Roman shoes were more like sandals that were laced up like today’s modern shoes. Their shoes were very important to keep them moble. Their shoes were strategically cut from a single flat piece of leather with a strap of thin leather to lace them up. In these shoes, a Roman soldier could travel 20 to 30 miles by foot, in a day carrying 70+ pounds of gear. These shoes gave them stability and protection over rough terrain as well as traction and movability on the battlefields.

Roman soldier’s shoes was a foundational part of their armor. Even today doctors that are dealing with patients with structural problems, will prescribe patients to get a good pair of shoe. My wife had upper back problems that would cause her ribs to get out of place, causing her pain. Her doctor told to get a good pair of shoes with better support. We purchased the need shoes, she wore them faithfully for over a year. Now she is able to wear any pair of shoes she wants with no problems, her foundation was corrected and it corrected the entire body.

“and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

For years I always read Ephesians and thought that we were to put on “peace” or “the gospel”, but the scripture says “put on readiness“. When I looked up, in the Strong’s concordance, the Greek meaning “readiness” is #2091 “hetoimasia” is defined as “foundation, firm footing; preparation, readiness”. This is the only time this Greek word (#2091) is used in the whole bible.

Did you see it is again, the word foundation… Putting on Readiness is applying the foundation by the gospel of peace, to our lives. The foundation that Jesus taught his disciples about was the foundation of the prophets. Later, the apostles were proclaiming the teachings of Jesus, this expanded the foundation to include the apostles and prophets, for our lives.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

God seems to surprise me all the time, the shoes are the only part of the armor that have two parts, like our foundations (apostles and prophets). Jesus wanted us to walk in every aspect of the Old and New Covenants, as He did, not forgetting one or the other. The prophets were God’s voice in the Old Testament as the apostles for the New Testament. Jesus never wanted a division between the old and new. the bible says “we (gentiles) are to be grafted into God’s promise, but the only way to obtain these promises is through Jesus Christ.

But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

Romans 11:17 NLT

As we continue through Ephesians 6:15 the word “peace is translated as “to join, tie together into a whole”. So you could read the ending of this verse like the “foundation given by the gospel of joining together“. God had desired that his people, including the grafted in ones, to live in unity.

1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!

Psalms 133:1-2 ESV

The oil of God’s anointing came when there was unity, we need to have a good balance of the Old and New Covenant within our lives, just as we need two equal shoes to be able to walk correctly. If either one (foundation or shoe) is missing your stride and balance will be off, causing your body to be out of alignment.

Without this unity of the gospel, you are not able to be as mobile as God desires. Shoes only carry one person, this is your personal walk, your personal foundation. Your foundation will and should line up with a group of people with like foundations, God assembly (a church or group). This is how we become a legion of soldiers (God’s army), that can conquer the spiritual darkness in the heavenly place, to spread Jesus throughout the world.

Application

• Ask God to inspect your personal foundation to make sure it is not out of balance…
  • Are you as mobile as you should be?
  • Do you have both shoes on?
  • Do you apply both the Old and New Testament in your life?
• Correct and fix any cracked or missing foundational truths (apostles and prophets) to your life
• Find and join a legion that your foundation can be strengthened