Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. … Therefore put on the full armour of God, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then … and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:10-11,13-15, NIV

 

In this remarkable passage of Scripture, we are exhorted to stand four times; against the devil’s schemes and also simply to stand our ground. And one way to do that is with feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Doesn’t that feel counter-intuitive, ironic even? Standing, fighting, but from a place of peace?

 

This passage is about spiritual warfare with weapon imagery drawn from the Roman soldier’s attire. As I was recovering from my fractured ankle, I quite liked the idea of wearing an ankle guard under one of those gladiator sandals. I would be protected, I mused.

 

That is when I reconsidered the Roman caligae. Heard about the idiom, tough as old boots? Well, this half-boot, half-sandal helped hardened Roman legionnaires to feel kitted out and ready for warfare.

 

They could do whatever was necessary in them, especially go to war, as the caligae had studs at the bottom that helped them move over rough terrain, or trample over enemy lines. Comfortable, breathable on the feet, yet lethal in combat. Pity the soldier who got stomped upon or kicked. It also prevented tumbles as it helped the soldier stay steady on his feet. Sometimes, it helped them not to slip or slide, just stand.

 

Cunningly, the devil comes over and does whatever he can to trip us up. Often, we are tired, and the strength we have is barely enough to stand. Definitely, not enough to take back lost ground or expand, just stand and stare him down.

 

The Bible teaches us that we have spiritual weapons in readiness for spiritual war. But there are times when we don’t even see it coming, when we feel ambushed with no time to prepare. That is when we simply have to stand firm on the gospel of peace.

 

After all, the Word of God is a double-edged sword as well as the name of the Lord (Revelation 19:13). Jesus himself will deal with our deadly foe once and for all one day, but until then, let us do all we can to stand, when simply standing is all we can do. 

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for equipping us to do battle with our mortal enemy. We are grateful that we are able to stand up to him with your Word in our hearts in readiness to do your work.