No Shoes, No Service, No Harvest

More and more I think of the spiritual protection of having our feet shod with the equipment of the gospel of peace. 

When you look at the armor in Eph. 6 everything is vital and has a function. I think we think we are good on truth and righteousness, and let's say we are. What do those do for you without the readiness to share the gospel? It leads to harmless, self-absorbed, defensive, aloof Christianity. I know there will always be a tendency toward imbalance and there is much more to say regarding abiding in Christ's love, in His Word, being led by the Spirit, but the armor is meant to protect us.  If a piece is missing, that should matter.

As disciples, the warning is against the "wiles" of the devil. The danger is trickery, deception, cunning attacks. Obviously if Satan could kill us, that would leave him unhindered room to work. That isn't an option, so we have to be rendered harmless. Attack our adherence to the truth or righteousness and we have no credibility. How much better to let us have these, as long as we're silent.

At the end of the armor Paul talks about prayer and alertness and  it seems this is just general intercession, but Paul adds himself to the list and asks for continued boldness in proclaiming. The credibility of our witness can be destroyed, but Paul's concern and need was for declaring the gospel. In Philippians, Paul refers to giving the gospel 3 times and twice fear is mentioned. Even Timothy, in Paul's last days, had come into danger of being ashamed to testify to Christ or to identify with Paul.

If we remove "feet" from the armor, we have no problem. Our lives and churches go on for the pastor, the elder, the run-of-the-mill Christian. Take the feet out of this (and we all do mentally) we are still protected and able to please God. But just from the logic and truth of God's word, this has to be impossible. How can we remove one of the first 3 pieces and say we're Ok?

So what does it do for us, that is missing in today's church and in the heart and mind and life of Jesus' disciples, when our feet are shod with the readiness of the Gospel of Peace. (No particular order and you can add to it.)

We live in concern of His coming Judgment on the Lost.
We live with an eternal perspective.
We understand God's working in the world.
We value the heavenly more than the earthly.
We cry out to God for lost people.
We know that only people will be saved from this planet.
We live knowing this life is temporary.
We live knowing we’ve been commissioned with a vital message.
We know we have a tremendous privilege.
We know we have a tremendous responsibility.
We know we have to say something.
We know people need to be told.
We know this life is about the mission, not heaven on earth.
We know sacrifice.
We know His power.
We know His suffering.
We know His heart.
We know His joy.
We abide in Him.

The list goes on….things that can only happen if we are ready with the Gospel.  And we are protected. 

Every other aspect of the armor can be done in the living room, alone, without ever having to talk to another person. Without the readiness with our feet and our lives and our mouths, we are tricked into believing that this is about us living clean lives before God.

Do we believe, John 15:8 "in this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples?" What part of this statement can we ignore? Fruit is defined earlier in context in John 12:24. Now, Jesus says there is sowing and reaping, and Paul adds watering, but still it is a life focused on the harvest, every person ready to share and work.  The fields are still white.  Are we ready?

Without our feet shod with readiness to give the Gospel, our understanding of Jesus is crippled, our lives sag inward into a stagnant, self-absorbed spirituality. The Lost trample us underfoot on their way to hell, and here is Satan's biggest achievement, our Father is not glorified and we do not prove to be Jesus' disciples.