Growing in Faith
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Posted: May 28, 2022
Author: Kerry Lytle Ephesians 6:17, New Living Translation “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." |
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The helmet of salvation is another part of the armor of God that Paul discusses in Ephesians 6. In the army, the helmet serves as protection for the head. It is a vital piece of the armor, as an attack to the head could result in instant death.
Ephesians 6:17 (NLT) instructs us to put on the whole armor of God and to “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” When a soldier suited up for battle, the helmet was the last piece of armor to go on. It was the final act of readiness in preparation for combat. A helmet was vital for survival, protecting the brain, the command station for the rest of the body. If the head was badly damaged, the rest of the armor would be of little use.
As we prepare for satan's attacks, we must grab that helmet and buckle it on tightly. God's salvation is an on-going, eternal state that His children enjoy in the present. It is daily protection and deliverance from our sin nature and satan's schemes and lies. We must learn to keep our helmets buckled so that his fiery missiles do not lodge in our thoughts and set us on fire. Through this helmet of salvation, we can “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NLT). If we do not have our helmets securely fastened, the enemy can convince us of all kinds of crazy thoughts.
So, what can we do to make sure our helmet is on and fastened? There are several things you and I do to keep this helmet fastened and functioning:
1. Renew our minds. Our minds are battlefields. The outcomes of those battles determine the course of our lives. Romans 12:1-2 instructs us to renew our minds by allowing the truth of God’s Word to wipe out anything contrary to it. Old ideas, opinions, and worldviews must be replaced. We must allow God’s truth to continually wash away the world’s filth, lies, and confusion from our minds and adopt God’s perspective.
2. Reject doubts that arise from circumstances. We are sensory beings. What we cannot fathom with our five senses, we tend to disregard. If we allow them to, circumstances may convince us that God does not really love us or that His Word is not true. It is impossible to have faith and doubt at the same time. God rewards our faith. With the helmet of salvation firmly in place, we can choose to believe what appears impossible.
3. Keep an eternal perspective. When life crashes in around us, we must remember to look up. Our salvation is the most precious gift we have received. Keeping our eyes on that can help us weather life’s storms. We can choose to live our lives by the thought “If it doesn’t have eternal significance, it’s not important."
4. Remember that victory is already accomplished. When we consider ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God” (Romans 6:11), we eliminate many of the opportunities satan uses to entrap us. When choosing sin is no longer an option for us because we recognize ourselves to be “new creatures” (2 Corinthians 5:17), we effectively cut off many avenues of failure.
5. Find all our hope in Jesus. Our helmet is most effective when we treasure what it represents. The salvation Jesus purchased for us cannot share the place of importance in our hearts with earthly things. When pleasing the Lord is our supreme delight, we eliminate many of satan’s lures and make his evil suggestions powerless.
As we wear the helmet of salvation every day, our minds become more insulated against the suggestions, desires, and traps the enemy lays for us. We choose to guard our minds from excessive worldly influence and instead think on things that honor Christ (Philippians 4:8). In doing so, we wear our salvation as a protective helmet that will “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)
When we put on the helmet of salvation, we can avoid sinful thoughts and understand what is good and true. When we forget to do this, we are susceptible to thoughts that are planted in us by the enemy, who seeks to harm our walk with Christ.
I encourage you to put on the helmet of salvation in your daily life so that you may be confident in Christ. Remember that in order to keep it secured, we must fully submit to His ways. When God is on our side, there is no battle we cannot face in this world!
