Ephesians

Feet Fitted with the Gospel of Peace

In Ephesians 6:15, Paul introduces the third piece of armor: “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Shoes are absolutely essential to fighting. Imagine a soldier clad in armor from head to ankle but completely barefoot! Imagine how quickly the rough ground would tear and bruise his feet. His aching feet would render him unfit to fight. But with a stout pair of shoes he would be ready and equipped to fight.

Note that word readiness. It is peace in the heart that makes you ready to fight. Christ, our peace, gives us the calm courage to face the battle without flinching. He keeps our morale high, so we are ready for anything. No ground can be too rough for us, because Christ guards our steps.

These, then, are the first three components of our armor—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel of peace—that we only have to put on once and for all, yet we must remind ourselves frequently that they are there, ready for our use in time of need. Now we move to the second division, consisting of three pieces that we must consciously, actively take up and put on—the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.