As Paul is continuing to paint the picture of the Christian prepared for battle with the parallel of the Roman soldier, he now turns his attention to shoes for your feet:
“…by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace…”
(Ephesians 6.15, NET)
In place of the sandals that carried Roman armies large distances each day, Paul urges feet to be fit with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace. The shoes worn by the Romans were, according to historian Josephus,
“…‘shoes thickly studded with sharp nails’… so as to ensure a good grip. The military successes both of Alexander the Great and of Julius Caesar were due in large measure to their armies’ being well shod and thus able to undertake long marches at incredible speed over rough terrain.”
(Image – romanobritain.org
So, how do we strap the Gospel to our feet?
Rather than walking around with Bibles strapped to ourselves we are to make sure that the Gospel, the good news of Jesus, is at the centre of all we do (1 Corinthians 15.1). Can we trace all of our decisions, our actions, and our reactions back to the good news of peace?
Just think:
What do you contribute to your local church family, and why?
How do you want to react when put in a frustrating situation?
How do you want do conduct yourself as a spouse or a parent, a friend or a family member?
If your answers to those questions (among others) cannot in some way be linked to the good news of peace then I would suggest that it’s because you’re not fitting your feet with the Gospel.
The good news of Jesus should pervade and perforate all we do and say, how we act and react. This is how we live out Ephesians 6.15.
James Travis 