Sermon Tone Analysis

Armed for Battle 3: Protection for Your Feet

I remember watching the 1977 Grey Cup Game, the first one held in, what was then, Montreal’s brand new Olympic Stadium.

That was when the Grey Cup was a huge, huge deal.

That particular game featured two very evenly matched teams: the Edmonton Eskimos represented the West and the Hometown Alouettes represented the East.

Now, Olympic Stadium was designed to have a retractable roof - but if you know the story of that stadium, you know that not much went according to design … and there was no roof.

That was significant - because the Grey Cup is held in late November and late November, in Montreal, can mean cold and snow.

Sure enough, before game time, the snow fell.

That wasn’t a huge deal, because the ground crews had planned for that - they spread salt on the field to melt the snow.

GOOD IDEA.

There was only one problem with that: between the time the snow melted and the game began - the temperature plummeted well below zero, and the melted snow turned into a sheet of ice, covering the field.

All week long, the players had been planning for cold weather and had been experimenting with all sorts of different footwear - from different types of cleats, to broomball shoes.

1977 was the first Grey Cup Game held in Montreal’s new Olympic Stadium, featuring two evenly matched teams – the hometown Allouettes and the Edmonton Eskimos.

Now Olympic Stadium was designed to have a retractable roof, but if you know the story of that stadium – you know that not much went according to design and there was no roof.

The Grey Cup is in late November and of course, late November in Montreal can have quite a bit of snow.

Sure enough, before game time, the snow fell.

The stadium crews planned for that, and they spread salt on the field to melt the snow.

Good idea.

The only problem with that was between the time the snow melted and game time – the temperature dropped well below zero, and the melted snow became a sheet of ice covering the field.

But during warmup, it became obvious that none of the different things were going to work on the sheet of ice.

One player on the Montreal bench, noticed a worker from Bell Canada walking by with a staple gun in his hand.

He stopped him, borrowed the staple gun - shot the staples in the shape of an ‘X’ onto his cleats - and by the start of the game, TWELVE ALOUETTE players had followed his lead.

By halftime, most of the team had converted.

The Eskimos were wearing regular football cleats - and they were slipping around on the field of ice .... fumbling the ball, getting nowhere.

But the Alouettes - with their stapled shoes - they were confidently moving the ball - - - they didnt’ give up a single tackle behind their own line of scrimmage .... and they ended up winning the game: 41 - 6.

All week long, the players had been planning for cold weather and had been experimenting with all sorts of different footwear, from different types of cleats, to broomball shoes.

The right shoes made the difference between victory and defeat.

As our text tells us, (v.

13), “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND FIRM”.

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

the staples in the shape of an ‘X’ onto his cleats and by the start of the game – 12 Allouette players had followed his lead.

By halftime most of the team had converted – and while the Eskimos, wearing regular football cleats, were slipping around on the field of ice, fumbling the ball and getting nowhere, the Allouettes, with their stapled shoes, were confidently moving the ball, didn’t give up a single tackle behind their own line of scrimmage and ended up winning the game 41-6.

1 THE SHOES

During warmup, it became obvious that none of the different things were going to work on the sheet of ice.

One player on the Montreal bench noticed a worker from Bell Canada walking by with a staple gun in his hand, he stopped him, borrowed the staple gun – shot the staples in the shape of an ‘X’ onto his cleats and by the start of the game – 12 Allouette players had followed his lead.

By halftime most of the team had converted – and while the Eskimos, wearing regular football cleats, were slipping around on the field of ice, fumbling the ball and getting nowhere, the Allouettes, with their stapled shoes, were confidently moving the ball, didn’t give up a single tackle behind their own line of scrimmage and ended up winning the game 41-6.

Now the footwear that Paul has in mind, is the Roman soldier’s ‘war-boot’ - it is what a legionnaire would regularly wear while on duty.

It was an open-toed, leather boot, with a sole that was heavily studded with nails - - and then it was tied to the ankles and shins with a series of straps.

We recognize that shoes are important.

Our kids seem especially to understand how important shoes are.

They have shoes for every different type of situation: running, dressing up, hipster-living … and they have different shoes for every outfit, as well.

Well, shoes were extremely important for a soldier, because good soldier shoes had to have THREE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES: First, they had to provide traction.

Second, they had to provide protection.

Third, they had to provide mobility.

I mentioned that these soldier shoes that Paul is describing are heavily studded with nails.

