Essential Six
Put on salvation as your helmet [Ephesians 6:17a]
Essential Six – Salvation as Your Helmet – Nutrition/Food
This piece is without a doubt one of the most essential pieces of our protection. In the backcountry without food after several days we would become super weak. Same as without the Word of God, after days of the flinging arrows of the enemy we would become weak or even die without this helmet of salvation or nutrition from the scriptures.
The helmet was a piece of armor that protected the Roman soldier against deadly blows to the head. What the helmet was to the Roman soldier, salvation is to us as a soldier in God’s army. There can be no victory unless the mind is protected with God’s Word.
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [Romans 8:6]
Our battlefield is in our minds. We must be careful to protect our minds from wrong thinking, be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and make sure every thought is brought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. We do this by putting our helmet of salvation.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ [2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV]
Being in the ski industry for many years I saw my share of skiing accidents of people hitting trees or other people. Some were fatal and some of them caused lifelong injuries. One in particular that stands out in my mind was a 7-year-old boy who lost control, hit a tree head-on, and was killed on impact. I remember this one accident vividly because, one I watched it happen, two I was one of the first on scene (as a ski patroller), and third I had to work with the family and inform them on what happened to their son. This was an awful tragedy for a family to be on a beautiful ski vacation and then to go home with one less family member due to an accident, all while having the time of their life.
I share this story with you to give you a vivid illustration of how essential the helmet is. The entire purpose of the helmet is to protect your head and the main operating system of your life – which is your brain.
Another big tragedy is seeing women who are NOT living up to their God given potential because of what they think about themselves and the lies that they believe. They are living without biblical food and the helmet which gives the enemy an opportunity to sneak in wreak havoc in their lives. They choose to stay in an abusive relationship, or they stay at a job that pays way below what their skill set; because they don’t believe they are worthy. You cannot function at the level that God needs you to when you’re thinking is not in line with the word of God.
So in the spiritual sense, we need to put on salvation as your helmet to protect our brain, mind, and thoughts. The quickest and easiest way for the enemy to get a foothold in our life is through our mind and thoughts. If he can get us to doubt, have fear, think we are worthless, feel sorry for ourselves, make us think we can’t do something, get us depressed, and actually paralyze us. When he has done that, his job is finished and then he will leave us alone.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour [1 Peter 5:8]
Notice that the scripture says, Put on salvation as your helmet. This means we have to do something for the helmet to be effective. This is not something that happens automatically or is a one-time deal. This is a daily, minute-by-minute, lifetime process; remember we are in a battle. To simplify this – kick out the devil and keep him out….
The best defense for keeping the enemy out is, knowing that you are you are a child of God and have been given the power and authority to make him flee. The second way is to be feasting on the Word of God daily (nutrition).
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. [Hebrews 6:18-19]
We also need to remember that we have a choice on what thoughts we allow our mind to entertain – we can control our thoughts and non-godly thinking. Taking control of our thoughts is putting on the helmet of salvation.
There are numerous scriptures about how we are to think. I’m going to end with another one of my favorites-Philippians 4:8. You often hear people say I wish there was an owner’s manual on how to do life. How I should raise my kids, how to manage my money, how I should treat other people, how I should live as a single woman, how I should think and act. If you haven’t figured it out yet, we have been given the playbook and all the answers.
The key is: to read the playbook, understand it, and live out the wisdom that is provided to us!
And now, dear (brothers and) sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [Philippians 4:8]
I don’t see anywhere in this passage that tells us to have thoughts of doubt, fear, worthlessness, depression, inability, or any of those other negative thoughts that can paralyze us. Did you read that in this passage? Well actually no, and truth be known nowhere in the bible does it ever tell us to have those types of thoughts…
Feast on the Word of God as your nutrition and put on salvation as your helmet [Ephesians 6:17a]
- Think on whatever is true
- Think on whatever is noble
- Think on whatever is right
- Think on whatever is pure
- Think on whatever is lovely
- Think on whatever is admirable
- Think about things that are excellent
- Think about things that are worthy of praise
Think about such things…