...feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

In the Book of Ephesians Chapter 6, the "Armour of God" is described. And one of the armours is having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

So what is this, the preparation of the gospel peace?

Quite simply, by looking at 'preparation' that means we are to prepare. When it comes to preparation, that means we are 'getting ready' for something so that we can be adequate for whatever it is we are preparing for. In this case, we are to be prepared to take or to give the gospel of peace. I say that we are to take or to give since it is associated with our feet, and our feet imply that we are being mobile, going from place to place.

So how do we get prepared to take the gospel of peace?

The gospel is the whole message of the Word of the LORD. When Peter spoke to the multitudes during Pentecost, Shavuot, he said (Acts 2.14-36):

...Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord (Jesus) shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Peter also said this (Acts 3.12-26):

Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

We clearly see that Peter is making reference to scripture about Jesus from the 'old testament' and from the events that occurred in the 'new testament'.

And Peter also spoke with the direction of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) for Jesus instructed them (Mark 13.11):

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Therefore, if we look at Peter, and how he gave the gospel to different people in different situations, we see that he showed them who Jesus was/is from the scriptures that he would've known (all of the 'old testament'), and he showed them who Jesus was/is from his personal testimony (witness) of Jesus when Peter walked with and learned from Him, and he showed them who Jesus was/is with the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).

• He was prepared in scripture.
• He was prepared in personal relationship and knowledge of Jesus.
• He was prepared with the Holy Ghost.

We can therefore see, that we, in order the have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, need to be prepared as Peter was.

• We need to be prepared in scripture ('old' and 'new' testament).
• We need to be prepared by having knowledge of and a personal relationship with Jesus.
• We need to be prepared with the Holy Ghost.

When we prepare ourselves in this way, the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) can draw from us:

• the scripture that needs to be shared
• our personal witness from our relationship with Jesus that needs to be shared
• and from His (the Holy Spirit's) knowledge when it needs to be shared and how much needs to be shared

May all of our feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace!