Ephesians 6:12-15
"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then... with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."
Paul is thinking here of the typical sandals Roman soldiers wore which allowed them to move quickly during battle, gave them traction to stand their ground in the battle and provided protection to their feet. The shoes allowed them to move freely over any terrain, not concerned about standing on thorns or shards or rough rocks. Having the certainty that the shoes would hold them allowed to them focus on the fight at hand.
Imagine going into the treacherous terrain of battle barefoot or wearing fluffy slippers. It just doesn't seem like it would be setting yourself up for success, right?
The soldiers' shoes affected their balance, grip, power, and movement. In the same way, the foundation of our day-to-day Christianity is the gospel. The gospel anchors our faith in the Truth of who God is, what He's done and the impact on our lives, purpose and actions. Without that, we'd slip all over the place.
We don't go barefoot, because we can't go in our own strength. We need to covered and anchored by the gospel, by the fact that we have been redeemed and restored by the blood of Jesus.
We don't go in slippers because we can't afford to be lazy and laid back. The devil prowls like a lion to take any ground we are complacent to give.
The shoes of the gospel are not about our comfort, but they certainly bring peace. If we can grasp the fullness of what the gospel means for us, anxiety cannot stand.
While carrying this gospel of peace, we also can't be flat footed and apathetic. The picture of putting on the gospel every day reminds us of the need to be front footed and active in living out and taking the gospel in and to the world around us.
