The Helmet of Salvation
For those of you who have been reading along for some time, you know the idea of a series is a little over my pay-grade. There exists no claim that this discourse is anything more than trying to push through struggles, follow the instructions, and pay attention to what is happening. Ephesians 6 has always encouraged me so these compositions are about putting those words to life.
Ephesians Chapter 6
10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
19-20 And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out. Ephesians 6:10-20 The Message translation
So far Truth [#25], Righteousness [#27], Peace [#14], and Faith [#19 & 21] have been discussed. Thanks to all of you who have sent me your thoughts along the way. Again, if you’d like a copy of any prior tome [1], just ping an email. That leaves us with Salvation, God’s Word, Prayer, Open Eyes, and Leave No Man Behind as the remaining weapons to explore. The older translations refer to “the helmet of salvation”[iii], the next one in line, and that is where we will pick up this time.
Permit me to look back to the #27 for a moment to create a segue. Watch the movie Gladiator, or Braveheart or Troy or any similar film and you can see how the breastplate, shield and helmet identify a soldier. The colors, symbols and shapes tell you whose army he belongs to and in the chaos of close quarters, hand-to-hand combat, that identity is life and death. Picking up His armor tells both my fellow soldiers and the enemy whom I obey, and whose back I have. In turn, my comrades should be able to depend on me and the enemy knows who to attack. That analogy alone may be enough for one day’s consideration, we could stop right there and have substance to digest. But there is more…
Tom, one of my faithful contributors, adds:
The helmet for a soldier protects his head from blows that may have killed him or left him unconscious. The helmet must be strong enough to absorb impact and allow the soldier to continue the fight. The helmet of Salvation protects, corrects and guards our thoughts. By placing the helmet of Salvation on our heads it should be our prayer that our thoughts are Gods thoughts. Though the Evil one may hit us squarely in the head, we can still be effective on the battle field.
That’s really great stuff Tom! From identity Tom takes us to protection and then on to how salvation guards our mind in God.
Lots of us think of salvation as a transaction that occurred on a certain date and time or a ceremony in our life that ensures an eternity with God. Verses like John 3:16-17 [you know, the poorly made signs held up in the end zones during extra-point attempts] and 1 John 4:10[iv] come mind. The focus seems to be on the end of the game-life and not so much on the right now. As wonderful as an eternity with God must be, can I be honest enough to confess there are times when I would swap a small piece of eternity for the help I desperately need right now. Does that make me an Esau[v] to look for benefits from Salvation before my days come to an end?
Could Salvation be even bigger than an Eternity Insurance policy. Can it be something I can Put-On and use and not just an historical event. Is it possible to “be saved, being saved and will be saved”. When sin seems the answer, can salvation free us; when surrounded by destructive influences, can we be rescued by salvation? Could we be in battle, struggles, stress, difficulties and have a moment of clarity when the helmet keeps us focused on the fact I will be saved no matter the outcome? Is that moment itself salvation because it plants the seed of hope in my mind and that hope strengthens me enough to push on? How can this all be gotten from wearing the right headgear?
The same writer to the Ephesians wrote to the Philippians and cheered them on with some of the same words. In chapter 4
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!.............. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you
The writer says that what we have thought, read, meditated, studied is really important as it shapes our thoughts. Garbage in, Garbage out or God stuff in, God stuff out, conversely.
The Roman writer talks about the transformation of the mind as a salvation work:
Romans 12 A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The renewal is the salvation. We don’t fall into old patterns of thought that likely got us in the mess in the first place.
Dallas Willard in his book Renovation of the Heart writes about thinking, right thinking that saves us. So when, not if, we are surrounded by the enemy is we have a response-ability. We can choose to have a thought process something like:
A. This is total confusion
B. No one cares about me
C. There is no way I can win
D. All is lost
Or we have the ability to respond, the response-ability, to order our thoughts as follows;
a) God Loves me-John 3:16
b) I am his – 1 John 5:11-12
c) He knew this would happen – Psalms 139:12-14, Psalms 10:29-30, Jeremiah 12:3
d) He has a plan for my life –Jeremiah 29:11
e) I need to wait and watch for his miraculous answer. Psalms 130:5-6
f) His answer is bigger than my need – Ephesians 3:20[vi]
Willard goes on to write about how our feelings will follow our thinking and our will is bolstered as well. The way we choose to think about our trials tells friends and foes alike whose army we belong to. We pick the flag we raise.
So, God has given us a helmet that protects our heads as Tom wrote so that we can think “on these things”, be “transformed” by a new way of thinking and have the strength to move forward in our battles expecting God to fulfill his promises to his followers.
I don’t know about you but I am encouraged, a little ashamed, and challenged. I had the ability to shape how I thought about lots of my problems in the past but framed the argument apart for Truth-oh, ya, we talked about that didn’t we. I didn’t have the helmet on and the enemies blows keep me reeling so it was hard to get my thoughts together as Willard wrote. That realization of salvation in the middle of the battle, the moment of bright clarity in the fog of war, may depend on my “mind renewal”, a continuous effort and a discipline to be ready to “think right”, to respond right, when the time comes.
Let’s go get ‘em! Hey…wait a minute…don’t forget your helmet!
[i] This is part of a numbered series of writings that began with the financial meltdown in October 2008. I call them Tomes [ rhymes with comb for you people with hair on your head] or a volume forming a part of a larger work because some day I may pull them together into a collection. If you wish to receive the entire series or no longer wish to be copied, contact Timothy Bailey @ chiefcredit@tcfbank.com
[ii] http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?model=18
[iii] Verse 17, King James Version
[iv] 1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
[vi] Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
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