“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.” (Ephesians 6:14-15 NLT)
In order to have sure footing on muddy ground, it helps to have shoes with traction. Similarly, in order to stand our ground in troubled times, we need cleats of peace. When we think of peace, we imagine something smooth--not knobby and protruding. Peace is much more than a mere cessation of stress. It is the assurance of knowing God is able and dependable. This comes from acknowledging that He has complete authority over our past, present, and future. When we remind ourselves of how God has worked in our lives thus far, it allows our souls to grip the ground firmly. We exchange our flip-flops of ease for cleats of peace.
I had a tangential thought about this subject that requires me to switch metaphors...
When defending against the enemy, it helps to have support. When a pack of elephants senses danger, the matriarch trumpets a call for help. The mature elephants surround the young and the vulnerable members, forming a circle of protection. Similarly, we do not have to face evil on our own. We can call on prayer warriors to stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we defend our young ones and stand our ground against the enemy.
(I am grateful to my friend, Shari Childers, for sharing her thoughts on Ephesians Chapter 6. This post is influenced by her insights.)
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