A New Wardrobe Part 5 - Helmet of Salvation
So far, we've put on a belt, breastplate, shoes, and taken up a shield so we're ready for our spiritual battle. We now turn to what might be the most important piece of gear: the helmet of salvation.
Now, Paul may not have actually meant for each of these pieces of battle gear to correspond with the spiritual concept he attached to it. He may have simply made a list of things we need to live our lives for Christ (righteousness, truth, gospel, etc.) and chose random items used in battle (belt, breastplate, shoes, etc.) to make his point more visual. So the Helmet and Salvation may have just ended up together by chance, some say.
But I think God is pretty intentional in what He has allowed in His Word, especially when we can back it up with other Scriptures, particularly when we find the same phrase in the Old Testament and New Testament.
Isaiah 59:15-17 describes the LORD Himself preparing for battle. (We looked at this verse on the Breastplate of Righteousness day!) And isn't it fitting that in addition to the breastplate of righteousness, He also wears the "helmet of salvation on his head," (verse 17, NIV). Not only that, but Paul has another very short list of battle gear in 1 Thessalonians 5:8: "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet," (NIV). Though the characteristics of the breastplate changed from Paul's letter to Ephesus (righteousness) to the letter he wrote to Thessalonica (faith and love), the helmet stayed the same: salvation. I think there's enough there to have a strong bond.
So what would a helmet do? Protect the head and all it contains: the brain and brain stem, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Our brains are the command central for every single thing our bodies do, including those things we aren't even aware of such as pumping blood or multiplying cells. It is the source of four of our five senses (sight, smell, hearing, tasting). Not only that, but there are over 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your brain*. Definitely something worth protecting in physical--and spiritual--battles.
In fact, Scripture speaks often to the importance of protecting our minds:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2, NIV).
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God," (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV).
"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may be somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to God," (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Satan is after your mind. He wants you to believe that God doesn't love you, that He's unkind, unjust, and unfair. He wants you to think you are all alone, that nobody cares, that you are worthless. He knows that your mind controls your attitude, your words, and your actions. If he can capture your mind with lies, he wins.
So our helmet for protecting that most valuable mind is our salvation. The word used in Ephesians 16:17 is solterios, an adjective, meaning "bringing salvation, saving, delivering." But it comes from the word solteria, a noun, which means "salvation, rescue, deliverance, the state of not being in grave danger and so being safe; this can refer to ordinary dangers & conditions on earth, but it usually refers to the state of believers being safe from righteous wrath in an proper relationship with God," **.
So there is something about knowing we are eternally saved that protects our mind. But that doesn't necessarily happen the moment we accept salvation. Remember: Satan is after your mind. And if he can make you doubt your salvation He can make you doubt everything you know & believe about God.
So what do we do about it? We work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). 1 Peter 2:2 says we are to "grow up in [our] salvation." Salvation is a decision we make in an instant, but it is a lifetime process to complete it. We're saved forever, but we never stop striving to figure out what that really means. And through this Jesus-seeking transformation we continually confirm our salvation because we interact with Christ through the Spirit more and more deeply.
This is a long passage, but bear with me here:
"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall," (2 Peter 1:5-10, NIV).
Don't sit on your salvation. It's not meant to be a walk-down-the-aisle-and-you're-done kind of faith. According to Peter, one who does that forgets "that he has been cleansed from his past sins," and begins to doubt his salvation. The helmet begins to slip off.
Want the helmet of salvation on snugly? Want to wear it effectively? Make sure you're salvation is growing through your study of His Word, prayer, discipleship (learning to be more like Jesus), and living a life that glorifies God.
Don't doubt the value of your mind. And don't forget to put on your helmet of salvation every day.
Thanks to all the subscribers! Wow! Would you please share this with your friends?
