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It’s a sound we all know well: the crash, the musical tinkling of shattering glass, and the very, very delicate cleanup of the mess in the wake of a broken dish or wineglass. Most of us won’t make it through our entire lives without breaking something, and when we do, for the most part we’ll shuffle around the disaster site with extra care for a while, until we’re sure we’ve cleaned up all the shards.

In my house growing up, with two rowdy kids and a dog rowdy enough for four of us, it wasn’t uncommon to hear Mom say, “Don’t walk through here without shoes on—broken glass everywhere.”

When there’s danger on the floor, it’s almost instinctive that we go for something tough enough to protect our feet. The same was true of a Roman soldier’s footwear; you wouldn’t really imagine a man in armor running barefoot into battle! And they didn’t; their shoes helped protect them from being crippled by anything from a sharp stone to the sole, to a dead enemy’s weapon that could slice the tendons of the foot apart in one sweep. Good footwear allowed them both to move quickly and to stand firm in any circumstances, because their shoes were made out of the right stuff for the fight.

We have this protection, too. Our feet are shod with readiness brought through peace.

It may not sound all that strong, in a sense, but preparing ourselves for the battle by cultivating peace with God and with ourselves, and making peace with the dangers and challenges that will come before we even face them, allows us to be tough no matter what. The readiness we must adapt into our armor in the spiritual battle has its source in knowing the Good News of peace—of our peace, Jesus Christ.

When we shod ourselves with peace, we accept that we are in it for the longhaul. We accept that we will face difficult times, trials, adversities of every sort. We are prepared to stand firm on the battlefield and face any onslaught because we have come to the battle with the right attire. We have found an inner stillness, a peace with God and within ourselves so that we are ready for whatever the enemy sends our way.

And when we have the right footwear—when we come to the fight prepared, bring that readiness of peace with us, square up and dig our heels in—we will be able to stand even against the most wicked and howling winds of the enemy’s charge.

Lash on the truth. Strap on the righteousness. Plant your feet.