March 23rd 2019 – Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 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. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."

Ephesians 6:10-18

The third piece of armour that Paul deals with speaks of 'feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.' There is a question of interpretation involved in this rather unusual phrase. Some take it to mean 'preparedness' in the sense of enabling the Christian warrior, and equipping him, to go forward carrying the good news of the gospel to others - an interpretation based in all probability on the words in Isaiah 52:7, 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace ....' But it is more likely to refer to the idea of having 'a prepared foundation', in the sense of having a knowledge of, and dependence on, the gospel that gives a man peace in his heart, and a firm ground on which to stand. After all, the general emphasis in the passage is 'stand therefore ....'  It is for standing firm that one wears these gospel shoes. Battle is the theme, not evangelism, and what is in view here is having a firm foothold on the rock that no assault would be able to shift. The 'gospel shoes' are, we may say, designed to keep the believer from getting cold feet in the day of trouble! And troubles there are, in many guises. Sometimes Satan attacks the believer's peace: one thinks of the strange, nameless dreads that assail the soul, like a horror of great darkness. Then there is the strange restlessness of spirit, in which we cannot settle down to anything. This also we must recognise as an attack on our peace. It is Satan's work to bring a distemper of spirit upon us, and if we allow him, he will make havoc of our spiritual life and usefulness. There is only one way to deal with this: it is to put on our gospel shoes, and stand fast, refusing to yield an inch to the enemy.