The Helmet of Salvation

Now we take the helmet of salvation and it covers our head, protects the skull and brain, our thoughts. The order of the armor is very interesting. It is not so much necessity as practicality in putting the pieces in the order as given in Ephesians. After we have the belt of truth strapped on, the breastplate of righteousness is put in place and we bend down to latch on our shoes showing we are ready to go with the gospel. Then we pick up the shield of faith having it always ready even while finishing up with the final preparations of the helmet of salvation.

Having ridden motorcycles before putting the helmet on last makes sence. How awkward it would be to put this bulky helmet on and then try to reach around, gather all the material of the tunic to tuck into the belt or bend over with all that weight on your head and try to put on shoes. No all that would have to be done before the helmet is put on.

So the helmet is not of lesser importance because of the order given rather it is of utmost importance. I saw the shield of faith as covering and protecting the 'seat of emotions' and the helmet of salvation covering the 'mind'.

Before we are saved God describes the heart as, 'only evil continually', the motives and intentions of the heart was only evil continually from our youth', 'there is none that do good-no not one'. But when God calls us to Himself- causing us to believe on Him and be born again- He takes out our hard, unbelieving heart of stone that is described above and He gives us a heart of flesh, a heart that is soft, pliable, sensitive to Him, responsive to Him. He gives us faith to believe- the shield of faith has the heart covered.

On the other hand the place of the believer's greatest struggle is the mind. We are told to renew our mind daily. We argue with God in our minds. God tells us to do something and we answer back, "You don't mean that do You?, You don't really want me to do this, do You?" Romans 12:1,2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind....Our minds need to be actively persuing God so that we can discern what the will of God is, so we can know what is good, acceptable, perfect, what God's will is for us. We are bombarded with attacks to the head by the world's philosophy, by Satan, and by our own flesh that wars against the Spirit. And with the same attacks that Satan used against Jesus in the wilderness, and Eve in the garden. "Has God really said....?"

Only the helmet of salvation- true salvation where we are given the mind of Christ. Only with this helmet on does anything about Christianity make sense. It is foolishness to the unsaved but wisdom, power and glory to those of us who are saved. Once you are truly born again, nothing can penetrate the helmet of salvation. Nothing can make you take the helmet off, throw it on the ground, and kick it around. No! when you are truly saved the helmet is precious, priceless- every thought to take it off and leave it is senseless. You realize how hopeless life is without the helmet on. (Apart from Christ, to not have the helmet on is to be apart from Christ.)

We are to take the helmet, we are not to be idle but active in the area of the mind. We are to take every thought captive, we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Think about the ways you are attacked in your mind. Are you being tempted to doubt God's goodness or faithfulness? Are you being ridiculed because of your faith in Christ? Are you being pressured to do something that God's Word says is wrong? Take all these things and lay them before Your Savior as Your protector. He has saved you and He will protect you.

by His grace and for His glory,
Norma