Still Water Moments: The Armor of God: Feet of Peace

Ephesians 6: 10 – 15  10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

The terms fitted, readiness, and peace in verse 15 are prominent.  Let’s start with fitted.  I’m sure we can all agree that when doing a physical activity, the type of shoes worn are key in getting the best performance.  Athletic shoe companies generate billions of dollars from all types of athletic footwear: basketball sneakers, hiking boots, running shoes, soccer cleats, spikes, cross trainers, etc.  If you were to look at each shoe, you would see the features that make a particular shoe most conducive for performance in a particular sport.  Besides having the right shoe, you need to have the right fit in order to produce favorable results.  After selecting the accurate size shoe for their feet, some people have further varying tactics to ensure proper fit and comfortability of their shoes.  Some people “break them in” by wearing their new shoes around the house before wearing them outside the home.  Others stretch them by applying heat, physically bending and flexing them, or using a stretching spray.  The point is, fit is important and we see here in the word we are being instructed to make sure our feet are fitted with peace.  That means it is securely attached to us, not loose and prone to easily slipping off.  Furthermore, it is a specific footwear for a specific activity: spiritual warfare. 

Readiness stands out to me as I know we can all attest to being in situations or confrontational conversations we didn’t see coming.  The phrase, “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready”, is so real in these instances!  To “stay ready” with peace is more than a notion.  Just speaking as a teacher of 9–10-year-old students, the classroom is a true training ground!  These beautiful young humans who are in the throes of learning how to practice self-control in a million different ways will definitely test you in this area!  Resolving unplanned occurrences, (emotional meltdowns, spills, disagreements, fights, disrespect, etc.), is a regular part of a teacher’s day but the manner in which it is done varies. Furthermore, children are one thing, dealing with adults can train you in a whole different way, (especially ones that act like children!).

Lastly, our feet are to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  How interesting that of all the words that could have been used to instruct us to have our fitted for battle, we are instructed to be fitted with the readiness of peace.  Not hostility… Not rage… Not defensiveness… Not belligerence… Peace.  Being peaceful is an effective weapon in spiritual warfare as Proverbs 15:1 tells us, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."  I’ve been on both sides of this coin.  I’ve been the person who had the soft answer, and I have to admit, I’ve found it comical to see the facial expression of the other person, as if their face was saying, “Really? You’re not going to say anything else?”  In the cases where someone is trying to intentionally bait you, the victory is even sweeter when you don’t give in to them.  You know the Holy Spirit is pleased with you and you can’t help but smile on the inside with a contentment that you overcame using God’s strength.  Furthermore, we have the benefit of being blessed as Matthew 5:9 tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  I’ve also been humbled by being the person the soft answer was spoken to.  When that happens, the anger tends to be squelched because the contrast between the peaceful person and the wrathful one would literally not be a good look for the latter. The anger dissipates, reminding me of those scenes after the Incredible Hulk crashes out, then phases down from his supersized body to his human one.

Where does peace come from?  The ABC’s of being a Christian: prayer, reading the word, and genuinely having Christ as your Lord.  What I mean by this is that it is one thing to accept Christ, another to have Him as your Savior, Guide, Confidant, Head of your life, Decision Maker, etc.  When you’re at that level, you will hear when the Holy Spirit quickens you not to say something that is on the tip of your tongue begging to jump!  You will feel Him encouraging you to crucify your flesh and show restraint when you have an arsenal of verbal ammunition to annihilate someone.  Succumbing to rage and pettiness escalates an angry exchange.  Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel”. It is during these peaceful exchanges that you are displaying the love of Christ.  You have provided an opportunity for Him to be edified and glorified.  This exchange can provide an entry point for a person’s heart to be softened.  It may come in a variety of ways.  God can use the exchange to help the person reflect and ponder their actions; He may open the door for you to have a conversation with them where they will actually listen; or this exchange can lay the groundwork for the person’s heart and ears to be open to a meaningful conversation with someone else, or perhaps a biblical song or sermon may speak to them in a way it wouldn’t if it weren’t for that exchange with you.  We’re not responsible for the results, that’s up to God, He just asks that we be willing to follow his instructions.  Then in our own way, as the battle for souls wages on in the world, we have played a part in helping to advance the kingdom of God.

Reflection: What are your feet fitted with the readiness of?  If it is not peace, what steps do you need to take to make it so?