The Book of Ephesians Pt. 57 The Helmet of Salvation & Protecting Our Mind.

Paul has been teaching us about the whole armor of God. We have seen clearly how imperative it is for each born again believer in Jesus Christ to "put on" this armor. We are in the army of Jesus Christ because God plucked us out of the Devil's domain of darkness and securely placed us in the kingdom of God (Colossians 1:12-14). 

Before salvation we were the enemies of God, following the lust of our flesh, and doing the bidding of a sin cursed culture Romans 5:8-11; Colossians 1:15-23). However, after salvation, an enraged Devil is now our fierce foe and he is relentless in attacking born again Christians. 

The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-16  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13)  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Paul demonstrated the vital necessity of seeking strength  from the mighty power of Jesus Christ so that we can stand firm against the wiles of the devil. We learned that spiritual warfare is like hand to hand combat for life or death. 

• Putting on the belt of truth is the idea of being fully surrounded by the truth that is in Jesus Christ and taking in the holy Word of God, filling our minds and hearts with eternal truth. 

• Putting on the breastplate of righteousness refers to the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to each believer, so that we stand robed in His righteousness. 

• Putting on the gospel of peace on our feet is the idea of truly knowing Jesus Christ, and realizing that we used to be at war with God but now we are at peace and have peace with Him through faith in Christ. 

• Putting on the shield of faith is taking this shield up as an overarching protection. Over all of these three pieces of armor is the shield of faith. We learned about faith in what God says in His Word. Faith in the redeeming work of Christ and faith that we will ultimately receive as fulfillment of each promise God made.

The Helmet of Salvation.

Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

The helmet of salvation joins together with the shield of faith to form two strong and comprehensive defensive weapons. 

The word "take" means to grasp the helmet when it is offered to us. We gratefully receive the helmet of salvation for protection from our enemy. The head of each soldier was among the vital parts to be defended, because it was a common tactic to target your enemy's head.

Why? Because it is the head that commands the whole body. The head is the seat of the mind, and when our mind lays hold of Gospel “hope” of eternal life, that believer will not receive false doctrine, or give way to Satan’s temptations to despair.

Psalm 140:6-7  I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 7) O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 

The glorious truth that we are saved must be appropriated by us, rested on and rejoiced in. It will protect even so vital a part as the head and will keep us from intellectual surrender and rationalistic doubt.

Jehovah will hear the prayers and supplications from the sheep of His pasture. He is our strength and mighty Savior. He conquered sin, death, the grave and the devil at the cross of Christ. When we pray and read the Word as we put on the armor of God He covers our head in the day of battle. The word "covered" means to block it off, to screen it and to protect it. This is what the helmet of salvation will do for each soldier in Christ's army. 

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

Paul taught us to walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and in this text we are reminded that the helmet of salvation is a helmet of a great and abiding hope for each believer who placed repentant faith in Christ. Hope leads us to fervently worship God in times of peace and causes us to persevere and pray in times of trial and trouble. 

God's truth changes the way that we think. 

Romans 8:5-6  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

A carnally minded person is more concerned about the things of the world that appeal to the lust of the flesh. They give little thought to the things of God. A spiritually minded person seeks the kingdom of God first, and is consistently reading and meditating upon the Word of God, filling their mind with its sustaining truth. 

Be transformed by a renewed mind.

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Spiritual warfare is focused on our mind because what dominates our thinking is what we are going to talk about and eventually act upon. The only way that a believer can live a life that honors God is by not being conformed to the world, and being transformed by a renewed mind. 

How is our mind renewed? Through taking in the living truth of the Word of God. The word "transformed" is found in the word "metamorphosis"  which refers to a caterpillar weaving a cocoon and emerging later in an entirely different form, a beautiful butterfly. 

Thus, we need to change the way that we think and replace carnal thinking with spiritual mindedness. 

Romans 15:5-6  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6)  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The purpose of a renewed and transformed mind is to enable each believer with mind and mouth to glorify our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This is part of our high calling in Christ and is what we must be preoccupied with when we put on the helmet of salvation. Satan's fiery darts will most assuredly target our mind and a renewed mind that is daily being transformed can be protected from his onslaught (Ephesians 4:23-24).

Think on these things.

Philippians 4:7-8  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

More practical guidance on how to renew our minds and have our thinking process transformed. God promises to "keep" our heart and mind through Jesus Christ. The word "keep" means to put into a safe and secure place, sheltered from the enemy. 

Paul gives us the spiritually minded things that our mind should focus upon. Spiritual things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous or praiseworthy from God's vantage point. We are to think on these things. Doing so will renew our mind and transform our thinking.

The word "think" is found in the word "logic". The word "logic" means the art of thinking and reasoning justly. Logic is using reason well in our inquiries after truth, and the communication of it to others.

Correct reasoning implies correct thinking and legitimate inferences from premises, which are principles admitted to be just. Logic then includes the art of thinking, as well as the art of reasoning.

The purpose of logic is to direct the intellectual powers in the investigation of truth, and in the communication of it to others.

Logic then, is thinking and reasoning that filters all inputs through the lens of the Word of God. It means that our way of thinking and reasoning is brought into conformity with what God reveals in His Word. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We learned a lot of truth about the helmet of salvation. It is a protective piece designed to guard our our heart, our mind and the center of our emotions. 

The warrior’s head rises above his shield and was frequently open to attack. An arrow might pass over the shield and inflict a mortal blow. Our faith, at the best, has its deficiencies and its limits; but God’s salvation reaches beyond our highest confidence in Him. His overshadowing presence is the crown of our salvation, His love its shining crest.

God’s hand is stretched out to bestow on His chosen warrior the helmet of salvation and the sword of His word, to complete his equipment for the perilous field. We accept these gifts with devout gratitude, knowing from what source they come and where the heavenly arms were fashioned.

2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Paul helps us to see that God give us the helmet of salvation to strengthen our faith, to renew and transform our minds so that we enter spiritual warfare with a sound mind, a mind that is resting on the promises of God, anticipating the fulfillment of God's promises and filled with eternal hope because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

I pray that we will all dwell upon the whole armor of God and be filled with gratitude to our caring Father who provided what we need to survive spiritual warfare and not yield any territory to His enemy. 

Bob