Armor Up! Shoes for the Gospel of Peace and the Shield of Faith

It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means!

It’s time to study the next two pieces of armor that are used in the spiritual battle for our lives.

My love for the word of God is more amplified when I dig into the commentaries, websites, and the Bible itself, to fully understand the meaning of what is being said. I am grateful for the resources like these, that help a middle-aged mom like me, to fully grasp what the Bible says!

Last week, I wrote about the belt of truth and the shield of faith. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, please click here to read that post.

Today, we will learn about the shoes which represent the gospel of peace and the shield of faith. Remember, the first three pieces – the belt, breastplate, and shoes, are what the soldier wore continuously on the battlefield, while the shield, helmet, and sword were within arms reach in the event of an attack by the enemy.

The Shoes for Your Feet = The Readiness Given by the Gospel of Peace

A pair of shoes can make or break your day.

One of my favorite pairs of shoes to wear is my white Converse sneakers. They are comfortable and so easy to slip on and off in a moments notice.

I will never forget when I purchased them; I was met with sighs and eye rolls from my teenage sons.

“Mom, you seriously aren’t going to buy those are you?” my oldest son said.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I? They are comfortable, and I like them!” I responded.

“Mom, only teenagers wear them. You won’t look good in them!”

Challenge accepted!

I’m not sure if the Roman soldier’s shoes were comfortable, but they were a crucial part of their armor. The shoe was actually half boot, half sandal. The bottom of the shoe had nail-like studs to grip firmly the ground they were standing on.

If the soldier was involved in a battle, they would be able to stand firm against the enemy.

We also need to stand firm in the battle against the enemy.

The Lord equips us with “the shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel peace.”

As believers, we can stand firm in confidence in the love that God has for us. If we are firmly rooted in the gospel of peace, that peace will give us what we need to stand, not fall, during a battle.

The Shield of Faith

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

The Roman soldier’s shield was around 4 feet long, 2 1/2 feet wide and, when used side-by-side with other shields, would form a defensive “wall.” This would shield the soldiers from the incoming arrows, thus protecting them. This is the first of the three defensive weapons that were at arm’s length, ready to use at a moments notice.

Many times the tips of the arrows would be wrapped in cloth and set on fire. Can you imagine having flaming arrows rain down on you?

That’s precisely what the enemy is doing to us. He is raining down all the lies, sins, and darkness of the world upon us. Without the shield of faith to protect us, we can enter into the temptation that the world hurls at us.

That temptation can only be fended off by the truth of God and His Word. Nothing else.

When temptation strikes us, we must pick up the shield of faith. We need to be proactive and not fall into the sin that the enemy is bombarding us with. Stand firm, friends! The Lord is providing us with everything we need to stand firm against the enemy and his schemes!

Armor Up!

So far, we have discussed the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes for the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. Which one of these could you be using more of? Remember, to be effective against the sins of the world; we need to put on the whole armor of God.

Sweet friends, I am praying for you as we “armor up” and live the life that the Lord intends for us to have here on earth – a life to be more like Christ!