Wear the Shoes of the Gospel

A bit of history for you... The Roman soldier wore hobnails in their sandals. These were like small rounded tacks that were in the sole of the shoe and provided traction against slipping and falling. Like the above picture, it kind of resembles a soccer or baseball cleat except the hobnail is metal instead of rubber. If the walking surface was smooth then the hobnail would often cause men to slip. However, they are perfect over mountainous areas with rocky terrain and desert-like areas. Like it was in Rome.

If we are going to stand firmly against the world and withstand the attacks of satan then hobnailed sandals are what we need. The Christian life is rarely ever smooth. It is often rocky and hard to maneuver through, but God gives us the hobnailed sandals we need to walk the journey He has set out before us. 

The shoes of the gospel also represent peace. Because we have the peace of God, that so often surpasses our understanding, then we do not need to fear satan and we do not need to fear man. In order to defeat satan’s attacks then we must have peace with God and with others. Now, this does not mean we are to be doormats in order to “keep the peace”. In scripture we know there is a difference between being peace makers and peace keepers. We are not striving to be peace keepers in order to remain at peace with others for the sake of sacrificing ourselves and what we are about. 

That’s not who God made us to be. We *are* to be peace makers who strive to make peace while also having boundaries for ourselves. It protects our personhood so that we don’t allow others or satan to bring strife into our lives. Allowing strife into our lives is sinful and it can easily cause separation from God. Satan has declared war against peace, but we are ambassadors of God’s peace!  (2 Corinthians 5:20 verifies this.) Our stability in the gospel gives us peace so that we can stand strong in battle!

The shoes have a 3^rd meaning though too. They are used to carry the good news to non-believers. We know from Paul to the modern day missionaries in 3^rd world countries today just how rocky the Christian terrain can be. How unsure and uncertain that journey is. We can have peace in knowing that God is in control and He will keep us safe while also using these good news shoes to travel with us as we tell others who Jesus is. The most victorious Christian is the one who is sharing the good news of who God is and what Jesus has done for them. Then, that believer now has what’s referred to as beautiful feet. (Romans 10:15). 

We have the opportunity and privilege to take the gospel of peace wherever we go. We choose to stand firm against satan because we have the peace of God within us.

Click HERE to return to the Armor of God post

Or go directly to the next verse:
16 In every situation take the shield of faith,
and with it you will be able to extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.