Ephesians 6:15 “and having shod the feet with the preparation of the "gospel of peace."

The shoes the soldiers wore were called caliga. They were a heavy shoe studded with nails. The nails were to give the men a firm hold in the ground during battle. They also wore something called greaves. These covered the lower leg to protect them from weapons and from being scratched by the brush they might have to walk through.

The word “preparation means to be in readiness. Always prepared for an attack even at foot and ankle level. The Christian needs to be prepared for blows at all angles, and they also need to be prepared to have a firm hold in the gospel of peace. Retaliation is not an option for Christians. A peaceful loving spirit, even during times of distress are the marks of a true Christian soldier. When we're treated badly or ridiculed for living the Christian life, we need to stand firmly and respond in a peaceful manner.

The shoes and ankle coverings protected the soldiers as they marched to and from the battle. As Christians, who have a duty to spread the gospel, we need to be prepared against any stumbling blocks as we go out to tell others of the gospel. When we come against some of those stumbling blocks, our reaction to them should be a peaceful reaction. How we act says much more about our faith and trust in God than any words we say. Facing trials or refusing to retaliate shows exactly where we place our trust. The minute we try to fight back, or solve the problem on our own, we have removed our trust in God and put it in our weak, human selves. Giving up all confidences in ourselves and placing it all in God gives us the firm footing we need to face each day.