Your Spiritual Weapons: Shoes of Peace

Welcome back to our series on your spiritual weapons. Previously, we’ve looked at the breastplate of righteous, and the belt of truth, and now today we will be looking at the shoes of peace, in Ephesians 6:15.

I must admit,  reading this as a young child I always thought it was funny that shoes were mentioned here. I would always scuff and wear holes in my shoes, but it wasn’t until I was hurt by scorching hot pavement when I was barefoot, that I started to take footwear more seriously. And as we’ll see, this is the point of verse 15.

Just as physical shoes protect our feet when we walk on physical terrain, these spiritual shoes protect our “spiritual walk” in daily life, against rough and hazardous terrain.

Peace That Protects

Let’s begin by reading the verse in question, Ephesians 6:15: It quite simply says: having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

Although this verse is short, it contains powerful details.

Some of the old-English wording here can be confusing, but the term shod  means to tightly bind. In other words, not easily let go.

Preparation means readiness… but not in an anxious or striving manner— it specifically denotes a confident readiness. Now, what is there to be confident about?

We find the answer in the next part of the verse: the gospel of peace.

The scripture could’ve said anything here; it could’ve said the readiness to do the law, or to try your best.

However, what is truly in view here is not ourselves, or our works, but rather it is the good news (the gospel) of peace. And this peace is not a human peace, not a worldly peace, but it is the peace of God— the reconciliation to him through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. That is the good news in focus here., That today, we have peace with God because Jesus has made it so.

Standing and Walking in Peace

So when the pressures, turmoil and anxieties of life come… The first question that I usually hear Christians ask is “is God angry with me?” Or “did I do something wrong?” — and this is a prime example for where the shoes of peace are useful.

Standing in the truth of Christ, the good news of peace with God, stabilizes our thoughts and emotions; letting us know that, no God is not angry with us because all of God’s wrath towards those who are in Christ has already been exhausted and paid for on the cross. You don’t need to take my word for this, you can see the scripture say this itself in Isaiah 53:4-5:

“⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was on him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

And again in 

Romans 5:8-9:

“ ⁸ But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

So these verses tell us indeed that the wrath of God, his righteous anger against all sin, has been paid for (righteously) through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And with this realization, comes many other benefits. Once you realize that you indeed have peace with God, other things snap into place. You’ll begin to have confidence when faced with challenges. This is how the shoes of peace guard you, and this how you walk in the peace of Christ daily.

Let this truth keep and guard you always.

Be blessed.