Ephesians 6:15
Thousands of people huddled together before the break of dawn. With a seemingly uneasy restlessness, almost nobody is standing entirely still. They have been training for years for this day. Anticipation is building, about to burst. Not one person standing here is unwilling to endure the long run. The cannon bangs, and the willingness to run is transformed into action. Just before they started to run, they were ready and willing to run.
In the same way as the runners await the start of their race, soldiers on the front line stand waiting. When suddenly the enemy forces clash hard into their lines, the moment calls not for a sprint, but to stand firm and hold the line — ready to move, or ready to hold.
We as Christians should, in the same way, be willing to spread the gospel of peace. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.'” — Isaiah 52:7
Being ready for the race and running the race are separate things. Paul calls for the Ephesians to put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. The caligae were the shoes used by Roman soldiers. They had studs under the soles for grip. In the midst of battle, as masses of soldiers collided, these shoes were made to dig into the earth. This created a firm foundation for the soldier to hold the ground. Any onslaught will be made easier to face, using the gospel of peace. Imagine a hard time staring you in the eyes, hardship heavily bearing down on you. Despite all logic, you are filled with a peace beyond understanding — a peace not manufactured by yourself. This is the kind of grip that will cause you to stand firm and endure. A willingness and readiness to go on. This is not walking, per se — it does not always call for action, but a position to be held.
Recruiting new soldiers matters too — that work belongs to spreading the gospel itself. But here, our focus stays on the gospel of peace as our footing, not our forward march.
In Ephesians 2:14–17 we see that Christ is our peace. We can rest on the work done by Christ — a peace established by Him. We were once enemies of God, but now, by the work of Jesus Christ, peace has been reached between God the Father and us. This peace should bring us a reality of peace, even if people around us fight us with words, even if we are stuck in a literal war zone. We can have peace. The gospel, this good news that we can have peace with God, should bring us a sense of rest that can carry us through life.
Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). What joy would rest on us if we saw old warring friends reunited in peace? Imagine you were one of three old friends. The other two had a falling out and waged a silent war for years. You stayed friends with both, but never together. One day, you decided you had talked enough to them alone. You worked hard at your arbitration role and managed to bring them to peace. The joy of the three of you united once again in friendship is a rest filled with joy. Blessed.
Now imagine the ultimate peace of the gospel — the peace between a person and God. Are you ready and willing to make peace between people and God? Would you want to bring the knowledge of Jesus Christ to others? In this case, the readiness is the focus, not the doing. Doing is important — we are called to spread the good news — but here we are called to stand firm. So we are both standing firm with the peace we receive through Christ in order to endure, and willing to spread the good news. Imagine your fellow soldier is without shoes next to you — how well would you hold your position if the soldier beside you is slipping?
This bond of peace that we all share as Christians is a collective ability to stand firm. When all the soldiers can stand next to each other, a unified support occurs. Shoulder to shoulder with your fellow soldier, you are able to support each other in standing. Because of the love we have toward Christ, we can support one another in our unified peace and stand stronger in our lines. The Roman line was both simple and a well-oiled machine — besides those to your side, you also had support from the back. You could support the person in front of you by standing firm and being ready, while the person in front engaged in direct combat, keeping them standing until they were relieved. We should stand firm — not in a bombastic manner, but in a loving, supportive way, sharing the bond of peace with God. This way, we can endure the harsh conditions of our environment together.
We have the capacity to run. We have the capacity to dig into the earth. We have the capacity to link arms with each other and push against resistance in order to hold together. Having the capacity is not always the same as using it. Sometimes we are forced to act while unready or unwilling. This can cause fatigue and dread. Shoes should extend our endurance. So look directly at Christ Jesus, having His peace resting with us, helping each other in love and joy. If you are currently in a position of fierce conditions, may your shoes dig into the earth. May peace from the gospel cause you to see Christ and result in you standing firm. May the people next to you and at your back support you with this same peace. And may you be relieved very soon. Remember, Christ knows the way, and He will not forget us here. He will return for us — the battle will not be perpetual.