#Jesus sandals how to
The gospel is not just the good news about everlasting life and how to spend eternity with God. The word gospel means “good news,” and when it is used on Scripture, it refers to all the good news about Jesus. Let us consider the central term first, the gospel. There are three key terms in this phrase that must be considered before we can know what the sandals are for the Christian: preparation, the gospel, and peace. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul states that the sandals are the preparation of the gospel of peace. What then are the sandals for the Christian? The Sandals for the Christian When enemy soldiers fell before an advancing Roman legion, the Roman soldiers would stomp on the fallen combatants, thereby inflicting greater harm and damage on the soldier, making it much less likely for them to rise up and fight again. The spikes and studs on the bottom of the sandals were also used as weapons. So these sandals had one purpose: to keep the soldier on his feet. After all, a soldier flat on his back because he tripped or slipped is at a great disadvantage to an enemy solider who is still on his feet. While they sandals did not provide much in the way of protection, they certainly helped soldiers stay on their feet in the midst of battle. The sandals of the Roman solider provided similar stability. Track, soccer, football, and baseball shoes all have some sort of spikes or plastic knobs on the bottom to help the athlete maintain their speed and footing while playing on the field. It is similar to the shoes that many athletes wear today. The spikes on the bottom of the sandals helped the soldier maintain his footing in battle. The grass and soil might get trampled and become slippery with dew, rain, or blood. Often, the soldiers would be fighting in slick or muddy terrain. The spikes allowed them to-in the words repeated four times in Ephesians 6:10-14- stand firm in the battle. These spikes helped them maintain their footing. The Roman soldier sandals were fitted with metal spikes on the bottom of the sole. One aspect of the sandals, however, made them essential pieces of armor for the Roman soldier, and this aspect to the sandal set these sandals apart from those that the average Roman citizen might wear around town or in the marketplace. The leather strips were designed in such a way so that they did not rub or cause sores on the feet, ankles, or calves. While a soldier might have sore feet after marching 25 miles, they would not have blisters, and they would quickly and easily dry after marching through a stream or river. The sandals were light and airy, which allowed the feet to breathe and stay cool and dry, even when the soldier marched, worked, or stood guard all day long. Upon initial inspection, the sandals appear to be quite flimsy, providing little protection or stability to the soldier. They were made primarily from leather and were fastened to the feet with leather cords that went around the ankle and partway up the calf. The sandals of the Roman soldier were very similar to some sandals you might see today. Finally, we will learn how Christians can put on the sandals of the gospel as we fight alongside Jesus in spiritual warfare. Second, we will consider how Christians are to use them in spiritual battle. And as we did with the belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness, we will consider the sandals in three ways.įirst, we will look at how the sandals were used by the Roman soldiers in battle. So Ephesians 6:15 is referring to the Sandals of the Gospel. Since he writes about having something on our feet, he is clearly referring to the sandals that Roman soldiers wore into battle. In Ephesians 6:15, Paul instructs Christians to “shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This is another piece of the armor of God, even though Paul doesn’t specifically mention a piece of armor.