Are You Ready to Move?

There's something a little strange about the next piece of armor that we're going to be learning about. Remember, Paul is describing a soldier. He's told us to put on the full armor of God because there's a battle. We've secured the belt of truth and we've put on the breastplate of righteousness. And now we get to the soldier's feet. What does Paul put there? Peace. Okay, it's a soldier dressed for battle, wearing peace on his feet. But that feels like something we should look at a little closer because Paul doesn't describe this peace as passive, he connects it to readiness. So whatever these shoes are doing, they aren't helping the soldier settle into a comfy chair. They're preparing him for something. And that raises our question for today. Are you ready to move? Hey guys, I'm Melissa, and this is my question for you. We're continuing our series called Suit It Up, which is taking a fresh look at the armor of God, not just learning what each piece represents, but we're asking what it actually looks like to wear it. And today, we're putting something on our feet. Okay, so let's go back to Ephesians chapter six, verse 15. Paul says, And with your feet fitted, with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. There are a few words in there I don't want us to rush past. Feet, readiness, gospel, and peace. They all belong to the same piece of armor. And I think that matters because I've often heard this taught as being ready to go and share the gospel. And that makes sense to me. In fact, Paul's language likely echoes Isaiah chapter 52, verse 7. It says, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news who proclaim peace. So, yes, there's absolutely something here about carrying good news. But remember, what Paul has been saying throughout this passage is stand. Put on the armor so you can stand. Stand your ground, stand firm. So these shoes have something to do with both our footing and our readiness. They help prepare the soldier to stand where he is and move when he needs to. And this is where I think we have to define peace carefully. Because when I hear peace, my mind naturally goes to a feeling. Everything is settled, nothing is going wrong, I can breathe, there are no surprises, no conflicts. All of that sounds wonderful. But that's not necessarily the kind of peace Paul is putting on this soldier. This man is wearing armor. The battle hasn't disappeared. There's a real fight going on. So whatever peace is doing here, it cannot depend on everything around him being peaceful because he's in war. He's preparing for a battle, for a fight. And that takes us back to one little word in that verse gospel. Paul doesn't simply say put peace on your feet. He calls it the gospel of peace. The good news is what gives the soldier his footing. In Romans chapter 5, verse 1, it says, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace with God. That's bigger than feeling peaceful. Through Jesus, something has been settled about where we stand with God. We aren't trying to earn our way toward Him, and we aren't waiting to find out whether He'll accept us. Christ has made peace possible. And now think about the armor that we've already put on. We put on the belt of truth, and it reminded us to secure what God has said before our circumstances start telling the story. The breastplate reminded us that our righteousness isn't something we manufacture through our own performance. And now our feet are being fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. So do you see what's happening here? God is dressing this soldier from a place of security. He knows what is true. He knows where his righteousness comes from, and he knows where he stands with God. Now, now he can move. Think about trying to walk on an unstable surface. Your attention immediately goes to your feet. You shorten your steps, you hesitate, you keep checking where you're about to land. Why? Because you don't trust your footing. And spiritually, we can do something similar. When we're unsure of where we stand with God, everything becomes harder to navigate. A decision feels heavier because we're desperate to make the perfect choice. Or maybe a difficult season can leave us wondering whether God is still with us. Sometimes we're afraid to take the next step because we're waiting for some feeling of complete certainty before we move. But the gospel gives us a different place to stand. Our footing isn't our ability to predict what comes next. It's what Christ has already done. And that means I can be unsure about the next step without being unsure about God. Those are two very different things. This is where that word readiness started standing out to me because I usually think that peace comes after everything is settled. Once I know what's happening, then I'll have peace. Or once the decision is made, once the answer comes, once I can see how everything is going to work out, then I'll be ready. But Paul gives us a different picture. The peace comes with us. It's part of what makes us ready. The soldier doesn't wait for the battlefield to become peaceful before putting on his shoes. He puts them on because he needs to be prepared for the ground that he's about to walk through. And