Friday, October 4, 2024
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places…. and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:10-12; 15
Shoes On - Ready to Go
Standing tall and upright on our feet is symbolic of strength and victory. The rest of our armor is useless without the shoes. A soldier decked in full military gear cannot get very far without his boots. They have to be able to run far and fast and the wrong shoes can make this impossible. It is very important for a soldier to have his feet in good condition if he is going into battle, isn’t it? Roman soldiers wore very distinctive shoes in battle: They had thick leather straps that secured it to the foot. On the bottom of the sole were little pieces of metal that protruded like spikes to give the soldier firmness of footing so he could stand in the battle. In hand-to-hand combat, the soldier could hold his ground and make quick moves without slipping, sliding, or falling. The shoes provided protection and support for long marches. The enemy would often place razor sharp sticks in the ground in hopes of piercing the feet of advancing soldiers. You will notice that this covering is personal. He says that you are to cover “your feet.”
The Provision of Peace
Just as a Roman soldier’s shoes protected his feet and helped him to firmly stand, peace from the Lord provides us with emotional and spiritual stability and strength. If we are going to “stand” and “withstand” attacks from Satan, then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we have the peace with God - …we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 - that comes from the Bible, we need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7). The enemy loves it when there is division among Christians. When we are not unified, we are weak. He will use that opportunity to slip in and destroy churches and families. Today it seems that our country is very divided, and some of that spills over into the Body of Christ. We must be very careful during this time to not allow Satan to have foothold. Remember, he is sneaky and crafty and can get in even the smallest crack.
But the shoes have another meaning. In the same way that a soldier “brings peace”, we must be prepared each day to share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian. If we wear the shoes of the Gospel, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah 52:7 - 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.” and in Romans 10:15 - How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!
Jesus overcame evil with good. One of the ways he did this was by praying for His enemies. Jesus always brought the gospel of His Father wherever He went and He wants us to do the same. Peace flies in the face of evil. Satan has declared war, but you and I are ambassadors of peace, and, as such, we take the Gospel of peace wherever we go. Our feet must be so shod, that our footsteps do not slip as we carry the gospel of peace, straight through the front line of battle, to the world.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
