We are well into the third element of God's Armor; The Shoes of Readiness (Ephesians 6:15). In this devotion, we will focus on how these metaphorical shoes are worn or used by warriors of Jesus. As a result of knowing how to use them, a person will increase their readiness in the Lord, and their confidence will be in the Gospel's truth and effectiveness. To know how to be effective, once a good perspective of love is in place, three things need to be learned to put them on. They are discipline, concentration, and patience.
Putting on the shoes of readiness is necessary during training and wartime because, during peacetime, you practice how to win battles. The practice of "readiness" happens first by learning discipline. Spiritual disciplines, like prayer, simplicity, and worship, to name a few, are needed to mature in Christ. Without good discipline, Christ's soldiers shall never be effective in their faith. Anything a person does only when they are "in the mood" is good for recreation but never good for mastering Jesus's discipline ways to win the battles of life effectively (John 14:6). Discipline must be a Christ warrior's truth or forever stay immature where love is never realized and underdeveloped.
The next condition of putting on God's shoes is concentration. It takes concentration to become an expert in God's Army. Learning anything takes focused concentration, and like discipline, is lacking in most people's faith today. To succeed in life, you need to plan, and planning is getting ready. The lack of planning is the lack of concentration. All Christ soldiers need to arrange, take action, adjust, and personally connect with those who know what they're doing to grow and be focused in the Lord's Army.
Patience is the last condition needed to be practiced to ensure maturity and health happen with God's people. The capacity to suffer without becoming angry or anxious is patience. Today quickness is king rather than the patience of King Jesus. In today's hurry attitude with delay and problems, patience is as difficult to practice as discipline and concentration. However, no matter how one looks at it, all three aspects of practice, including patience, must develop from unqualified to skilled in the faith.
Christian warriors must practice wearing The Shoes of Readiness through God's Love if they expect to move and grow in the integrity of the faith. They must be ready to use God's Armor properly through good discipline, focused concentration, and persistent patience. When these aspects of trusting God are seen in a Christian makeup, you understand they know how to wear the shoes of God. Today, I encourage anyone who claims to be a soldier of God to lace up their boots and choose the practices of God to realize what it means to be a loving and faithful follower of Christ. Won't you join the good fight today to be everything God needs you to be to win the battle of Goodness with him, others, and yourself?
With a Christ Warrior's mind and heart,