Give Peace a Chance

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

Often fighting amidst inclement weather and muddy conditions, proper footwear mattered to the Roman soldier. Absent hobnail boots, slip-sliding away in the quagmire, he would be easily driven off the field of battle.

By the gospel of peace, Paul clearly implies a number of facts. First of all, the Christian is at peace with God; God is no longer at war with him. So, whatever happens in the infernal moment, our souls are safe. Jesus’ faithfulness protects against our worst moments of faithlessness. Our heavenly Captain laid down His life so Satan could never take down our souls. Whatever else is on the line, our souls are safe, the ultimate victory is won, and the front line is secure. This should give tremendous confidence to the embattled Christian.

Second, the Christian knows the peace of God. In any and every circumstance, he knows God is for him and not against him. This matters because the devil loves to paint hostile circumstances as evidence of a hostile God. The gospel of peace assures us this can never be so.

Third, in our battle against sin and Satan, our need for such footwear should also motivate the Christian against presumptuous sin. While nothing can endanger our souls, willful and deliberate sin does take an axe to the root of a well-grounded assurance of God’s love. The question is this: How can I be sure that I am a true Christian and not a self-deceived hypocrite? While there are many things we could say in response to that question, near the top of the list is probably: Don’t act like a hypocrite. Willful, continual, and presumptuous sin muddies these waters and begs this question. This matters in our conflict with the devil because, while it is bad enough having Satan as our enemy, we need to do all we can to obviate the fear that God is against us as well.

When such fears assault the soul, the first response should never be to examine our sincerity or our hypocrisy– there is no gospel there. We should always run to Jesus as beggars in need of grace, desperate sinners in need of salvation. He surely will not turn away those He has sworn to take in.

For the Christian, facing the infernal hosts of hell, the gospel of peace holds similar import. As the enemy comes in like a flood, whatever pressure he sends on even the muddiest of ground, the gospel of peace gives grip to our feet to stand firm and hold the line.