Eph. 6:17
. . . Take the Helmet of Salvation . . ..
Isa. 59:16-17
. . . So he made his own arm his mainstay, his own saving justice
his support . . . on his head the helmet of salvation.
1 Thess. 5:8
. . . let us put on faith and love for a Breastplate, and the hope
of salvation for a helmet.
This chapter brings us to our last piece
of armor worn directly on the body: our helmet.
The helmet covers a significant area for defense: our head.
Unchecked physical attacks to the head can obviously impart severe
harm, but in spiritual warfare, we often fall prey to nonphysical attacks.
The head is the center for our mind and our thoughts.
Spiritual attacks upon our head, or our mind, include attacks upon our
way of thinking, rationalizing, or our understanding and beliefs.
Often a successful attack of this nature will render a Warrior unable
to act, or paralyzed to action by indecision or FEAR.
Our mind is the center of our Fear, and an area most susceptible
to attack. Remember: Fear
is nothing more than False Expectations Appearing
Real. The principal
defense against fear is a staunch belief in God.
1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I
fear? The LORD is the strength of
my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2When
the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fall. 3Though
an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should
rise against me, in this will I be confident.
Ps. 27:1-3. Attacks,
which render false expectation real, come in many guises.
Typically, this type of attack is made through false appearances,
deception and lies, the only real weapons the enemy is equipped with.
Another attack of fear is self-doubt, or falsely believing we know the
outcome of our potential actions before we act.
Think of it this way, Fear is a four-lettered word.
We should act toward fear as we would any foul four-letter word; shun
it as foul.
The development of the helmet is studied, and specific
traits of the Roman Legionary helmet are considered for their effectiveness
and pertinence when compared to the spiritual armor. These specific
traits are not generally well known, and the significance they carry for the
informed Christian is remarkable. The manner in which fear and doubt may
be used by the enemy against us and the danger of the idle mind are examined.
. .
Do we typically question things as
concerned with our life, when our mind is idle.
Can you say you have never questioned your state of salvation?
This serves as an example of how readily the enemy is provided with the
opportunity to use our idle thoughts or doubts to weaken our defenses. Unless we stand on the bedrock understanding of God’s
redemption of us by the sacrifice of His Son, our doubts, and personal
concerns provide a regular avenue of weakness or potential attack by the
enemy. Any questions or concerns
about God making good on His promises should normally be seen as a waste of
energy, for who would question God and His Word…Quite simply, any of us
would; it is part of human nature. It
is part of what we are. It has a
lot to do with the simple fact that fundamentally, none of us is worthy of
God’s grace, as discussed in the last chapter.
It is the measure of His perfect love for us that allows any of us to
stand in His presence. For the
simple fact that none of us can truly fathom the unfathomable, we are at times
beleaguered by random, unsolicited, destructive thoughts.
These can and will often be used against us. It takes an act of volition to declare and profess your
belief in the saving redemption found in Jesus Christ.
. . . if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if
you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will
be saved. It is by believing with
the heart that you are justified, and by making the declaration with your lips
that you are saved. Rom.
10:9-10.
The enemy’s
assault on our mind can typically begin when we entertain thoughts we consider
self-analytical, or reflective. Thoughts
along this line will typically begin with three words that generally lead us
from reflection to remorse, or regret. These
three words which tend to lead one to confusion or feelings of misgiving are: Would’ve,
Could’ve, and Should’ve.
When we use these three words, we sap ourselves of our confidence and
our ability to make decisions. . .
Specific
actions are called for to combat the "ould'ves. The mindset we are
to adopt is discussed in full. . .
We all have a choice- “Become a Warrior, or be a Worrier.”
The two are mutually exclusive. A
Warrior filled with worry cannot act as a Warrior must.
When filled with the full character of a Warrior, Worry cannot
enter the mind.
Phil.
4:6-7 Never worry about
anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition
shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our
understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Specific
behavior and mindset must be applied to defeat worry, doubt and self concern.
Steps to develop these traits are discussed, and the benefits are related in a
real sense and a spiritual one. . . We have
been given the victory already; all that remains to be done is for us to claim
it. If in our minds we know the
victory is ours, then act like it!
There is true power to be harnessed through positive action and a
positive mindset. Try it,
you’ll like it.
The Helmet of
Salvation serves primarily and most obviously to protect our “head” by
spiritually safeguarding our mind against doubt, worry, and fear.
As the many questions we may have concerning our state of salvation are
due to our mind and thinking process, it comes as no surprise that Salvation
itself serves to protect the mind.
Our salvation comes from our “Head” our Father- God.
