Today I am wearing my Vellies/Veldskoene~pronounced “FELL-skoons”. They are South African walking shoes made from vegetable-tanned leather or soft rawhide uppers attached to a leather food bed and rubber soles without tacks or nails.

Vellies are so comfortable and with these you are sure you can stand firm.

I thought of the words by Susan Gale ~Life is a balancing act. You need to keep your head up and your feet on the ground, while allowing your heart to go wherever it pleases.

I made a study of the armor of God.

“What is the readiness of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) “And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

The word readiness implies constant vigilance. A victorious soldier had to be prepared for battle. He had to have studied his enemy’s strategy, be confident in his own strategy, and have his feet firmly planted so that he could hold his ground when the attacks came. A soldier’s battle shoes were studded with nails or spikes, like cleats, to help him keep his balance in combat. He knew that, if he lost his footing and went down, it wouldn’t matter how great the rest of his armor was; the enemy had him. When we are ready with the gospel of peace, we live with the understanding that we are continually under attack from Satan. Second Timothy 4:2 says to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season.”

The “peace shoes” that God supplies His soldiers have two purposes: defensive and offensive. In order to defend ourselves against the “flaming arrows of the evil one” we must have confidence of our position in Christ. We must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word.

In addition to standing our ground, shoes are also for moving. God expects us to go on the offensive and take the gospel of peace to others. Sharing our faith is one of the best ways to maintain our own sure footing. God knows that, when we are active in speaking of Him to others, we not only charge into Satan’s territory, but we dig our shoes more deeply into truth and will be much harder to dislodge.

Recommended Resources: Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans and Logos software Bible