The Helmet of Salvation
The Helmet of Salvation
Ephesians 6:17 says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Today we focus on “The Helmet of Salvation”.
Paul tells us to both take up and put on the whole armour of God, receive it, wear it and continue to wear it. Here he says, take the “helmet of salvation.”
Salvation is something we receive when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. It’s not something we can take off and toss aside, not that we would want to do that anyway.
The words Paul uses in Greek for “take” the helmet of salvation and “take up” the whole armour of God are two different words. The one used for armour means to reach out and grasp or take something, and the one used with the helmet of salvation means to receive.
You receive salvation when you receive Christ. The English Standard Version of the Bible says, accept the helmet of Salvation.
Again we see that the armour of God finds its foundation in salvation and obedience to Christ. Salvation is found in the finished work of Christ on the cross, obedience is part of the ongoing work of sanctification.
We receive salvation when we understand and believe the Gospel and trust Christ as our Saviour. At the same time, there is a sense in which we continue to take up the helmet of salvation. Not in take it off and set it aside and then put it back on, or earn and lose it, kind of way, but as in engaging it as an essential part of the whole armour of God, helping us to stand firm in the strength of the Lord against the schemes of the devil.
The Helmet of Salvation. Essential Head Gear.
To have the Helmet of Salvation, you must know Jesus as your saviour and believe He shed his blood on the cross for the remission of your sin, He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through Jesus the Son.
Salvation is something every believer receives when they trust Jesus. The helmet of salvation is something Christians already have, so how do we engage that as part of the Whole Armour of God?
Whether it’s a motorcycle helmet, a bicycle helmet or a soldier’s helmet, it protects the head. Thinking back to the breastplate of righteousness, it protects our hearts.
In talking about the heart, in this case, we are not talking about the physical muscle but what would be considered the seat of human emotion. Things like love, empathy, and compassion are protected by the breastplate of righteousness. When we talk about the head, in this case, we are talking about the seat of our intellect and identity.
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THE HELMET OF SALVATION IS PROTECTION FOR OUR IDENTITY, OUR REASONING, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING.
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The helmet of salvation is protection for our identity, our reasoning and our understanding. It protects how we process information, solve problems and navigate the world in which we live.
We put on the breastplate of righteousness by actively living in obedience to Christ. When we remove that breastplate through disobedience, we leave out heart open to attack. If we aren’t doing what we know we should be doing, doubt creeps in, then a feeling of despair, a lack of peace, a lack of security.
The Helmet of Salvation is protection for our intellect and our identity. In salvation, we are identified with Christ. We become his follower, He becomes our saviour. That is our identity. Because of my sin, and inability to reconcile myself with God, I need a saviour.
At the same time, God places enough value on me to send His son Jesus to die for me. That is my identity. That’s the helmet of Salvation. I take the helmet of salvation as part of the armour of God when I process everything through that identity and what God says is true.
There’s a very deep connection between your heart and mind. One is protected by the helmet of salvation, the other by the breastplate of righteousness.
The Breastplate of Righteousness is a metaphor for righteous living. We don the breastplate by acting in obedience to Jesus. We engage the Helmet of Salvation by thinking in obedience to Jesus, this protects our identity and intellect. If we are not actively doing what we should be doing or thinking what we should be thinking, we will not have the peace, hope, love and assurance we are afforded as believers.
The Deadliest Possible Attack
What is the single most damaging blow that Satan can deliver to a Christian?
It’s not sin, sin is our decision. We can’t say, “The Devil Made me do it”. He doesn’t have the power to force our behaviour. When we sin, that is on us. The most damaging blow Satan can deliver is the precursor to sin. Doubt. Doubt starts in your mind; you have to reason it out for it to take hold. Satan can’t make you doubt, you decide to doubt.
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DOUBT STARTS IN YOUR MIND; YOU HAVE TO REASON TO OUT FOR IT TO TAKE HOLD.
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In the Garden, Satan planted the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind “Did God really say?” Be careful and think about how that went down and what happened. Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say not to eat that?” “If you do eat it you won’t die. You’re eyes will be opened, and you will gain knowledge. You will be like God, you will know good from evil.”
Look carefully at what happens next. Genesis 3:6 says, “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate” Eve reasoned herself into doubt and then acted on that doubt, reasoning that she was doing something good.
That’s what we do when we sin.
We reason ourselves into believing that what sin offers is better than what God says is best. The most damaging blow Satan can deliver is doubt.
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THE. MOST DAMAGING BLOW SATAN CAN DELIVER IS DOUBT.
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Yes, we have Salvation the moment we know Jesus as our saviour, but Paul says to take the helmet of salvation, and he also says to take up and put on the whole armour of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
The helmet of salvation protects our intellect and our identity from the deadly battering of doubt.
Attack, Retreat or Stand Firm
In battle, you either attack, retreat, or stand firm. We are told to put on the whole armour of God so that we can stand firm.
Think about this, when would you stand firm in battle? You stand firm when you have the high ground, when you have the tactical advantage.
In salvation, you possess the high ground in your identity in Christ. You are already standing on the firm foundation of the Gospel, you don’t need to move from that. Satan wants your heart and mind. He wants you to doubt or forget that you are standing on the high ground, on Christ the Solid Rock.
Take the helmet of salvation. Settle yourself in your identity in Christ. Think on the commands of Jesus. They protect your intellect. Place your hope in Him. Find your peace in Him.
A Proof Test
Romans 12:1-2 says “I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is.”
Paul writes, Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God. Which is what we are reasonably supposed to do. And then he says, do not be conformed to this world. The word conformed means to be shaped from the outside in. If the world is shaping you by stealing away your peace and joy, you’re being conformed to the world.
To be transformed means to be shaped from the inside out. When we talk about proving the will of God in Romans 12:2, it’s not just verbal proof, it’s not like a verbal argument that says this is true.
To prove God’s will means to put it to the test. A proof test is a stress test to demonstrate the fitness of a load-bearing or impact-experiencing structure.
We prove or proof-test God’s will by doing it. We put it under stress by building our life on it as we see how it provides the structure that will bear the load of our life. This proof test renews our mind as we learn to put more and more weight and stress on what God says. As this process structures our intellect and we become more settled in our identity, our helmet can better deflect the impact of Satan's attacks of doubt.
Take the helmet as part of the whole armour of God. Accept Christ. Act and think in obedience to Christ. Proof test God’s will and commands as the load-bearing structure for your life. Build your life on those things.
Take Action:
Take the Helmet of Salvation: Embrace and accept the helmet of salvation as an essential part of the whole armour of God. Salvation is not just a one-time event but a gift we receive that opens the door to an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. Engage in that relationship every day in both your thoughts and actions.
Understand Your Identity in Christ: Recognise that God loves and values you. Salvation has given you a new identity as a Child of The One True King, and you are a follower of Jesus. You are a new creation in Christ and under no obligation to whom you used to be.
Guard Your Mind: The Helmet of Salvation protects your identity and intellect. Be wary that Satan is subtle in his attempts to lead you into doubt. Filter what you allow into your mind by reading and meditating on God's Word, praying, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Follow the commands of Jesus. He gave them to us to help us navigate life in a broken world
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