Shoes of Readiness

Ephesians 6:15 - “And, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

Now that we have fastened the belt of truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness, we move to our shoes. Our shoes are what we put on before we go somewhere. They are usually the last thing we put on before we leave the house. If you are like me, you have a pair for a few different occasions. You have the pair you wear to work, the pair you wear for exercise, the pair for outdoors work, and maybe a nice pair that only get worn to weddings and funerals. To the ladies reading this, we guys know that for some reason you all may need more than that, and we are understanding and supportive of that, so long as your love for shoes does not lead to idolatry. All jokes aside, what is one thing we know about our shoes? We need them to meet the occasion. We don’t wear our church shoes to the gym, and we don’t wear our gym shoes to work outside in the mud. Our shoes should give us comfort, confidence, and peace while not being a hindrance to our ability to do whatever task is set before us.

The gospel of peace, which is where Paul says our shoes of readiness come from, is this: Jesus Christ came to earth as God’s only begotten Son to live a sinless life, take on the penalty of sin in His death on the cross, and resurrected to defeat sin and death so that all who submit their lives to Him as both Savior and Lord are reconciled with God. Hallelujah! We were once distant from God, who only ever wanted us to love Him as His children. But man was rebellious and God sent His own Son to us not to condemn us for our sins, but to save us through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

When we have this peace that guards our hearts, minds, and bodies and secures our souls, we are prepared for the kingdom work Christ has called us to as His followers. This peace is true peace. This is not a temporary peace like the world offers that comes and goes based on circumstance. This is an eternal, life-giving peace that guides our lives. Just as a soldier could be at peace with proper shoes to endure the battles and the miles of travel, we too can be at peace because of what God has already done for us. The soldier did not have to worry about a hole in his shoe causing his feet to blister or bruise. We don’t have to worry about our sin condemning us when we are in Christ. Christ is our firm foundation as the were the shoes to the soldier. He empowers us to climb through life’s battles as the shoes did for the soldier.

When our lives are marked by the peace of God, because of our peace with God only made possibly by Jesus, we can adequately do battle. Remember, we already have the truth on our side and righteousness secured in Jesus. This is exactly what prepares us to go out into the world and do battle. But be very careful not to do battle according to your own strength or for your own glory. We don’t just put on our shoes of readiness and run into the world to judge, condemn, and speak as though we have any right to do kingdom work. We should be quick to remember that this is His kingdom, His work, His gospel of peace, His shoes, and therefore, we are to humbly serve Him. We don’t just “do the things” to appear righteous to others or to earn a good standing before God. None of that ever works. The gospel of peace produces faith and that faith produces righteousness and obedience to the commands of God.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” - ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬

Our workplace may look different than someone else’s. Our battlefield may have a more treacherous terrain than others, but stand firm soldier because of the peace of God that guides you. Regardless of our battlefield, our calling, or the people God has given us reponsibilities to lead, we all have one job to do; to go out into this broken world and proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.