Also, feel free to notebook with me at myleslienotebook@gmail.com
*http://www.nursingassistantcentral.com/blog/2008/100-fascinating-facts-you-never-knew-about-the-human-brain/
**Copyright 1990 Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance
Now, Paul may not have actually meant for each of these pieces of battle gear to correspond with the spiritual concept he attached to it. He may have simply made a list of things we need to live our lives for Christ (righteousness, truth, gospel, etc.) and chose random items used in battle (belt, breastplate, shoes, etc.) to make his point more visual. So the Helmet and Salvation may have just ended up together by chance, some say.
But I think God is pretty intentional in what He has allowed in His Word, especially when we can back it up with other Scriptures, particularly when we find the same phrase in the Old Testament and New Testament.
Isaiah 59:15-17 describes the LORD Himself preparing for battle. (We looked at this verse on the Breastplate of Righteousness day!) And isn't it fitting that in addition to the breastplate of righteousness, He also wears the "helmet of salvation on his head," (verse 17, NIV). Not only that, but Paul has another very short list of battle gear in 1 Thessalonians 5:8: "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet," (NIV). Though the characteristics of the breastplate changed from Paul's letter to Ephesus (righteousness) to the letter he wrote to Thessalonica (faith and love), the helmet stayed the same: salvation. I think there's enough there to have a strong bond.
So what would a helmet do? Protect the head and all it contains: the brain and brain stem, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Our brains are the command central for every single thing our bodies do, including those things we aren't even aware of such as pumping blood or multiplying cells. It is the source of four of our five senses (sight, smell, hearing, tasting). Not only that, but there are over 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your brain*. Definitely something worth protecting in physical--and spiritual--battles.
In fact, Scripture speaks often to the importance of protecting our minds:
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2, NIV).
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God," (2 Corinthians 4:4, NIV).
"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may be somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to God," (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Satan is after your mind. He wants you to believe that God doesn't love you, that He's unkind, unjust, and unfair. He wants you to think you are all alone, that nobody cares, that you are worthless. He knows that your mind controls your attitude, your words, and your actions. If he can capture your mind with lies, he wins.
So our helmet for protecting that most valuable mind is our salvation. The word used in Ephesians 16:17 is solterios, an adjective, meaning "bringing salvation, saving, delivering." But it comes from the word solteria, a noun, which means "salvation, rescue, deliverance, the state of not being in grave danger and so being safe; this can refer to ordinary dangers & conditions on earth, but it usually refers to the state of believers being safe from righteous wrath in an proper relationship with God," **.
So there is something about knowing we are eternally saved that protects our mind. But that doesn't necessarily happen the moment we accept salvation. Remember: Satan is after your mind. And if he can make you doubt your salvation He can make you doubt everything you know & believe about God.
So what do we do about it? We work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). 1 Peter 2:2 says we are to "grow up in [our] salvation." Salvation is a decision we make in an instant, but it is a lifetime process to complete it. We're saved forever, but we never stop striving to figure out what that really means. And through this Jesus-seeking transformation we continually confirm our salvation because we interact with Christ through the Spirit more and more deeply.
This is a long passage, but bear with me here:
"...make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall," (2 Peter 1:5-10, NIV).
Don't sit on your salvation. It's not meant to be a walk-down-the-aisle-and-you're-done kind of faith. According to Peter, one who does that forgets "that he has been cleansed from his past sins," and begins to doubt his salvation. The helmet begins to slip off.
Want the helmet of salvation on snugly? Want to wear it effectively? Make sure you're salvation is growing through your study of His Word, prayer, discipleship (learning to be more like Jesus), and living a life that glorifies God.
Don't doubt the value of your mind. And don't forget to put on your helmet of salvation every day.
Thanks to all the subscribers! Wow! Would you please share this with your friends?
Also, feel free to notebook with me at myleslienotebook@gmail.com
*http://www.nursingassistantcentral.com/blog/2008/100-fascinating-facts-you-never-knew-about-the-human-brain/
**Copyright 1990 Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance
Comments
Post a Comment