Paul wrote, “and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” (Eph. 6:15). I’d like to share with you a couple of other translations that might help make this clearer in our minds.
- “…as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Eph. 6:15 ESV)
- “and being firm-footed in the gospel of peace.” (Eph. 6:15 ISV)
- “As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” (Eph. 6:15 NRSV)
To Fit or to shod your feet then means to prepare yourself with whatever will make you ready – to keep the Lord’s command to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15). Just as putting on your shoes protects your feet and allows your footing to be firm, so does the gospel enable you to stand firm protecting you by its uncontroversial truth.
Never leave the house not having prepared yourself by the gospel of peace. Nearly every Sunday we have our children over for lunch and time to reflect, and for some to watch football, basketball or golf. But, when it’s time to go—one phrase is always spoken, that is, “Put on your shoes—it’s time to go”. You would never leave the house without your shoes, and the right shoes matter. When it’s below freezing and the snow is 2 feet deep your first choice to shod your feet wouldn’t be flip-flops. You chose the right shoe for the right situation.
To shod your feet, is the part of the armor that makes us ready to go out and fight against our enemy—the devil. If when you leave home you shod your feet with modernism, with modern philosophy you will loose every spiritual battle against the devil. But the right shoe for Christians is the gospel of peace which will enable you to receive peace between yourself and others, and more importantly—peace between you and God.
Isaiah declares to Israel, “For thus says the Lord: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money” (52:3)
Our sins made us to be at war with our God—His love for us purchased peace, not with money but through the death of His Son.