top of page
Bible

Evening Bible Study

Wednesdays

6:00 PM

Click here to join on

ZOOM

 

 

Spiritual Warfare Series

Ephesians 6:17

The Helmet of Salvation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremie Turner, Sr. - Pastor

 

And take the helmet of salvation…

 

Has your mind ever been tired?
Have you ever known anyone to be brain dead?
Before you met Christ, what was your mind set on?
How hard is to change one’s behavior once saved?

​

Since the readers are already Christians, Paul is not urging us to be saved.1 Thessalonians 5:8 describes it as “the hope of salvation,” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation.

​

The helmet gave a sense of safety and security. So Paul uses the word “take” which is an imperative, or a mandate. But it also an imperative which suggests a sense of urgency Having one’s head guarded by a helmet is so important when he faced impending danger. This helmet protected the soldier at all times, in the midst of battle with arrows flying all around him. For the soldier, it made them feel safe in the midst of the war – so, the believer’s possession of salvation gives them confidence of safeness during the heat of the battle. God’s salvation, then, is the ultimate assurance of protection.

​

  • No matter what people say to make you question your salvation.

    • Making one to question their salvation is to make one to question their identity in God.

  • No matter what people say as they try to destroy your character.

  • No matter how many poisonous darts the enemy throws with the intent to wound you

 

When the enemy attacks, it is our faith in God that protects us. We can have confidence in future battles because we know the battles that He has already won. We can have peace knowing that our trust in God protects us.

​

The helmet is so important, because Satan wants to battle for the mind. The helmet covers the mind, so it is so important to keep it shielded and guarded. The mind, therefore, is the seat of thought and the citadel of intelligence; henceforth, to wear it will ensure that decisions will be safe. It is so important, that in 1 Samuel 17:38 it is one of the few pieces of armor that is singled out. The mind, and the head, is so important that in Genesis 3:15 the head is mentioned as God describes the warfare between Satan and Christ.

​

The head was the core of a soldier’s power to wage war. His thinking ability was the most important factor in determining his victory or defeat. For the Believer, he must protect his mind and its thoughts, keeping all thoughts focused upon the Lord and His objective of reaching the world with the glorious news that men can live forever.

​

Unless a man has been saved, his mind cannot be protected from the fiery darts of Satan. The mind of an unsaved man is focused upon this earth. The mind of an unsaved man is focused upon this earth; it is normal and natural for him…

​

  • To seek more and more

  • To possess more and more

  • To look at the opposite sex with desire

  • To taste and indulge the good things of the earth

  • To feel and experience, satisfying his desires and passions

  • To have and hoard even when others have little or nothing.

 

God, then, has to do a renewal of our mind.

​

The unsaved man sees nothing wrong with being his own person and doing his own thing just so he is reasonably considerate of others. His mind and thoughts are upon the earth; and the fiery darts of extravagance, indulgence, pleasure, self-centeredness, worldliness, hoarding, and immorality are a part of the unsaved world’s daily behavior. All of this, then, originates in the mind.

​

But this is not so with the saved man. The mind of the saved man is focused upon Christ and sharing the good news of life, both abundant and eternal. Because of this, Satan launches his fiery darts of temptation against the mind of the believer, trying to get his thoughts and focus off Christ. The Christian soldier, therefore, desperately needs the helmet of salvation.

​

Romans 8:6 teaches us that we must change the focus of our minds, but Philippians 4:8 gives us the formula for success to have changed minds and shows us what our minds look like when Christ changes us.

​

Romans 12:2 talks about the transformation that should take place in our mind.

​

2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches us how we change our minds.

​

If we are to change our minds, Ephesians 4:22-24 teaches us that we must replace the old man with the new man, otherwise, we will revert back to old habits and old ways of thinking.

​

Isaiah 26:3 shows us the ultimate benefits of having our minds focused on Christ.

​

The helmet was for four things:

​

  1. Protection. In battle, there are a variety of ways that one’s head could become injured. Head wounds were serious and sometimes lethal. Rocks, clubs, arrows, swords, and spears were common weapons used to attack the head. As stated earlier, Satan targets our minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). Because our salvation provides hope and security, Satan wants to shatter that hope in order to disarm us. Satan wants us to doubt the Lord and the promises that He provides. If he can get you to doubt your salvation and security in Jesus, then he has you right where he wants you. Satan aims to discourage and defeat us because we are God’s children; but Jesus gives us instructions in Luke 18:1                                              

  2. Identification. The helmet was worn to identify the soldier. Different units of the army or calvary had their own style of helmet. Some wore crests, colored plumes, or feathers to identify their units. Some had beautiful animal skins over their helmets. In the same manner, our salvation should identify us as children of God and ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Because we have been saved, people should see Jesus Christ in our lives by the way we live. They should be able to see the influence of Christ in us by our love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, and faith. The Jews knew there was something different about the disciples by the way they behaved and lived. Their salvation was their guide in life. The church at Corinth so impressed Paul that he encourages them in 2 Corinthians 3:2                                                          

  3. Direction. Officers in the Roman legion wore helmets with brightly-colored, wide crests. Others were able to follow them into battle and to be alert to the orders of the one wearing that helmet. In the same manner, our salvation provides direction for us. Because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to obey His commands found in His Word. We are live a life that honors and glorifies Him – John 14:15, John 15:14, 1 John 5:3, 1 John 2:3-4, Psalm 119:166                                     

  4. Beautification. The helmet was the crown of the Roman solider. They were objects of great beauty and pride. Soldiers would keep them shined. More elaborate helmets were ornately decorated and decked out with beautiful plumes and feathers. He would carve out time to ensure that his helmet looked good before he went into battle and he took special time to make sure he showed how proud he was for the victory parade. In the same manner, we should show the beauty of our salvation in the way we live – Psalm 90:17. Godliness, holiness, Christlikeness….all these traits show the beauty of the Lord in us and the results of His saving grace.

bottom of page