The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

As we continue looking at the armor of God in Ephesians 6, we come to a piece of armor that we might not immediately think of as armor at all: shoes.

Paul writes, “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

Shoes don’t seem particularly defensive. A breastplate protects your heart. A helmet protects your head. But shoes? What do shoes have to do with standing firm against the schemes of the devil?

Actually, quite a lot.

Our shoes give us the ability to stand firm and to move forward. And Paul says that the shoes we are to put on are the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

I immediately think of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:15: “… always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

What is the reason for the hope that is in us?

The gospel!

We have hope because Jesus Christ lived the perfect life we could never live, died the death we deserved, and rose again so that everyone who places their faith in Him alone can have forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life.

And Peter says we should always be prepared to talk about it.

A Strong Defense

It is interesting that Paul includes our readiness to share the gospel as part of the armor of God. We tend to think of armor as something designed primarily to protect us from attack. But the gospel gives us something to stand on and move forward with.

In fact, Paul makes an interesting connection in Philemon 1:6. He prays that “the sharing of [our] faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.”

Did you catch that?

There is something about sharing our faith that helps us understand and appreciate what we have in Christ.

Sometimes the best defense is a strong offense.

The more consistently we talk about what Jesus has done for us, the more aware we become of what Jesus has done for us. The more we rehearse the gospel, the more deeply its truth takes root in our own hearts.

And that matters because we have an enemy who wants us to forget.

Once we have put our faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, Satan cannot undo the saving work of Christ. But that doesn’t mean he stops attacking. He can still tempt us, discourage us, deceive us, accuse us, and try to convince us that God’s goodness isn’t really as good as we know it to be.

And one of the easiest ways for him to accomplish that is to get us to stop talking about Jesus.

At the very least, he wants us to be quiet.

He wants us to keep our testimony to ourselves. He wants us to forget the gospel in the middle of our circumstances. He wants us to become so distracted by the cares of this world that we stop remembering the goodness of God.

But when we keep our feet fitted with the gospel of peace, we are reminded of where our hope comes from.

We remember that we belong to Christ.

We remember that our sins have been forgiven.

We remember that God is with us.

We remember that our circumstances don’t determine God’s character.

We remember that Jesus is still King.

And we are ready to tell someone else why we have hope.

Gospel Shoes

I have a very personal reminder of this.

One of my life goals is to run a marathon in all 50 states by the time I turn 50. I’m currently five years away from 50 and have completed marathons in 30 states, with states 31, 32, and 33 scheduled for later this year.

Every time I run a marathon, I write something on my feet in permanent marker.

On the back of my left foot I write:

G O S

And on the back of my right foot:

P E L

Put the two feet together and they spell GOSPEL.

It’s my little reminder to have my “feet fitted with the gospel of peace.”

But it is more than just a reminder to me.

When I’m running a marathon, I want to be looking for opportunities to share my faith, my testimony, and the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people I encounter along the way.

And God has given me multiple opportunities to do exactly that.

I’ve had conversations with people I never would have met anywhere else. I’ve talked about faith with fellow runners. I’ve been able to share what Jesus has done in my life. And sometimes a simple conversation that begins with running opens a door to something much more important.

That’s why those letters on my feet matter.

They remind me that wherever my feet take me, the gospel goes with me.

And that isn’t just true when I’m running a marathon.

It’s true when I’m at the grocery store.

It’s true when I’m traveling.

It’s true when I’m playing music.

It’s true when I’m sitting across the table from a friend.

It’s true when I’m talking with a stranger.

Wherever our feet take us, we have the opportunity to carry the gospel with us.

Are Your Gospel Shoes On?

Maybe that’s the challenge of this piece of armor.

Are we ready?

Are our feet fitted with the gospel of peace?

Are we prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us?

And are we actually looking for opportunities to share it?

The amazing thing is that when we share the gospel with others, we are reminded of it ourselves.

Every time we tell someone about God’s grace, we remember that we need God’s grace.

Every time we tell someone about the forgiveness we have received through Jesus, we remember that we have been forgiven.

Every time we tell someone that Jesus is our hope, we are reminded that Jesus is our hope.

The gospel is not merely a message we once believed. It is the message we continue to stand on.

So put on your gospel shoes.

Be ready.

Stand firm.

Move forward.

And wherever your feet take you, look for an opportunity to point someone to Jesus.