Helmet of Salvation

And take the helmet of salvation,

Ephesians 6:17a

The fifth piece of God’s armor is represented by the Roman soldier’s helmet, without which he would never enter battle. Some of the helmets were made of thick leather covered with metal plates, and others were of heavy molded or beaten metal. They usually had cheek pieces to protect the face. The purpose of the helmet, of course, was to protect the head from injury, particularly from the dangerous broadsword commonly used in the warfare of that day.

The fact that the helmet is related to salvation indicates that Satan’s blows are directed at the believer’s security and assurance in Christ. The two dangerous edges of Satan’s spiritual sword are discouragement and doubt. To discourage us he points to our failures, our sins, our unresolved problems, our poor health, or to whatever else seems negative in our lives in order to make us lose confidence in the love and care of our heavenly Father. He tries to get us to doubt our salvation. However, we have nothing to fear. Notice what Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9: “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” As Christians we claim the promise of Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.

In a world where nothing is permanent, the promise of salvation made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ never fades away. It represents stability in an unstable world. It gives hope in the worst of circumstances, enabling us to fight against despair and discouragement!                    

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark