[T]he helmet of salvation …
Summary: The helmet of salvation is a metaphor for the gift of light and life. Jesus comes to us with his hand outstretched, offering to lead us home. When we say “Yes!,” to Jesus, we find ourselves wrapped in his protection from head to toe.
Before we move on to the sword of the Spirit, I feel we need to take one more look at the helmet of salvation.
Paul uses the Greek word “perikephalaía” for “helmet.” The Greek word for helmet is a composite of two words meaning to “wrap around” or “encircle” and “head.” The helmet, in effect, encircles the head to protect it.
So what is it, exactly, that we are to encircle our head with?
Imagine for a moment that you are walking alone through a dark woods. It is evening, and you are unarmed. As darkness deepens and the trees and underbrush fade to gray, you begin to hear animal sounds, the sounds of night creatures. As you make your way along what you think is the path, another sound creeps into your consciousness. It is the sound of soft footsteps behind you.
You are defenseless. Something in the dark is stalking you. What do you do?
Such is the situation we find ourselves in as humans. Spiritually, we are all lost in the woods at night. The darkness is a spiritual darkness, and the creature padding behind us is a devil waiting to claim us for the fires of hell.
We need help!
Help comes in the form of a bright light (Job 29:2-3). The light illuminates the woods and everything around. The creature that has been following slinks back into the shadows. The light draws near.
A voice from the light says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Then, the voice says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11: 25)
The light hovers overhead. There is warmth and safety in the light. There is peace, too. The kind of peace that cannot exist in the darkness.
Then the voice asks, “Do you believe this?”
Salvation is a question. Do you believe in the light? Jesus says he is the “light of the world” (John 9:5). Salvation is believing in the Light.
The “helmet of salvation” is the answer to the question, “Do you believe?” There are many ways to answer this question. Some answer timidly, while others answer boldly. How we answer is not as important as what our answer is. As long as we can respond “Yes!,” we are wearing the helmet of salvation.
Application: Trust Jesus!
Food for Thought: How does trusting Jesus change the way we think?
An excellent analogy for in this world.!
He has given us His helmet of Salvation and a Lamp to our feet. Thank you Lord!
God is Good, Jim.
We are very blessed! 🙂
We will have a transformed world view. How we see the world will be guided through the truth of God’s word and not the lies of the world. When we hear the demonic hiss, “Did God really say?” we can answer with a bold and firm, “Yes, He did.”
Amen!
Well said, Rich!! Well said!
10-31-2023, How does trusting Jesus change the way we think?
Christian faith begins with the realization that we need Jesus. When we humble ourselves before God, ask Jesus to take over our lives a supernatural event occurs. We are set free from the powers of our flesh and receive spiritual life as the Holy Spirit ignites a new light inside our hearts, and is the power to live our faith in God every day. A life following Jesus is transformative, exciting, and resilient as we submit to His power over our own and experience a life of purification.
Acts 11:1-18, James 4:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 John 3:3
Believers live knowing God has determined we remain in this world where chaos and lunacy are praised as enlightenment and all that is good is increasingly declared as bad. We are His witness’s to the world, lights in the darkness
Matthew 5:16, Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8
As children of God, we can live with knowledge, of reality and purpose. We find peace as we study and grow in truth. We become disciplined in our thoughts and actions as we ignore the call of this world and respond to God’s voice. We are given sight, and avoid judgement as we seek to save those trapped in sin.
1 John 3:1, Philippians 4:6-9,1 Peter 1:13, Colossians 3:2
Thank you, Ron!
I like the phrase, “A life following Jesus is transformative, exciting, and resilient…”
So true!
Praise God!
It’s great now, I believe we are going to spend a lot of time in heaven walking around with our jaws dropping.
I appreciate the devotion and the very good comments. I agree that trusting Jesus changes the way we view the world. I would add that trusting Jesus also changes the way we view ourselves. There is a quiet but strong inner peace in knowing that we have sinned, but are not cast out. That Jesus came for us, to claim us for His own. That to Him, we are worth His life, and that He would freely give it. That He can change our perception of who we are, and find the person God created, and that that person can live in the righteousness of God. That He can show us what the will of the Father is, and we can walk in goodness and mercy. That we can serve in joy, and when our heart says “Glory to God”, it is because He has touched our soul.
All good points, Chris!
Thank you!!