Armor of God - Helmet of Salvation

Read Ephesians 6:10-17. - Highlight the main points

Picture of the Roman Soldier

Review of the Armor

The Girdle or Belt of Truth

It is the essential in keeping the rest of the Armor in place

There are two aspects to truth

The first was the person of Truth - Jesus Christ

I am the Way the Truth and the Life … John 14:6.

The second was living in Truth

Live a life without lies

We talked about the Breastplate of Righteousness

The Breastplate is directly attached to truth (belt of truth)

Much like the truth, Righteousness in the Armor has two aspects to it.

The first is God is Righteousness … Psalms 11:7, “For God is righteousness, He loves Righteousness.

The second is we as believers are to live righteously. We are to walk right before our Lord.

We talked about Shodding our feet with the preparation of the gospel of Peace.

We covered the two aspects of the Gospel

Our responsibility of sharing the Gospel

The ministry of the Gospel and how it can reconcile (those who are enemies) the lost and bring them peace with God.

Last week we talked about the Shield of Faith

Trusting or having faith in God’s promises for provision and protection

Then interlocking our shield of faith with other believers, with words of encouragement and assembling together

The Helmet of Salvation

The Roman helmet called the Galea was a one size fits all. It was uniquely designed to provide protection from various blows to the head, but it was also a form of identification of what unit the soldier belonged.

Essentially the helmet was put on to protect head and brain. If the head or brain is damaged, then the soldier is no longer able to be an effective fighter in the army.

Let’s read what Paul says about the helmet in verse 17.

Ephesians 6:17 (NASB95)

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Paul doesn’t provide us a whole lot of information about the helmet like he did with the shied of faith, but I think there are some logical applications we can take from it.

When we see the word “salvation” we tend to think automatically about our eternal status of salvation that as believers we have.

However, this is not talking about eternal salvation as much as it is talking about our experiential salvation.

What do I mean by that?

Paul had just spent the first 5 chapters of Ephesians explaining to us about our position of who we are in Christ and how we can live because of Christ.

Verses like

Ephesians 1:7–8 (NASB95)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

Ephesians 2:4–5 (NASB95)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Ephesians 3:6 (NASB95)

to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Chapter 4 he talks about believers making up the body of Christ and unity which we can have, then talks about we have the ability to chose to do right by putting on the new man which is in the likeness of God.

Chapter 5 He shows us how can have right relationships with one another and within the marriage.

In other words, he is wanting us to understand the divine power and deliverance we already have in Christ!

When I coached football, we could not allow a player to go out and play football without a helmet. In fact the first piece of equipment that is often issued and practiced with is a helmet. If a player loses his helmet during a play in a game, he is required to come out of the game until the helmet is fixed and put back on his head for his safety. You see, a football a player wears a helmet to help prevent head injuries and concussions.

Why?

When a person is concussed, their brain is no longer functioning the way it is supposed to function.

It can affect a person’s mobility

It can affect their speech

But almost always affects their ability to think coherently

The same thing happens to us as believers. When we sustain a blow to the head, or in this case our minds from Satan, it affects every aspect of our lives.

Our way of thinking is completely warped

Our interaction with others is strained

Our speech and the things that words that come out of our mouths are often unbecoming

It completely affects our ability to think coherently spiritually speaking.

How does Satan do this? There are many things he does, but here are a few.

He corrupts God’s word and encourages false doctrine.

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

He encourages us to lie and deceive

Acts 5:3 (NASB95)

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

He wants us to focus on our flesh or our sin nature

Galatians 5:19–21a (NASB95)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these

How Do we Counter This? We Put on the Helmet!

When we “take up,” the Helmet of Salvation and live in light of who we are in Christ, then the opposite happens.

Why? Because we begin to think and with clarity and begin having the mind of Christ as it says in 1 Cor. 2:16.

We are no longer concussed by Satan’s blows and we are able to think clearly.

Philippians 4:8 (NASB95)

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

We are able to act in such away that we begin to produce the Fruit of the Sprit in our lives and with others.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB95)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

In closing this morning… my question is where is your helmet? Have you been wearing it? Have you put your helmet on today? We can tell by…

What words are coming out of your mouth? Are they Godly words or wordly words?

What are you allowing your eyes to see and ears to hear?

How are your interacting with others?

As you answer these things in your minds, let me remind you of one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Unlike just any helmet whether it be the Roman Soldiers helmet or a football helmet, the Helmet of Salvation doesn’t only protect, but it also heals.

Romans 12:1-2, Says this…

Romans 12:1–2 (NASB95)

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

What is amazing is as we give ourselves over to God, which we do by obeying His word, as we daily take up His armor, it transforms and renews our minds.

That word renewal is an awesome word, it actually means…

renewal n. — the act of reestablishing something in a like-new and often improved manner.

Wow! what an amazing God!

Can I urge you to Put your Helmet on today?

Let’s Pray.