What is the Gospel of Peace?
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians 6:14-15, ESV)
I have been blessed to be able to travel quite a bit in my lifetime.
I love exploring new places and cultures.
All of my adventures have been so different, but each have one thing in common…a lot of walking!
While traversing a new destination, you learn just how important it is to have sturdy, reliable, and comfortable shoes on your feet. You can be as healthy and in shape as an Olympic athlete, but blisters or aching feet can bring down even the best of us and leave us missing out on precious sightseeing time!
So, here’s my pro-tip: Bring a pair of comfortable, sturdy shoes that won’t hurt your feet, and, bring a backup pair so that you will be prepared if the first pair breaks or gets wet!
A woman from the upper thigh down in black leggings and running shoes while on a walk. Grass is surrounding a walking path.
Like a good pair of walking shoes, the Gospel is a sturdy foundation for any Christian.
It prepares us for whatever lies ahead, keeps us ready to go wherever God calls and gives us peace throughout trials.
Without the protective preparation from the Gospel, we are all too susceptible to the plans of the devil.
Aching feet can bring the whole body down quickly, and the enemy definitely knows where we are the weakest.
If we build our lives from the ground up on the Gospel and live according to its truth, however, our whole body, heart, and soul will be more protected from the schemes of the devil.
What is the Gospel and how can we build our lives upon it?
The Gospel is the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the salvation we have because of His sacrifice.
We build our lives upon this good news by basing everything we do on Jesus.
Not only did He pay the ultimate price for our sins, but He also left a wonderful example for us to follow throughout our lives.
In fact, in the book of Matthew, He gave us step-by-step directions on how to resist the temptations and schemes of Satan.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ’If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ’It is written, ’Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, ’If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ’He will command his angels concerning you,’ And, ’On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ’Again it is written, ’You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ’All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ’Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ’You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
(Matthew 4:1-10, ESV)
In this chapter, Jesus was tested by the enemy, just as we are today.
Furthermore, He responded in a way that we have access to, despite our weak and imperfect nature. He showed us how we can rely on the strength of God’s word to resist temptation.
By keeping scripture in our hearts and minds and on our lips, we can rebuke the enemy just as Jesus did.
Jesus also displayed the example of putting God and His direction for us above all of us. In this way, we can be sure we are always walking with steady steps towards peace, love, and grace.
While living like Jesus is challenging and something we will never be able to do perfectly, the effort allows us to base everything we do on Him and build a firm foundation for our lives.
While being struck in the foot makes it hard or impossible to run or flee, rooting ourselves in the Gospel from the ground up ensures that we are protected, full of hope and peace, and ready to go where He leads at any moment.
Stay tuned to my blog for the next installment of the Armor of God series!
Text that says, "This blog is sponsored by:"
David Pollard at Raymond James Partners Financial Group, which specializes in helping families and businesses manage their investments so that they can spend their time where it matters most.
Tillman Eye Center, which serves Carrollton, GA with a wide range of optometry services in a professional and comfortable environment with staff who care.
Plaza Home Care, a medical supply and equipment company located in downtown Villa Rica, where they are big enough to serve you and small enough to care about you. Plaza Home Care is committed to providing you and your family with quality medical equipment, such as CPAP compression hoses, walkers, lift chairs, and more. The staff are sure to earn your trust as they listen to your needs, follow through on their word, and provide uncompromising levels of customer care.
