Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:14-18 CSB
In our current series on Spiritual Warfare called, Stand: Equipped for the Battle, we are learning about the enemy, his tactics, and how we can dress for battle in the full armor of God. As Christians every day we are on the battleground of a war that wages all around us unseen – a spiritual battle. Satan is our enemy and we have learned about his tactics. He distracts us with falsehoods to steer us off the course of God’s plan for us. These tactics weaken us in the battle and create vulnerability in our heart and mind.
We have learned about the Belt of Truth and the Breastplate of Righteousness. This past Sunday we learned of the third piece of armor, the Sandals of Peace.
The Sandals of Peace
Standing tall and upright on our feet is symbolic of strength and victory. The rest of our armor is useless without the shoes. A soldier decked in full military gear cannot get very far without his boots. They have to be able to stand firm, and the wrong shoes can make this impossible. Roman soldiers wore very distinctive shoes in battle. They had thick leather straps that secured them to the foot. On the bottom of the sole were little pieces of metal that protruded like spikes on cleats to give the soldier firmness of footing so he could stand in the battle. In hand-to-hand combat, the soldier could hold his ground and make quick moves without slipping, sliding, or falling. The shoes provided protection and support for long marches over rocky and uneven ground.
The Weapon of the Gospel of Peace
If we are going to “stand” and “withstand” attacks from Satan, then we need the shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Because we have the peace with God - …we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 - that comes from the Bible, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7). The enemy loves it when there is division among Christians. When we are not unified, we are weak. He will use that opportunity to slip in and destroy churches and families.
In the same way that a soldier “brings peace”, we must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel of Peace, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace, and, as such, we take the Gospel of Peace everywhere we go. Our feet must be so shod, that our footsteps do not slip as we carry the Gospel of Peace, straight through the front line of battle, to the world.
Sunday Pastor Jim gave us five ways we can stand with our “feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace”:
- Know the gospel. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)
- Stand in the truths of the gospel. (Romans 14:17)
- Live out the Kingdom nature of the gospel. A life marked by the presence of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:4)
- Proclaim the gospel. (Romans 1:16)
- Disciple others to live out the gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20.
When we have peace in our hearts we are steady. Our feet are gripping the ground beneath us. We are planted firmly and nothing can shake us. Our peace is found when we focus on God but Satan wants our focus off of God and on anything else. He wants us unsteady, slipping and sliding in insecurity and fear. He wants us unsure in our footing, so we don’t take a step – so we are ineffective and not engaged in battle.
We must always be ready to intentionally take the gospel of peace to a lost world. We must always be ready to stand against the devil’s schemes by being firmly rooted in the truth of the gospel and to be ready to give a defense for what we believe in peace with graciousness and kindness even to those who oppose us.
How is your footing? Are you standing firm or sinking? Where is your peace found? How will you take your stand this week for “the gospel of peace”?
