These sandal imprints made in the wet cement of a Roman Fortress in Galilee tell a powerful story. Paul’s famous use of a Roman soldiers armour to describe our spiritual armour in Ephesians 6 comes to life in the light of it.

‘and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news].’

Ephesians 6:15 AMP

The sandals of the gospel of peace are not, like what it may sounds like, a sort of hippish flower decorated open sandle. A Roman sandle, called a caliage was a serious and important part of a Roman soldiers weaponry. They were filled with between 20-40 hobnails … basically steel studs.

I wonder if the Roman soldiers that crucified Christ kicked him along the path to Golgotha with these fearsome looking hobnailed sandals? Christ endured such humiliation for us and He invites us to follow him on His path of glory.

Let us not think the Gospel of Peace Sandals as mamby pamby slippers … they are weaponised footwear with which to stand firm in the faith and be ready to walk and spread the gospel on any path the Spirit leads us on the gospel road of our lives.

The gospel is the power of God to salvation for those that believe and we declare faithfully the Command of God that all men repent and turn to Christ and believe the gospel (Acts 17:30).

Let us put on these gospel boots and go out far and wide, not as apologetic sons and daughters of a shy Father-King as with scented invitations requesting an audience to indifferent men … but as bold emissaries and ambassadors of King Jesus, declaring the gospel call for all men everywhere to defect from their earthly loyalties and be joined to the Cause of Christ.