In The Word –
Armor of God – Part 3
“And your feet
shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”, Ephesians 6:15. As we continue to clothe ourselves with the
armor of God, the next piece of the armor are the shoes or the sandals of the
gospel. No soldier is ready for battle
until he has laced up his boots in preparation for the day.
What “preparation” is needed for
this battle? Paul says it is a,
“preparation of the gospel of peace”. The writer of Hebrews said, “And make straight
paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let
it rather be healed. Follow peace with
all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”,Hebrews
12:13-14. The gospel is what puts us on
the straight path. The gospel is the
glorious good news of Jesus Christ. Not
just the story of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but all
of His teachings are the gospel. As the
soldier had to be prepared for any terrain he would face in battle, we must be
prepared as well. Paul told Timothy to
“be instant in season, out of season” 2 Timothy 4:2. This simply means to be ready when it is
convenient and when it is not convenient. Mathew Henry puts it this way, “The
preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of
heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk
with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and
dangers that may be in it. It is styled
the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with
ourselves, and with one another”.
The second emphasis of this passage
is “peace”; “the gospel of peace.” We
are taught throughout the bible to live at peace with one another.
We are to show the world the peace
of God through our willingness to share the gospel with them. When we have prepared ourselves in the
“gospel of peace”, it is only natural that we will want to share it with our
family, friends, and neighbors. Zacharias
prophesied about our Lord Jesus Christ, and said that He would “give light to
them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the way of peace”, Luke 1:79. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:9,“Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called
the children of God”. He told us in John
14:27,“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”. It is my prayer that you live in His peace
every day.
Elder Tim White
Ider, Alabama
