Sermon Central
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Shoes Of Peace
Contributed by Dean Morgan on Dec 9, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: The Roman soldier’s shoes were not an ordinary kind of shoes. They were made out of bronze or brass—usually brass—and the shoes were primarily composed of two parts: (1) the greave, and (2) the shoe itself. These shoes were exceptionally dangerous to an
SHOES OF PEACE
TEXT: Ephesians 6:15; Philippians 4:7
The Roman soldier’s shoes were not an ordinary kind of shoes. They were made out of bronze or brass—usually brass—and the shoes were primarily composed of two parts: (1) the greave, and (2) the shoe itself. These shoes were exceptionally dangerous to any foe.
The greave was a piece of beautifully tooled metal that began at the top of the knee and extended down past the lower leg, finally resting on the upper portion of the foot. This tube like piece of metal caused the Roman soldier’s shoes to look like boots that were made of brass!
The shoe itself was made of two pieces of metal. On the top and bottom, the foot was covered with fine pieces of brass. The sides of the shoe were held together by multiple pieces of durable leather. On the bottom, these shoes were affixed with extremely dangerous spikes—spikes that were one to three inches long. If you were involved in active combat, your spikes could be close to three inches long. These were killer shoes!
According to Paul, “peace” is an awesome weapon; it is a defensive and offensive weapon. Peace will not only protect you; peace is also a brutal weapon, which when used correctly, keeps spiritual foes where they belong—under your feet!
The word “shod” conveys the idea of “binding something very tightly on the bottom of one’s feet.” This is not the picture of a loosely fitting shoe; this is the picture of a shoe that has been tied onto the bottom of the foot extremely tightly.
Paul uses this same word to tell us we must firmly tie “peace” onto our lives. If we only give “peace” a loosely fitting position in our lives, then the affairs of life will knock our peace out of place. We must “bind” peace upon our minds, and upon our emotions, in the same way that the Roman soldiers made sure to “bind” their shoes very tightly onto their feet.
When peace has this firm grip in our lives, then we are ready for action! The word “preparation” portrayed men of war who had their shoes tied on very tightly, and hence, they had a “firm footing.” With the assurance that their shoes were going to stay in place, now they were ready to march out into the battlefield and confront the enemy.
Therefore, the word “preparation” conveys the idea of “solidity, firmness, or a solid foundation.” Paul is clearly telling us that when “peace” is foundational in our lives, we have a “firm footing.”
This “peace” gives us a foundation so secure that we can move out in confident faith, without being moved by what we see or what we hear. This aggressive peace puts us in a position to look directly into the face of the adversary, or directly into the face of a challenge, without being moved by what we see, feel, or what we hear.
The word “peace” conveys the idea of a “peace that prevails or a conquering peace.” It means “blessings & prosperity in every area of your life.”
God’s perfect plan is that this prevailing and conquering peace will dominate your life! When this kind of peace is firmly fixed in your mind, emotions and soul, there is little the devil can do to move you! This peace gives you a firm footing. Regardless of how hard the enemy or the daily affairs of life hits you, this prevailing and conquering peace will hold you in place!
Two Kinds of Peace
First, there is peace with God. Peace with God is what a person experiences when he or she first comes to the Lord for salvation. Paul said in Colossians 1:20 (KJV) – “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross…you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciles.”
Peace with God is a spiritual condition that belongs to all believers.
Second, in addition to this peace with God that is the birthright of all believers, there is also the peace of God. It is possible to have peace with God without experientially knowing the peace of God. The peace of God is very different from peace with God.
Many people are at peace with God by virtue of their conversion experience, but they are not walking in the peace of God. Instead of being dominated by this prevailing, conquering peace that passes understanding, they walk in constant fretfulness, anxiety, worry, and all kinds of other turmoil.
This is the reason that “peace” has been given to us as a weapon. The peace of God is a protective “peace.” It protects you from fretfulness, anxiety, worry, and everything else that the devil might try to use to disturb your enjoyment of abundant life.
