Photo by Alexis Lozada on Unsplash

By Tom Shanklin

‭Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.‭ ‭Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.‭ ‭For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.‭ ‭Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.‭ (Ephesians 6:10-13, MEV)

As Susan and I were praying recently, the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, “It’s time to stand!”

Satan is doing all that he can to knock us off our feet so he can defeat us in the battle of life. He uses circumstances, relationships, accusations, fears, and doubts to attack us. We must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might in order to stand. We are to take unto ourselves the “whole armour of God” that we may be able to withstand in the evil day. We certainly are living in an “evil day,” and there will be more to come before Jesus returns. As He says:

‭Stand therefore, having your waist girded with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,‭ ‭having your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace,‭ ‭and above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the evil one.‭ ‭Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.‭ (Ephesians 6:14-17, MEV)

I believe we all can attest to being knocked down in life. And it’s true that we must learn to get up, dust ourselves off, and move forward. “‭… for a just man falls seven times and rises up again, ‭but the wicked will fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16, MEV) So if you’ve fallen, praise God, get up and get going again for the Lord.

But as you go forward, begin to believe that God will keep you from falling again. As He says, “‭Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with rejoicing,‭” (Jude 1:24, MEV)

Put on Your Gospel Shoes

Each part of the armor is essential, but since we are talking about standing, I would like to focus on the Gospel shoes. Our Gospel shoes are what will enable us to stand and face the enemy in battle. For example, the sword is obviously important, but a soldier cannot wield his sword effectively if he is on his back. 

God says that we are to have our feet shod with the preparation (or readiness) of the Gospel of peace. I believe right now is a time of preparation for many of us for a greater ministry. It’s time for all of us to get ourselves deeply rooted in the Gospel and get ready to go.

To be sure-footed in turbulent times, you need to know what God has done for you through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. When you know that your sins are forgiven, the “accuser of the brethren” cannot get the advantage over you through condemnation. You also need to be secure in who you are in Christ, so you can have strength for the battle. I encourage you to study and meditate until you have an unshakable faith in the power of the Gospel in your life. Dig deeply into the truth of the Gospel, so you can appropriate these rich truths into your personal life. 

It is in the difficult times that you must turn to the Lord and find His strength. When the strorms are raging, you must have your feet on solid ground. You must know who has saved you and who is your strength. David said, “‭He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, ‭out of the miry clay, ‭and set my feet on a rock, ‭and established my steps.‭” (Psalms 40:2, MEV)

During trials, we tend to examine ourselves and see our failures. This is a time to acknowlege your sin, but not a time to live in condemnation. You need to repent, but you also need to believe that your sins are forgiven because of what Jesus did on the Cross. 

The Gospel is a message of forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and union with God. Through what Jesus did on the cross, you have peace with God. That peace IS your stability, and it’s in that peace that His ability is released in your life.

Bringing Peace from a Place of Peace

I love the scripture from Isaiah, which was quoted by Paul in the book of Romans, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15 KJV) You must have peace, so we can go forth and preach peace. So get your Gospel shoes on and get ready to go.

Spiritual warfare is not just about sitting in your prayer closet and screaming at the devil. Spiritual warfare takes place every day when you go to work or school, or spend time with your family or friends. It takes place when you return good for evil, when you are calm in the midst of the storm, or when you lay down your life for a friend. You are bringing forth peace, which is the opposite of Satan’s operation in the human race—hatred, strife, fear, and turmoil. When you have peace, you can give peace, and that’s what the world desperately needs right now.

Your Gospel shoes are not only made for standing, but also for going forth in the name of Jesus. When Jesus’ 70 disciples returned to him with joy because demons were subject to them, Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20 KJV)

With these Gospel, shoes you can go forth in His name and tread down the enemy, but never forget that the most important thing of all is the Good News of your salvation. When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, can can know that your name is written in heaven. And because you have that assurance, you can go forth proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of peace to others. 

It’s time to stand! So, dig deeply into the Word of God. Let your relationship with the Lord be strong and sure. Then you will be ready to go forth in His name and let people know about a Savior who gives peace. 

Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son that I might have peace. I turn my heart completely to you. Jesus is my Savior and Lord! I trust you, Father, with my future. Thank you for making me an instrument of your peace in this troubled world, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Learn more about the preparation of the Gospel of peace: Listen to God’s Boot Camp [Audio]