Thursday, June 10

Stand … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. – Ephesians 6:15

Paul told us earlier in Ephesians that Jesus preached peace to both Jew and Gentile (2: 17). Jesus is our peace – with each other (2: 14) and with God (2: 16). This is the good news of the gospel! Where there is good news, the devil trembles to see his domain threatened. However, he is content if we are quiet. It is only when we are ready to engage our world with the good news that we ourselves are steadied and ready to advance.

Roman legionnaires wore caliga, half-boots made of leather that had heavily studded soles, but left the toes free. They were well designed for maximum traction and yet mobility. That is a fitting image for the call to “make the most of every opportunity…so you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4: 5-6).

The more prepared we are to tell others the good news, the more stable we will be in our faith. Paul’s language and the metaphor itself suggest that sometimes the best defence is a good offence. To stand firm is not always to stand still. If we as the Church, forget our mission to the world and we become inward focused, it will inevitably leads to complacency and complaining, criticism and disillusionment. On the other hand, the missional church, made ready by the gospel of peace, is constantly seeking others’ well-being and not our own.

Elsewhere Paul says,
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

That is not describing a passive church, content just with survival. It is standing firm in the truth and in obedience to the gospel. Paul’s imagery is particularly appropraite Feet shod with the readiness of the gospel are constantly following God into new adventures and new challenges with a view to blessing others through the gospel.

When we are standing on holy ground, it is appropriate to take off our shoes, as Moses was commanded at the burning bush (Ex. 3: 5). But when we are walking about in the world, where Jesus has sent us (John 17: 18) we do well to keep our boots on.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16

The evil one sends many a flaming dart our way, but his favorites are shame, doubt & fear. Since the Garden of Eden, he has been telling us lies and working to convince us that we are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and He can’t really forgive us for that. That God isn’t really all that good, and He doesn’t really know what is best for you. That God cannot be trusted to direct our lives and we must retain some sense of control over our future.
Frederich Buechner once wrote that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. In other words, having the shield of faith does not necessarily mean that we will ever have questions or even doubts. It means that even in our questions, we do not have to be afraid. Faith in God is to put all of our eggs into one basket, Him! There is no sidestepping this truth. There is no hedging of our bets at this point. Christians put their life, their totality into trusting that who He claims to be and what He promises to be are true. What if it isn't? What if He isn't? Then we've got nowhere to turn. If God doesn't show up, we're sunk.

The Apostle Peter put it this way when he was confronted by Jesus on this very topic; From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:66-68)

Two questions for reflection…

Where is God leading you to go for His gospel?

Where do you need “shieldlike” protection in your spiritual life right now?

Father, help us always to push forward and follow your lead even into the unknown future. increase our faith and grant us the ability to repel every attack of the evil one, for your great name’s sake. May we always be ready to give an answer to those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have – Amen.

Jeff Frazier