He comes to steal peace. To shake the foundations and stir-up doubts, discord, anything to deflect our gaze. He comes all wily, all destructive and pretending to be all-knowing. We know better.
And Paul warns us against his schemes, tells us to clothe ourselves and to stand.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. - Eph 6:11 NKJV
How many times have I fallen all limp-kneed and weak-fleshed, giving in to the thoughts and the juicy tidbits of fruit that leads to rot? I determine to stand, but the whole spirit-flesh conflict is wearing me thin.
I paint my toenails blood red for this picture, because I want to remember what He said here.
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- - Col 1:19-22 NKJV
What the enemy really wants is to take Christ's work and nullify it, remove it from my mind, add it to the list of things I forget daily. He wants to steal the peace I have with God.
The redemption that brings me peace and settles my anxious and guilt-ridden thoughts, it only comes from the blood of His cross.
And when Paul says that with all the armor we need good shoes, I think he must mean to remind us that the gospel of peace is reconciliation with God. We are reconciled - holy, blameless, above the reproach of the accuser. Great peace.
...having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; - Eph 6:15 NKJV
He changes my thinking this morning about this gospel of peace.
I have always read this verse as a call to be ready to share the gospel, shoes on and ready to go. And surely we ought to be ready for that, but to stand, stand, stand as Paul repeats here...we need good footing. We need the security and certainty and never-changing-no-matter-what peace with God.
The gospel of peace is His blood bringing us into security, never shaken or taken.
This thought process is not over for me, but I am in a good place when I stand reminded of the blood that brought the reconciliation that brings the peace that stands against the accusations.
