14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
For as long as men have been taking part in battles, they have had to come up with a solution for a very simple problem... their feet. And as technologically advanced as we believe ourselves to be, the modern soldier still has to make the care of his feet a very high priority. After all, if one cannot run or walk or stand, he is going to make a pretty easy target.
But as it comes to the "beautiful feet" of one who bears good news (Isa 52:7, Rom 10:15), there are not degrees of effectiveness, as in, your feet only hurt a little, or they are strong enough to survive to the end of the day, but tomorrow you will have to be carried into the fray. Your feet are either fitted with the gospel of peace, or they are not. You are either ready with your gospel shoes on, or you are not.
The enemy wants us to be immobile. If we cannot run away, then he has us right where he wants us. This is our condition in sin. Think of the slough of despond from Pilgrim's Progress that Christian had to muddle through. That obstacle cannot be easily escaped. However, having our feet shod with the gospel of peace means that we have understood our condition before a holy God. We know that in order for us to avoid that deadly bog altogether, we have come to a full acknowledgement of our sins, and total recognition of our need of a Savior. These gospel shoes represent peace with God; that we have had our sins forgiven. And the guilt of Adam's sins and that of our own are no longer as a toilsome burden on our backs, but have been taken to the cross and nailed to it by our loving Lord (Col 2:13-15).
On this battlefield, there are many swamps of despair, as it were. Christians have always had to deal with these traps laid by the evil one. The glorious nature of this part of our armor is that it allows us to quickly escape these devices of the devil, or even better, avoid them altogether. These shoes run swiftly as we are told the Word of God runs swiftly (Psa 147:15).
However, what we must remember is that these shoes must be put on daily. Our feet are not clad with these shoes at one specific time and for the rest of time. We must constantly remind ourselves of the gospel. We must take the gospel with us everywhere we go, just as our feet go with us everywhere. The war rages, the fog of war envelopes, the confusion of war astounds. The gospel is the clarion call from the supreme commander. The gospel holds all His instructions, and His words of encouragement, and His power and authority over these forces of darkness. Our feet, that is our day to day walking in this world, must be informed by the gospel. Otherwise, we will not be able to avoid the pitfalls of satan. He will draw us into the pit and keep our soul mired in guilt and sin. The gospel has raised us up from that pit, and we must ever keep it before us so that we never sink into it again.
Take care of your feet and they will take care of you is an old maxim. The same is true with the gospel only it goes a bit differently. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31, Rom 10:9)
Assignment:
1. Continue memorizing this Ephesians passage but also add Colossians 2:13-15. This passage will remind you that your trespasses have been nailed to the cross, and that Jesus in this action has disarmed and triumphed over both His and your enemies.
2. Journal about any times you believe you have been overcome by the guilt of your sin and how you may have been, like Christian from Pilgrim's Progress, in the slough of despond.
3. Follow this link to a search on the word gospel. Jot down any that you believe will help you put on your gospel shoes every day.
