#1501. Put On Gospel Shoes And Use The Shield Of Faith (23/4/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

Put on the gospel shoes and take up the shield of faith to overcome Satan’s flaming arrows.

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

Continuing with this vital call to put on the full armour of God so that we can stand firm in the spiritual battle, today let’s reflect on what it means to wear the ‘gospel of peace’ shoes and to take up ‘the shield of faith.’

1. Put on gospel shoes

In battle, protecting your feet is vital. You may have the strongest armour, but if your feet are injured, you become immobilised. That’s why we are told to have our ‘feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.’

The gospel shoes give ‘readiness’

The word ‘readiness’ comes from the Greek hypodēsamenoi, carrying the sense of preparedness or firm footing.

Readiness is about mobility — being prepared to move in the battle.

The gospel of peace, rightly understood, makes us ready in three ways:

i. Ready to share the gospel

We are prepared to bring the good news of peace with God to those who do not yet believe.

ii. Ready to apply the gospel personally

We stand firm by reminding ourselves that, through Jesus, we have peace with God. This guards our hearts against accusation and condemnation.

iii. Ready to pursue peace in the churchIn this spiritual war, the devil seeks to divide and destroy. But a church wearing gospel shoes will be quick to forgive, reconcile, and restore peace. We resist the enemy by refusing division and actively pursuing unity.

2. Take up the shield of faith

In addition to wearing the gospel shoes, we are commanded to take up the shield of faith.

This refers to the large, door-shaped Roman shield (scutum), typically about 4 feet by 2.5 feet, designed to protect the whole body.

We are told that this shield can extinguish ‘all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’

These arrows represent the many ways the enemy attacks us — lies, temptation, fear, division, false teaching, and persecution.

What is the shield of faith?

i. The content of faith

The ‘faith’ refers to the truth of the gospel — the core beliefs of Christianity that we hold firmly to.

ii. The act of faith

It also refers to actively trusting God - choosing to believe His promises over the lies of the enemy.

Faith is not passive; it is a deliberate act of trust in the heat of battle. Using a different analogy, Peter speaks of how faith protects from demonic attack:‘

Response

Have we put on the gospel of peace shoes?

• Are we applying the gospel to our own hearts — answering accusation with: “Jesus is my peace and righteousness”?

• When the devil seeks to sow division, do we respond by making peace — remembering that Jesus has made peace between us and God?

• Are we ready to share this gospel of peace with others?

Have we taken up the shield of faith?

• Are we holding firmly to the truths of the faith in a world that pressures us to conform?

• Are we actively trusting God when we face fear, loss, or disappointment?

Community Group Study

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we resumed our series: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

We reflected on the vital truth that we are to seek to be strong in God by using the resources that He provides - The armour of God. 

Please read Ephesians 6:10-17 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection - From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?

• Why be strong in the Lord? - What does this passage say about the reasons we have to be strong in the Lord? 

• The armour  - The armour of God can be summarised: 

  • i. The belt of truth – Believing the truth of Scripture and living truthfully with others.

  • ii. The breastplate of righteousness – Trusting that we are made righteous by grace, and living righteously.

  • iii. The gospel shoes – Being ready to share the gospel of peace, standing firm in it when accused, and applying it in our relationships.

  • iv. The shield of faith – Holding firmly to the truths of the faith and actively trusting God in times of attack.

  • v. The helmet of salvation - Assurance of salvation - our hope.

  • vi. The sword of the Spirit - The ’Spirit-led' (prophetic) use of scripture to attack lies

What particular pieces of the armour resonate with you at this time in your life and why? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Armour for mission -  What aspects of the armour ensure that, if put on, keep us effective in reaching our community for Jesus? 

• Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?