Our Enemy, the Devil - Pt 10

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:13-18 ESV). The fourth piece of armor Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 is the “helmet of salvation." The Roman helmet, like helmets today, protected the head from the attacks of the enemy. There is some evidence to suggest that the Romans had special ceremonial helmets used in parades that denoted rank and standing. Regardless, the function of the helmet is our concern today. At the outset, let’s simply be reminded that salvation cannot be earned. It is a gift from God and not something we can obtain through the right actions, thus obligating God to give it to us. In no way do the efforts of good works, however worthy they may seem, make up for our sin that caused the death of Jesus to be necessary for our redemption. It is first and always a work of God’s grace. So, “putting on the helmet of salvation” is not our work. That being said, we ought to realize that the helmet will do us no good sitting in the corner of our souls. Paul is talking about the battle ongoing in our lives daily. This is a part of sanctification, not justification. Salvation describes the ongoing conversion process. I find people often confused at this point. When we are born again it merely begins the journey that was set into motion before the foundation of the world by the sovereign choice of God. It is a journey that involves our participation. We walk the walk through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That requires taking a step. It is also an indicator that the greatest part of the battle is in our mind, not our body. Paul references this truth when he talks about being transformed “through the renewing of our mind” (cf. Romans 12:2). This involves having God's truth written in our hearts and minds. That requires we search for it through diligent familiarity with the Scripture. We will never be covered in our minds without an ample dose of Scripture. Daily we should put on this helmet with the reading of God’s word, praying for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we come to the understanding of it. The apostle will speak to this with the next piece of equipment.