This week we continue our study of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:15:

Walkers and hikers know the value of good shoes. We must also consider that there is a reason why our “walk with the Lord” is called a “walk.” It is not a static life. It has a certain destination and things to accomplish along the way. It is a glorious life, and the greatest adventure that we can have on the earth, but it is also intended to be hard and challenging. Just as the shoes we wear on any challenging hike will have a major effect on the hike, if we are going to do well in our spiritual walk we must have good spiritual shoes.

In this verse we see that our shoes are actually a part of our armor. Shoes are for the protection of our feet from the rough ground that we must walk on. If we did not have shoes, our feet would become so wounded that they would soon hinder, or even stop our walk. Our spiritual shoes are intended to do the same—they are our protection against the hard and rough things that we must encounter in this life.

Someone once said, “Life is hard, and then you die.” Of course death is a glorious graduation for Christians, so for us that is a good thing. Even so, it is true that life is hard. We are called to walk upon very hard ground. As we approach the end of this age, it will become even more difficult. That is why we must give careful attention to this part of our armor. We need the best shoes for the best walk, and the best shoes are “the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

It is interesting that the apostle does not say that our feet must be shod by the gospel of peace, but by the “preparation” for it. Of course, there is the gospel, but at times Paul also talked about his gospel. This was his life message. It was the message that he was called to preach especially to the Gentiles. He had made his calling and election sure by years of focused preparation. Of course, few are called to have an extraordinary ministry like Paul’s, but we are each called to have our own life message—a unique presentation of the gospel that is from our own experience in life that prepared us for our purpose.

This in no way implies that we are to change the tenets or basic message of the gospel. Neither is it a matter of personally interpreting either doctrine or prophecy. It is having living waters coming from our innermost being. It is the same thing that the Lord commended Peter for when Peter declared Him to be the Christ. Peter had not just received this from other men’s opinions, but he had received it straight from the Father Himself.

Remember the story of the seven Jewish exorcists who tried to cast out demons by “Jesus whom Paul preaches?” (Acts 19:13) The demons were not impressed. Knowing someone who knows the Lord does not give us any authority. None of us will be saved because we believe in the Jesus that our parents know, or that our pastor knows—He has to be our Jesus! This is what it means to have a personal gospel—it is the same message to all, but it has become personal to us. You can teach a parrot to say the words, but it will not have any power unless it comes from a heart that comprehends. People can be like parrots too, but their message will not be living unless it comes from their own hearts.

One of my favorite evangelists is Nicky Cruz. A couple of years ago I was with him in a meeting when he presented the gospel message that I know he has shared many thousands of times. However, it was as fresh, and he was as enthusiastic about it, as if he were sharing it for the first time. His passion for the simple gospel message of the grace of God to forgive sins is the result of his own personal salvation from such a depth of sin. You immediately know as he shares that this is not just a teaching about the grace of God, it is a living demonstration of the grace of God. Nicky has never lost touch with what a sinner he was, and how much love and grace God had for him to pluck him out of that sin.

What is your life message? What touches your heart the most about the gospel? Even though Paul preached “the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:20), it is obvious that he had a special purpose in establishing the grace of God and mercy toward the Gentiles. For Peter, it was that Jesus was the fulfillment of the hope of the Jews for their Messiah. For you, it may be reaching a certain city, or a specific nation, or people group.

The gospel message itself is so wonderful that it should always touch the very depths of our being. I have watched how all Christians, regardless of how mature they are, be inspired again by the salvation of a single person. Indeed, even the angels in heaven rejoice at the repentance of a single sinner. We must never lose touch with the awesome grace and glory of God that is revealed through the gospel. And we should wrap this message around our walk with Christ like one puts on their shoes and ties them securely. This message will protect us from the hardships of this life like nothing else can.

We too must be able to convey “the whole message of this Life,” but it is obvious that all messengers in Scripture and history also had a unique presentation of the gospel that made it their gospel. Again, what is your life message? Be free to be unique. If you are going to have a successful walk, you need good shoes. If you want a great walk, you need great shoes. Take the time to make yours the best shoes. Be free to be unique, because your shoes must fit you, not someone else.