Helmet

Take the helmet of salvation... Ephesians 6:17a

The helmet of salvation is having a mind protected by the faith (belief), that God cares for us. It is the belief in the promises of the Bible that we are of value to God. The kind of value as seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Only deep love has the capacity to send a beloved son to his death so others like us may live – forgiven. When we believe the word, gain salvation, understand somewhat the righteousness given us, exercise faith, then our minds can be at ease, believing God actually loves us.

I want to review the first pieces of armor covered in earlier devotions on this site.

The belt of truth, This piece of armor is worn by trusting the revealed facts of God in the Bible. When I read of the way Jesus loved those around him and believe his love is also for me, I wear a belt of truth on which other pieces of armor may fit. This was a huge help to me when going through a painful divorce. Even though I had screwed up my life, God’spromises to completely restore me kept me going by reading them over and over. When depression filled me, the comfort I found in the Bible was a helmet of protection to my mind: that regardless of how I felt at times, nothing separates us from God.

The breastplate of righteousness. This armor is the rightness we have with God at all times. Not the sin I commit, not even good works I may do, but the rightness of Jesus Himself. This eases the condemnation I feel after my failures.

In my last devotion on the shield of faith, I wrote of how belief in God’s word protects us from the bad effects of the world, our own nature and Satan’s lies.

See how these pieces of armor fit together to protect our minds? Satan’s strategy is based on lies. We resist these lies with truth. While fasting in the wilderness and in a weakened condition Jesus blunted Satan’s attacks this way. With every lie Satan told, Jesus responded with “It is written...” (Matthew 4:4,7&10*), He then quoted the scriptures.

So, how do we keep the helmet of our salvation on tightly? I read portions of the Bible every day. When going through a particularly dark time of depression, I had to read John 15:9 the first thing every morning and the last thing every night (for 18 months). This way, my mind would take in this truth before anything else could interfere. Reading it just before going to sleep helped seal my mind against despair that runs rampant when it is late and we are tired.

There is another benefit to this armor. When worn consistently, Jesus says we will have joy. (John 15:11).

*See also Luke 4:4, 8 & 12