READ Ephesians 6:10-16
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
If you’ve ever played a full-contact sport, you understand the importance of the helmet. From football to hockey to Black Friday shopping, a helmet can often be the difference in life and death. In our spiritual battle, the helmet represents the difference between victory and defeat.
While sitting in a dilapidated jail cell, Paul reflected on the Roman soldiers that he was inevitably seeing every few minutes walking back and forth in front of iron bars. The helmets worn by ancient warriors was unmistakable. They’re worth a Google search. The helmet boasted a bizarre red mohawk running down the middle, and metal covered most of the head except the nose and eyes. It was heavy and intimidating, but it also played a more interesting role. Due to its recognizable peacock nature, it struck absolute fear into the enemies the soldiers faced. When you saw those gaudy, red helmets marching towards you, there was trouble. Our enemy feels the same way.
The Apostle Paul urged us to “take the helmet of salvation.” We mention the word salvation all the time, but do we really grasp the miraculous meaning? This little word sums up the biggest shift in the universe— Jesus brought heaven to Earth so that we can live with Him eternally. When He died on the cross and rose from the grave, Jesus saved you from your sin, secured your soul, and shielded you from the schemes of Satan.
As we have made clear, Paul is making an analogy here. We are not called to put on real armor every morning before clocking into work or going to first period. Rather, Paul understood that war is often waged within our own minds. The enemy will try to fill your mind with lies, accusations, and try to make you feel like you are fighting alone. He’ll use tricks to make you rationalize your sin while ultimately using that sin to lead you towards suffering. The Helmet of Salvation can protect our minds and help us transform our thoughts.
When the enemy says you are unlovable, you can remember that you are loved eternally (Ephesians 1:4). When the enemy says you are are powerless, God says His strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). When the enemy says your life is meaningless, you can remember that you have abundant life (John 10:10). When the enemy says you can’t get through this, you can remind yourself that you are a conqueror (Romans 8:31-39).