SWORDS Bible Study: Eph 6:17a And take the helmet of salvation…

By Mari

Good morning SWORDS!

Our apostle Paul says that we are to TAKE the helmet of salvation. We take the helmet by FAITH!

You can survive a broken leg, a broken back, and even a broken neck, but an injury to the head is often a different story altogether! Depending on the severity it can be life threatening. But often wearing a helmet covers our head to prevent injury to this vital part of ourselves that is home to our control center: the brain, the mind and our thoughts.

I do not believe that “the helmet of salvation” is speaking of protecting the salvation that came to us the moment we first believed on Christ. Salvation is the free gift from God given by grace that we can NEVER lose. Because of Christ, we no longer owe a debt of sin; we are set free from the horrific consequences of sin that NO longer threatens our eternal life.

However, we still have the presence of sin all around us every day in temptations that our Apostle Paul calls “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:3). I believe the hope of salvation, the knowledge that we’ve been saved from our sins, saves us from the active presence of sin surrounding us.

The Bible doesn’t use the word “hope” as we do, when we say “I hope it doesn’t rain today”, we are not sure if it is going to rain or not…we are simply hoping that it does not rain, despite our hope.

Hope in the Bible is a SURE thing!

Col_1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

1Ti_1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Tit_1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Tit_2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Tit_3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So when Paul says, “in hope of eternal life” (Titus 1:2), and when he says we are “heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7), he is speaking of Christ and eternal life as Bible hope, which is an anchor to our soul!

And it is this hope that helps us deal with sin in our present lives. The helmet of this salvation can protect us from the temptations that we are not worthy to serve as a soldier and ambassador of Christ because of sin …even though salvation made us righteous in Christ!

The helmet of salvation is an incredible piece of our armor in this regard, and we need to put it on daily! Until death or the ‘catching away,’ when our new body will replace this body of sin, we need to protect our minds and our thoughts! And the Lord has given us a helmet to do so! When tempted to sin, we need to remember the price that was paid for our salvation, the VERT BLOOD of the Son of God. Only this will give confidence to battle onward, understanding the great grace that has saved us.

Just as a helmet protects a soldier’s head which is the seat of intellect, knowledge and decision making. Likewise, SPIRITUALLY a Christian soldier needs to safeguard his mind from ungodly influences. Living as a Christian means we will be bombarded with false doctrines as well as temptations to sin and quit fighting the good fight.

Putting on the helmet daily gives us confidence in the finished work of Christ, alone. Nothing else, no works that we may ever do will give us this confidence that we may have in Christ and His word. It is this confidence that keeps us from false teaching and the false doctrines we are barraged with in this world.

My writing this study, or you reading and studying with me won’t give us this confidence. Our interaction may be part of the good works that the Father intended for us to do after we were saved (Eph. 2:10), good works that won’t be burnt up at the Judgment Seat of Christ. However, things like this do NOT add to our salvation in any manner.

The hope of salvation, knowing we were saved right NOW from the penalty of sin, also protects us from fear and doubt. As a former Catholic, we were taught that we MUST do good works to help AND keep our salvation!

There are more ex-Catholics in SWORDS who also know this pattern of fear and doubt…”have I done enough to be saved”? Will my works be counted worthy?

On and on…because as a Roman Catholic there is never a lasting peace in Christ and what He did for us that we can simply NEVER do for ourselves, and can NEVER add to His precious and priceless work on the cross!

The helmet of salvation guards our minds from these snares of the devil!

Satan wants us uncertain, wavering, without joy, without peace, but rather living in fear and doubt!

God wants us to put on the helmet and enjoy confidence in God, in His Word, without constant doubts and fears! Protecting our mind and walk in Christ.

It is good to keep in mind that we do not war after the flesh, that our weapons of warfare are not carnal (after the flesh) but MIGHTY through God to the pulling down of strong holds! Such as our imaginations and thoughts, things not of this physical world but spiritual!

False teachings and doctrines can seem mighty by virtue of their numbers around the world, their acceptance by so many others, but indeed, they are mighty only in human strength, NOT mighty through God!

Wearing the helmet reminds us to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ!

2Co 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

It is the helmet of salvation that allows us to go into battle taking what we have learned from God through His word to others, without fear and without doubt! It wouldn’t be the whole armour of God without the helmet!

And take note! This is another piece of armor that like the shield of faith, we must “take”, meaning once again that we can also set it down!

Take your helmet daily and your walk will be with the peace and joy that you seek in Him!

To be continued…..

THE GOSPEL THAT SAVES
“I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved … that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

– 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJB)