15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  

Ephesians 6:15-16 (CSB) 

 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.[c] 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  

Ephesians 2:12-18 (CSB) 

 12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Ephesians 6: 12 (NASB) 

 14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. 15  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. 16  He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intervene; then his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him. 17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in fury as a mantle. 

Isaiah 59: 14-17 (RSV) 

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November 11, 2025 

I have been attending a weekly yoga class at the Arc Center here in West Chicago for over 8 years now. I take this class for various reasons, but a primary one is to develop greater balance. I am a faller. I have fallen down our front porch steps, our side porch steps, and our back porch steps. I have fallen off chairs and through chairs, both standing and sitting. I have fallen in the tub. I fell in the garage and, in the process, caused two bikes to fall on top of me, as well as many other items, which fell to the floor. I fall a lot because I’m often not focused on my steps and footing.  

In Ephesians 6:15, Paul tells these believers to prepare or ready their feet with the gospel of peace. When Paul says that their feet should be sandaled, we shouldn’t think of flimsy beach flip flops. Paul was describing the footwear of Roman soldiers at the time, which consisted of leather sandals with straps and thick soles featuring hobnail cleats on the bottom. These were heavy military boot sandals designed to provide the soldier with stability on all kinds of terrain. In essence, Paul is urging them to ensure their footing is secure.  

But what does it mean to put on the rugged, all-terrain, weatherproof, boot-sandal-cleats of peace? Let’s look at Ephesians 2:12-18 to find our answer. We were once God’s enemies. We and God were hostile, and between us and others, between Jews and Gentiles. We had our weapons pointed at God and at others. And because of our sin, God’s righteous wrath burned against us. We were enemies at an impasse. Without hope. Until true Peace came in the form of Jesus Christ. By his blood, by his flesh, by his death, he demolished the impasse. He destroyed the weapons. He established a supernatural peace between God and believers and a supernatural peace among one another.  

We have to wear this truth on our feet daily to give us stability. Because our Enemy, in the words of Pricilla Shirer, “intentionally stirs up discord, division, disruption, and disturbance, both within you and around you. He is the lord of chaos and confusion, using every opportunity to upset your sense of wellbeing and stability. He wants you uneasy, unbalanced, filled with anxiety, worry turmoil.” (The Armor of God, p. 95) 

Questions for reflection and discussion:  

  • How stable do you feel in your inner being right now? 
  • Spend some time reflecting on the reality that you were once at war with God. What thoughts or feelings come to mind? Is that reality hard to accept? If so, why? 
  • Do you put on the warrior footwear of peace with God every day, stabilizing yourself in the gift of peace that Jesus Christ gave to you at the cost of his life? If not, what steps can you take to get into the habit of putting on that footwear?  

Church Reading Plan: 2 Kings 24; Hebrews 6