The Helmet of Salvation

There is a lot of talk these days about war. Whether physical combat, cyber-attacks, being at war with ourselves or the war that seems to be raging within our culture, war is a real thing and has been since the time of Adam and Eve’s fall. Yes, Satan’s war against God’s most beloved creation (us) began there in the garden.

While cyber-attacks require antivirus protection, hand-to-hand combat requires physical protection: for instance, a helmet to protect the head and kevlar to protect the body, especially the most vital organs.

When it comes to spiritual warfare, protecting our “melon” is key! If we think about the purpose of a helmet (as in, the “helmet of salvation, mentioned in Ephesians 6:17), we know its purpose is to put a barrier between our brain and anything that could come against it. While we (hopefully) don’t face imminent physical danger to our heads on a daily basis, we do have an enemy who relentlessly seeks to destroy us, and our minds are perhaps his favorite battleground.

As I was reading Ephesians 6:10-17 this morning, I was thinking about our current sermon series at Authentic Life Church. The passage starts with the “what”, which is to “put on the full armor of God”. Then, the “why”: “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”. It then goes on to expose our adversary as a spiritual force; not physical. Since so much of our struggle starts in the mind, I wondered why the belt of truth is mentioned several verses before the helmet of salvation. Wouldn’t God want us to protect our heads first?

Then it occurred to me: in order to manage our thoughts, to take them captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 5), we first have to know the truth. To walk in the truth. And not “my truth” or “your truth,” this nonsense our culture is peddling, either. Truth is absolute and belongs only to God. For us to say “my truth” is a misnomer at best and blasphemy at worst. It may be our feelings. It may be our opinion. Our perception. But it is not “our truth”. Anyway, I digress. The point being that without having the belt of truth fastened around our waist (you could say our “center”), we are doomed from the start. But once we have the belt of truth, we are grounded where we stand. Not stuck or paralyzed, but steadfast. Secure.

Knowing the truth is vital because it serves as the ultimate benchmark when measuring our thoughts. We all have thoughts that come into our minds without necessarily being invited. Those of us who know Jesus as our Savior (and friend) know truth. In fact, Jesus is the truth! In His awesome grace and love, He also told us who we are because of Him!

The helmet of salvation gives us assurance and confidence to stand against the enemy’s lies. When the enemy tries to tell us who we are not, Jesus tells us who we are!

This week, I want to challenge each of us to do a Google search on who we are in Christ. Pick a few and write them down in a place where you can see them a few times a day. As silly as it may feel, read these out loud, declaring them as truth (they are). Spoiler alert: These come straight from the “Sword,” which is God’s word (more about that next week).