maybe we need to stop waiting for our circumstances to give us the peace God has already given us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, let me be a little careful here because I don't want us to turn this into I have peace with God, so I should just move. No. Readiness isn't recklessness. There are times God tells us to wait. There are decisions that require wisdom, prayer, and patience. Wearing this part of the armor doesn't mean moving just for the sake of movement. It means fear and uncertainty don't get to decide whether you're available to God. You can wait without being paralyzed. You can move without knowing every detail. And you can change direction without believing you've somehow lost God along the way. Because the security underneath your feet isn't coming from having the entire route mapped out. It's coming from the gospel. And there's another part of this I don't want us to miss. These shoes aren't only about helping us feel secure. Remember Isaiah. He said, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace. The gospel that gives us peace is also good news we're meant to carry. And that doesn't mean uh standing on a street corner preaching. Sometimes you carry the gospel into a conversation, into your home, into the way you respond to somebody who expects you to respond from a place of anger and receives your grace anyway. Taking it into a difficult room where everyone else is anxious and you don't add more fear to the situation. We carry what we're wearing. So the peace that gives us footing also affects what we bring with us when we move. That's a pretty powerful picture if you think about it. Wherever these feet go, the gospel should be going too. Okay, let's make this practical. What does it actually look like to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace? I think it starts by remembering why you have peace in the first place. Not because you figured everything out or because nothing difficult is happening in your life, but because of Jesus. Then you ask a different question. So instead of saying, Do I feel certain enough to move? Try saying something like, Am I grounded enough in what Christ has done to obey God in whatever he asks me to do next? Sometimes the next step will be movement. Sometimes it will be waiting. Maybe it's a conversation you've been avoiding. Or maybe it's finally letting go of something God has already told you to release. Maybe your next step is simply staying where God placed you without panicking because nothing seems to be changing. The point isn't that the shoes always make you go, they make you ready to go. And when you think about the whole picture God is giving us, the feet matter. A soldier can have protection over his chest and a weapon in his hand, but if he can't keep his footing, he's vulnerable. So Paul doesn't leave the feet uncovered. God provides something for the ground beneath us too. And that's the gospel of peace. That means when life shifts under you, you don't have to shift with it. When God calls you forward, you don't have to wait until you fear the fear completely disappears until you feel like you're 100% ready. And when you're standing in a place you didn't choose, you can remain there faithfully without assuming that discomfort means you're in the wrong place. Your peace isn't coming from the ground. It's coming from what you're wearing on your feet. So let me ask you again: are you ready to move? Not do you know exactly where everything is going or do you feel completely calm about it? Are you standing securely enough in the gospel that you're available for whatever God asks next? Because maybe readiness isn't having all the answers. Maybe it's knowing where you stand with God well enough to take the next step faithfully. And if God hasn't told you to move yet, stand. These shoes were made for that too. This week, I want you to pay attention to where uncertainty has affected your footing. Is there somewhere you've been waiting for everything to feel settled before you're willing to obey? Or maybe you're rushing because standing still feels uncomfortable. Bring yourself back to the gospel. I have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Then ask, what does faithfulness look like from here? Don't force movement and don't let fear prevent it either. Get your footing, then be ready. Next week, Paul puts something in our hands. He gives us the shield of faith. And this time he tells us exactly what's coming at it. Flaming arrows. So we're gonna look at why faith is pictured as a shield, what those arrows might look like in real life, and what it actually means to take up faith when something is coming at you. That's where we're going next. They tell us we don't have to walk it unsure of where we stand with God. The gospel has settled that. So put on your shoes. Stand when God tells you to stand, and move when he tells you to move. And wherever your feet take you, carry the good news with you. Until next time, I hope you'll keep asking, keep listening, and remember, peace doesn't mean the ground won't shift. It means you know where you stand when it does. You can sign up at myquestionfory.com, bringing you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.