The scriptures are clear on this point, that we must Believe to
be saved: 2By
which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
ye have believed in vain. 1
Cor. 15:2. 31And
they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house. Acts 16:31. 12Those by the way side are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they
should believe and be saved. Lk.
8:12.
A comparison
is drawn between conviction and belief and scriptures are used to make many
direct points which relate salvation and righteousness, just as the helmet and
breastplate serve to protect one another.
The Romans
had an additional unique method for the conveyance of commands on the
battlefield. The Romans’ use of
battle standards was unique for their time.
Each unit had its own standard to follow and use as a focus during
attack, and a point of rally and reorganization after the confusion of battle.
The fact that the Romans had a standard to follow made a great
difference. The importance of a
standard to be followed is mentioned again here to stress the importance of
having “Standards.” Evaluate
the standards you follow in your life, and if you have trouble identifying
them, this should point you to a possible reason for pointless, meandering
indecision found in one’s life.
Num.
2:17, 34 The order of
movement will be the order of encampment, each man under his own standard .
. . The Israelites did exactly as Yahweh had ordered Moses.
This was how they pitched camp, grouped by standards.
Another aspect of
wearing a helmet is that it focuses the concentration of your vision on what
lies directly in front of you. This
serves to concentrate efforts on the task, or the adversary immediately
opposing one’s self. At the
same time, the helmet protects the Warrior from attacks from the unseen
quarters. In much the same way,
the Helmet of Salvation serves to keep our concentration and energy focused,
while serving to protect us from the unseen attacks of the enemy.
To derive the protection of salvation, it is required that we speak our
faith, and assert our acceptance of our Lord’s sacrifice for our behalf.
This is the first step in donning the Helmet and allowing salvation to
serve as a protection for us. We
are then better able to focus on the duty at hand and not become distracted or
rendered paralyzed by peripheral attacks of the enemy because of an otherwise
unsettled, wondering, wandering, or idle mind.
Once we have come
to terms with our salvation, we will have come into relationship with our King
and Creator, and thus be able to take commands and direction of a higher
order. . . . for of all the
names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be
saved. Acts 4:12.
Our decisions become clear, as our best interest is always a concern of
our King; however, we must allow Him to direct us, so our actions become in
accord with a divine plan. While
taking correct action as directed by our King may not always be easy, the
choice is clear. Your minds, then, must be sober and ready for action;
put all your hope in the grace brought to you by the revelation of Jesus
Christ. Do not allow yourselves
to be shaped by the passions of your old ignorance, but as obedient children,
be yourselves holy in all your activity . . ..
Let us now look
at some scriptures and see how salvation and conviction may serve and protect
us:
Ps. 62:1-2, 7
In God alone there is rest for my soul, from him comes my safety; He
alone is my rock, my safety, my stronghold so that I stand unshaken.
. . . In God is my safety and my glory, the rock of my strength.
Ps. 140:7
Yahweh my Lord, my Saving strength, you shield my head when battle
comes. What could
possibly be more indomitable than the protection of our King for our head?
Specific
characteristics are required of one to develop this form of protection, and
the scriptures point this out. Many examples are presented for the
reader to explore. Stewardship and
the giving nature of God is then studied, and we are all encouraged to avail
ourselves of the many blessings God has in store for us. Scriptural
principles are discussed to tap into the generous nature of God.
One final
thought, to close this chapter with. Earlier
in this chapter, we mentioned the intertwined nature of righteousness and
salvation, or the breastplate and the helmet.
The interrelated nature of Faith and Salvation (our Shield and Helmet)
can also be easily found in the scriptures.
The next few scriptures have an element of both aspects in them.
When we examine the following scriptures, we shall see it may at times
be very difficult to separate salvation and faith because of the nature of
their relationship. Let us see
what words of enlightenment the scriptures may have on this combination:
Isa. 12:2
2Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not
be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is
become my salvation.
2 Sam. 22:2-7
. . . Yahweh is my strength and my fortress, my deliverer is my
God. I take refuge in him, my
rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold, my place of refuge.
My Savior, you have saved me from violence; I call to Yahweh, who is
worthy of praise, and I am saved from my foes.
With Death’s breakers closing in on me, Belial’s torrents ready
to swallow me, Sheol’s snares on every side of me, Death’s traps lying
ahead of me. I called to Yahweh
in my anguish, I cried for help to my God, from his Temple he heard my
voice, my cry came to his ears!
Many
more examples are given, and shown their application in ones life. . .
To beseech
our God in this fashion, one must have a personal relationship with Him.
This is only possible when one knows the author of our salvation.
This will serve
as a good introduction to our next chapter:
“The
Shield of Faith”
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