In Ephesians 6:11 Paul encourages us to, “ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” He continues in verse 15 by saying, “and having shod your feet (put on shoes) with the preparation of the gospel of peace.“ In the Greek, preparation is defined as a solid foundation and peace is defined as: a state of rest, quietness, calmness, absence of strife, or a peace that rules in all situations.
Paul is telling us to put on shoes of peace, which come from God, so that we will be fully prepared to face life’s challenges. He is comparing peace to the shoe the Roman soldiers wore in battle. This shoe consisted of two parts, the greave and the shoe itself. The greave was a metal tube which began at the knee and extended down the length of the leg, ending at the upper portion of the foot. It completely shielded the lower leg from being bruised, cut, or broken. The greave was a defensive weapon which protected the soldier and kept him from being vulnerable to attacks. Like the greave, God’s peace protects your mind and emotions from fears which could make you defenseless by weakening your faith. God's peace is a divine weapon that will insulate you from satan’s attacks and enable you to navigate successfully through every situation in life.
On the bottom of the soldier’s shoes were spikes which were one to three inches in length. As the soldiers stood ready for battle, the spikes in his shoes were planted firmly into the earth allowing them to stand their ground. Similar to these spikes, the supernatural peace of God causes you to: stand firm, be immovable, and hold in place.
Philippians 4:7 portrays a promise to all believers. “And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is YOURS].”
We do not have to live a life full of chaos, confusion, and fear. As we surrender our life to God and begin to trust in Him completely, His peace will guard our hearts and minds.
Father, I thank You for Your gift of peace. Help us to trust you in all things and surrender all that we are to you.
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