They were the original cleats.

They needed those nails on the sole.

If you are a soldier, climbing, or running, or maneuvering, or fighting in combat … and you lose your footing and slip .... that’s not just, “Oops, I slipped - don’t I look silly!”

It’s not even, “Oh no, I tore my ACL.”

… If you are a soldier and you lose your footing in battle - YOU’RE DEAD.

These shoes have to be specially made to give you grip.

SECOND - these shoes have to be tough.

In Paul’s world, enemies put spikes into the ground - metal or sharp, wooden spikes.

They don’t stick up very high, out of the ground, but they are about an inch or two high, often hidden under leaves or other camoflage - - strategically placed so that when soldiers from the other army come, they would step on the spikes, and if your shoes are not extremely tough - strong enough to deflect or absorb the point of the spike - well, it’s not going to kill you - but it is going to debilitate you … and then you’ll be killed because you’re foot is hurt and you can’t run.

THIRD - the shoes have to be LIGHT.

You say, “Ahh - I get that — just like my Nike’s”.

Well, not exactly … but sort of.

Everyone knows the reputation of Alexander the Great - the conqueror.

Led his armies through the known world of his day and conquered almost all of it.

Well, you may not realize that one of the most important secrets to his success - was mobility.

He was able to get his soldiers to march further and faster than anybody else.

He surprised people all the time - with how fast his army moved.

The opponent would set up its battle lines and Alexander the Great would lead his forces AROUND the side of the flanks.

From his time onward, everyone was trying to copy him - they were trying to come up with greater and greater footwear - shoes that were as gripping and tough and as light as possible.

That’s what the Roman boots were all about - specially made for marching long distances, to give traction and to keep the soldier’s foot from sliding - like a football or a soccer cleat.

The whole boot was often covered with leather, to protect the feet along the journey.

These boots were specially made for marching long distances, to give traction and to keep the soldier’s foot from sliding - like a football or a soccer cleat.

The whole boot was often covered with leather, to protect the feet along the journey.

The right shoes made the difference between victory and defeat.

Paul says, ‘You need effective shoes!”

“You can tighten the belt of truth around your waist - you are committed to the truth of the Message of Jesus Christ,

Paul says, “you need effective shoes!” “You can tighten the belt of truth around your waist – can be committed to the truth of the message of Jesus Christ, as it’s revealed in the Word of God.

Paul says, “you need effective shoes!” “You can tighten the belt of truth around your waist – committed to the truth of the message of Jesus Christ, revealed in the Word of God.

You can put on your breastplate of righteousness – protect your mind and heart by living in the righteousness or holiness that has already been purchased for you – credited to your account.

You can put on your ‘breastplate of righteousness’ - protect your mind and heart by living in the righteousness or holiness that has already been purchased for you - credited to your account.

You need to put both pieces of armour.

But you can do all of that, then run out onto the field of battle - and STILL fall down.

UNLESS.

Unless you have the proper shoes on your feet.

If you are missing this - you will slip and fall.

You will be defeated.

2 THE SPIRITUAL REALITY

So, what is the spiritual reality to which these shoes point?

Look at v. 15 again: “As shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”

What’s Paul talking about here?

There are some commentators who say, “These ‘Gospel shoes’ refer to evangelism - this is a reference to preaching the Good News of Jesus.”

They get that because Paul writes something about feet in another famous place in his writings.

If you look at , Paul writes these words there, “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings Good News.”

That’s a quote from Isaiah 52:17, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes PEACE, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

There are some commentators who say, “These ‘Gospel shoes’ refer to evangelism - this is a reference to preaching the Good News of Jesus.”

They get that because Paul writes something about feet in another famous place in his writings.

If you look at , Paul writes these words there, “How beautiful are the feet of him who brings Good News.”

That’s a quote from Isaiah 52:17, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes PEACE, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

How true that is - there is nothing more beautiful than someone who comes to share the eternity-transforming news that you can be put right with God, through His own Son.

Oh, that we would all have BEAUTIFUL FEET!

But that’s not what Paul is talking about here, in .

Verse 15 isn’t a complete sentence.

It’s a clause that completes a thought that begins earlier.

So, look back to the beginning of the sentence and you can see what verb is being described.

The sentence begins in verse 14, “Stand therefore ...”.

So, these shoes we are told to put on - the context for them is not ‘GOING OUT’ - to preach good news.