In Ephesians 6:11, the apostle Paul urged the church at Ephesus to “put on the whole armor of God” in order to combat the enemy. He wrote of putting on truth and righteousness, faith and the word of God.

In the middle of these pieces of “armor,” Paul wrote that we are to “shod [our] feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” (12)

Shod our feet.

The other pieces of “armor” provide protection: a breastplate, a shield, a sword. What do shoes have to do with protection? It’s what those shoes represent: the gospel of peace. The gospel is the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. It’s the assurance that when we give our lives to Jesus, we are saved from our sins. We can look forward to eternity with Jesus.

When we walk in that knowledge, when our feet are shod with that gospel, then everywhere we go, we are grounded in that truth. It’s the very foundation upon which we walk.

A soldier wouldn’t get very far if his shoes weren’t sturdy and strong, able to keep out the elements, able to traverse rough ground. We too wouldn’t get very far if we weren’t standing on God’s promises of salvation and of peace.

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