As I illustrated in the introduction of this series, the armor of God doesn’t look like the armor of a Roman soldier. Instead, it resembles the everyday clothing of a priest in the Temple. The other thing you may not know is Temple priests did not wear shoes. They were barefoot.

This being the case, what does God mean when He tells us in Ephesians 6:14-15?

 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

To Shod means to bind under one’s feet, to be in bonds, to tie, to wind, to knit or be at one with. It also has to do with your walk, or how you walk out your life from day-to-day.

Preparation means having a firm foundation or solid knowledge of something. In this case, preparation is knowing the Prince of Peace and His Word.

The word Gospel means glad tidings or good news of the kingdom of God.

But let’s take a look at the word Peace. God is saying that the Gospel you are to bind on your feet, to cover every step you take is Peace. Peace is one of the most wonderful words in the Bible and Jesus is our Prince of Peace. But what is He is talking about in this passage? It’s more than a feeling of calm or being free of conflict.

The word Peace is #7965 in Strong’s and it looks like this: shalowm (shaw-lome’)Shalom is more than just simply peace; it is a complete peace. It is a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony. Shalom means completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

Here is the meaning of the letters when you read them from right to left

Shin  300 =Victory of good over evil, Holy Spirit.  Meaning: Teeth, Fire, the Fire of God to consume all His enemies, Devour, Destroy, Something Sharp. 

Lamed  30 =Blood of Messiah, Dedication to a task.  Meaning: Staff, Goad or Stick, to Teach or Instruct, Authority, to Control, Urge Forward, a Tongue

 Vav  6 =Man  Meaning: Nail or Hook, to Secure, Pin together, Connect -Yeshua

A closed Mem means:  = Hidden Truth 

Peace is God’s victory over evil. He consumes His enemies and releases peace–health, safety, rest, wholeness, and the absence of discord. In that climate of peace, we can receive instruction from God and receive His direction. Shalom reconnects us with God when our minds are full of fear.

Isaiah 26:3 is something to memorize. “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You.”

Peace is one of the most powerful weapons we have. The enemy doesn’t know what to do with someone who lives in peace and refuses to be hassled.

Walking in peace means Christ’s presence is in charge. To live victoriously, winning the battle over all the enemy’s schemes, we must get to know our Prince of Peace. We must trust Him with all that we are and all that we have. Relationship with Him, meditating on His Word, and learning His ways bring us to peace.

Paul counsels in Ephesians 4:1-3 ” I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

With all of the deception in the world today, and even in the Church, we are likely to be targets of rejection and accusation. It will be a battle to live in Truth and Peace, resisting the urge to debate and fight in our flesh. The struggle will be to express God’s love in the face of injustice.

Thus, given what we now know about being shod with the preparation of the gospel of Peace, here are the words we may speak as we dress:

Father, the good news of the gospel is You live in me and I now live in You. I am grounded and surrounded with Your Peace. As I shod my feet with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace,  I have the promise that You are at work, consuming my enemies and replacing them with health, safety, rest, wholeness, and the absence of discord. You are instructing me with Your hidden wisdom. Lord, I choose to walk in Your peace and Your will, sharing the good news of You and Your kingdom.

Years ago Jesus came to me in a vision.  He and I were dancing over a green meadow on a mountain top. It was surrounded by stunning snow-capped peaks,  a “Sound of Music” kind of scene.

Suddenly He stopped and bent down on one knee to adjust one of my shoes.

“What is it Lord?” I asked

“I am securing your shoes of the gospel of peace so you won’t trip.  Soon the terrain where we dance will be rocky and I don’t want you to lose your peace.  Don’t look at your feet.  Keep your eyes on Me and I will lift you over any stumbling blocks.  I am your shelter in every storm.  I am your high tower and your resting place.”

I believe the season we are in now is the beginning of the rocky terrain He was showing me.  We need His peace to navigate and it is available to us as we follow Him.

I hope you are gaining a fresh perspective of the Armor of God and partnering with Holy Spirit to make the changes necessary to live in the armor 24/7.

Tomorrow we will pick up the Shield of Faith.

Shalom ♥