Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The reference here is from Isaiah 52:7, 7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Our feet are our foundation. They are what keep us sturdy as we walk and carry us wherever it is we go. Likewise, it is the Gospel of Christ that gives us our foundation and carries us.
I remember in the military that I learned how important our feet were. We were always instructed how to take care of our feet on long marches, during exercises, etc. If our feet were not well taken care of, then we couldn’t walk and were therefore greatly incapacitated. Similarly, we must continue to nurture and preserve the Gospel.
The Gospel is the story of Christ. It is His birth, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and pouring out of His Spirit upon us. I think sometimes we hone in on the first four books of the bible as “the gospel” but don’t realize that all the other pages are a part of the story too. Everything in the Old Testament points towards Christ and everything after the first four books point back towards Him. So, in essence, the entire bible is the Gospel of Christ. It is His whole story. Especially since He has existed since forever, John 1:1-5 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did notcomprehend it.
Why is Christ’s story considered the “Gospel of Peace”? Because it created a way for us to be at peace with God! As a result, we then become at peace with ourselves and others. This is the peace that carries us, the peace that gives us a solid foundation.
It is also important for us to recognize that in thinking about where our feet carry us, we are carrying the Gospel everywhere we go. It doesn’t just show up when you are in certain places. It’s not about pulling it out when you go on a mission’s trip. It’s not about displaying it when you help out at a soup kitchen. It’s not about showing it off when you get to church on Sunday. Rather, it is wherever you go. A good friend of mine shared with me the realization that being endowed with the Holy Spirit and being a carrier of the Gospel, where we set foot is holy ground. Now, this does not mean that it is holy because of us, but rather that God has called us to walk where we are today: school, work, our parents’ houses, the gym, etc. etc. it is just as if Jesus Himself was walking there. It’s funny how different we treat situations and circumstances depending on who is there to witness it. We forget God witnesses it Himself. Everything.
How would you act if Christ was standing next to you? Do you act as though you are a carrier of the Gospel? Are you rooted in His peace? How do you act when you think nobody is watching?
