Christian Living

The Armor V —These Shoes Are Meant for Walking

by J.W. Phillips
02/06/25
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The Armor V—These Shoes Are Meant for Walking

To paraphrase the Nancy Sinatra song, we come to the third part of the armor of God, the shoes of peace, to say to Satan: "These shoes are meant for walking, and they’ll walk all over you!"

It is not uncommon for life on earth to be depicted as a battle, as a fight. This concept of cosmic conflict is found not only in literature but also in the thought processes of ordinary people. Commenting on this perception, Professor William James wrote:

"For my own part, I do not know what the sweat and blood and tragedy of this life means if they mean anything short of this. If this life be not a real fight, in which something is eternally gained for the universe by success, it is no better than a life of private theatricals from which one may withdraw at will. But it feels like a real fight."¹

And of course it is a real fight! Martyn Lloyd-Jones contended, “You cannot read the New Testament truly without seeing the whole of the Christian life as a life of conflict; we are in an atmosphere and in a world where there is a great fight going on.”²

Perhaps the main reason some doubt this fact is because the sunny side of their disposition craves perpetual optimism. Conditioned by this temperament, they cringe whenever a dark cloud appears on the horizon; their instinct is to stay away from the dark side of life.

Others may be drawn to the battle, and to some extent fascinated by it, but those people with Hallmark card sentiments and a Thomas Kincade perspective keep their distance.

There are more than a few people who just don’t want to think about spiritual warfare, preferring instead to see themselves as lovers and not warriors. Addressing this widely-shared sentiment, F.J. Huegel wrote:

"Whether we like it or not, the gospels reveal to us the fact that there is a mighty war on in heavenly places. The coming of Jesus caused a cosmic stirring of demon forces. The hosts of darkness realized that their hold on the hearts of men was to be broken, the ground they had so long held in human life was to be wrenched from them. We may feel shocked, and our finer sensibilities may be wounded by such a conception of the universe; but to be 'nice' when you are called to be 'strong' can hardly be considered commendable."³

These same people—the lovers, not the warriors—simply aren’t interested in the prospect of commanding angels or ruling cities. The conqueror’s call that rallies others scarcely produces a stir in their hearts.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones scolded this soft, limp Christianity always indulging introspection, always nursing wounds, by saying, “Far too many Christians regard the Christian Church merely as a clinic, a hospital, instead of realizing it is more like a barracks … We are all so subjective, we are always thinking about ourselves, examining ourselves, feeling our spiritual pulse. That is the wrong approach.”⁴

Getting ready for battle, which the first part of the spiritual armor depicts, stands in contrast with those who want life on easy street and would just as soon block from his or her mind anything having to do with conflict.

This blocking can take the form of dismissive naiveté, or retreats into a drugged slumber, or succumbing to an induced stupor, or carousing nonstop in carnality. But notice again that the first piece of armor summons us from all these alternatives by making it clear that we have to get ready.

The third part of our spiritual armor requires putting on our shoes. Imagine, if you will, a soldier clad in armor from head to foot but with no shoes on—a barefooted soldier!

Why, the rocks would injure his feet, intemperate weather would make him sick, stability and mobility would be impaired; so how effective can he be?

You’ll recall that General Washington’s troops nearly lost the war because they didn’t have shoes!

The shoes Paul had in mind weren’t like those worn by Washington’s Revolution Army. Instead, these shoes were like those Roman soldiers wore for battle.

These were not sandals, such as the typical pedestrian wore in biblical days, but shoes with spikes underneath so that—no matter how slippery the slope or how treacherous the terrain—their footing would be sure and steady.

It is significant that this part of the armor is third and not first in God’s sequence of spiritual protection. Because too often, when we find ourselves under attack, the first thing we want  to do is get our peace back.

But here God is saying, “Don’t begin with peace; get into my presence first. And then, once freshly enveloped in this enviable environment (the belt that surrounds), claim your right standing before me, given the righteousness that is yours."

Only after you do these first two steps will you find the peace you desire. Without these two steps activated, however, there will be no boldness and no peace.

We find this same sequence, interestingly, elsewhere in Scripture. Just before Philippians 4 talks about a peace so good it passes all understanding, this chapter first tells us to rejoice in the Lord before making our requests to him with thanksgiving—exactly the same sequence and procedures the armor calls for!

We can even go all the way back to the prophet Isaiah to see this same sequence suggested again: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose imagination is stayed on Thee” (Isaiah 26:3). By first focusing on God—his faithfulness, his resources—peace is obtained.

Reinforcing the truth that a properly exercised imagination contributes to our peace, G.D. Watson wrote:

"Are you poor, or hated, or cast out? Are you criticized, or ostracized, or minimized, or undersized? Are you perplexed? … If you are in such a condition, and you could see God spread abroad his wings and unfurl the blue skies of his attributes above you, and around you, you would cease to feel sorrow. You would be lifted above your circumstances."⁵

Even one flash of divine truth on the sensitized plates of our imagination will escort us, and transport us, into God’s perfect peace.

The promise of perfect peace—not a partial one, or phantom one, or temporary one—means that every step we’ll take will be accompanied by this inner serenity of soul.

Granted, there may be times when serenity seems impossible, given the fact our trial is as big as ever! However, what the world would pay their psychotherapists oodles of dollars to get, becomes ours in a more satisfying and supernatural way as we put the armor on in the precise way God told us to do it.

Notice that these shoes are called the gospel of peace. Having finally grasped how much gospel is on our side, we march into opposition with this sturdy and stabilizing peace.

Hannah Whitall-Smith declared a profound truth when she wrote, “Christ’s Gospel—is always good news, and never bad news.”⁶ The more one understands gospel provisions and gospel outcomes, the more one can take every step in our aggression against evil with God’s peace replacing fear.

These shoes, like none other, are meant for walking; and, devil, they’ll walk all over you!

Notes:
1. James S. Stewart, The Gates of New Life, (Edinburgh, T & T Clark, 1937), p.83.
2. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, (Wheaton, IL., Crossway, 2002), p.587.
3. F.J. Huegel, The Enthroned Christian, (Dixon, MO., Rare Christian Books, n.d.), p.42.
4. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, The New Man, (UK, Banner of Truth, 1992), p.176.
5. G.D. Watson, Tribulation Worketh, (Hampton, TN., Harvey Christian Publishers, 2000), p.44.
6. Hannah Whitall Smith, God of All Comfort, (Gainesville, FL., Bridge-Logos, 2006), p.38.