There are two fundamental principals here. All have to do with the Word of God directly or indirectly and also the subjective element here as Paul says "Do this! Put it on!" Every piece of armor must be utilized by the child of God in order to stand. We ARE at war! This is a spiritual war. We have seen the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, and today the feet should be shod with the Gospel of grace!

The figure: Literally "fight being sure-footed!" and "Strap on your sandals!" Paul knew the Roman soldier who wore sandals with thick leather that has spikes and were studded for stability. Scholars have even noted that no other "shoe" has been used to expand an empire so much. There are members of the body that seem not so important yet Paul speaks of these unseemly parts as very integral parts! We soon too learn the value of the foot. How can a soldier maintain in battle without his feet? And so too, how can we fight without our feet shod with the gospel of peace? We must have preparation or readiness for the fight with the sandals strapped to our feet!

Significance: The gospel is the good news of salvation and peace. We have peace with God being justified in our Lord and Savior but this is NOT what Paul is talking about here. The peace here is to connected to the armament and soldier. The peace is the attitude that belongs to the child of God when he fights! The calm of the soldier when he stand on the comfortable sandal and he is prepared and ready for battle. Commentators usually dissect this wrongly though they are not wrong in what they say. Paul is not speaking about witnessing here though we are called to do so. Paul is talking about warfare and a piece of armament! We tie the preparedness of the gospel to our feet! What gives us that peace when we go into battle? Like Martin Luther our conscious is BOUND to the Word of God a nd we can do nothing otherwise! It is suredness! Like the heroes of faith standing sure being persuaded of the promises they were told and willing to let everything else go for and even DIE FOR IT!

Assurance: Where do you and I stand in the battle of faith? The devil continues to work on the saints more and more...probably more so then every before. As we see them in society are we equipped with the studded sandals to fight against these things? The battle rages! Are we going to fight?