Helmet of Salvation
by Jim Estep
I love football. There’s something appealing about millionaires brutally hurting one another for our entertainment. They are fairly well protected, especially now with growing concern for head injuries and concussions. When I think of a helmet, I immediately think “football.” We wear helmets in other scenarios as well: on construction sites, riding motorcycles and bicycles, military and space aviators wear them, etc., but all for the same reason: protect your head!
Ephesians 6:8-14 outlines the dangers we face as believers. Like it or not, realize it or not, there are real dangers out there!
The devil is scheming, actively seeking for you to mess up, stumble, trip, to make you lose what you have gained this year!
We are wrestling with cosmic powers of darkness and that is especially hard when we are away from the community that constantly reinforces our faith.
Spiritual warfare is constantly raging around and against us because of the unseen forces of evil.
Here’s what Paul tells us: life’s rough, so wear a helmet! Along with all the other parts of the armor of God, he says in chapter 6 verse 17, “…take the helmet of salvation…”
I did a lot to prepare for this blog. I prayed, I studied commentaries, I reviewed the Greek text with an emphasis on each word in the phrase, I even checked for textual variants, and I learned that all of these authorities said the same thing; all were in full agreement about this passage.
It says, “a helmet protects your head.” Awesome! And, duh, what else would a helmet do? “OK, move on” without giving it a second thought, right? Then I realized something. Protection is the whole point, but we take this for granted. Of course helmets protect our heads. But, when this is put this into context and we look at what Paul said in verses 10-13, we often still under-appreciate the protection that the helmet of salvation provides.
HOW IS SALVATION MY HELMET?
Salvation continually renews our mind! “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV, emphasis added). Again, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9-11 ESV, emphasis added). These passages clearly show that salvation, that being part of God’s family, affects the way we think. The helmet of salvation transforms and renews the way I think.
Salvation protects us from sin! “Without that hope to fortify, without the present deliverance and the confidence of rescue from the bondage of the past, the Christian may easily be mortally wounded in the conflict” (Francis Foulkes, Tyndale Commentary: Ephesians, p. 176).
“Because you belong to [Jesus], the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:2, NLT). Salvation is part of our protection against doubt, untruth, false ideas, temptation. Because our salvation is from God, and God’s wisdom in the cross of Jesus is stronger than anything we think, it’s part of God’s divine protection plan for us.
Salvation offers total coverage! I’m not talking about salvation as fire insurance. But what good is a helmet if it leaves your head exposed? Salvation leaves nothing uncovered. Paul addresses salvation’s past, present, and future in Ephesians 2:5, 2:8, and 1 Thessalonians 5:8, respectively (emphases added below).
Past: …even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life… (Eph. 2:5, NLT)
Present: …you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Eph. 2:8, NLT)
Future: …having put on … for a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thes. 5:8, ESV)
There is nothing you did that cannot be covered by Jesus; there’s nothing you’re doing that cannot be atoned by his sacrifice, and ultimately our hope is salvation in the end – Jesus’ ultimate triumph over sin and death. We are facing forward, already set on eternity with Him; not being derailed, distracted, or tempted by the temporal trappings around us, because salvation permeates our thoughts.
Conclusion
Is salvation really our helmet? Think of a role you fill: elder, adult child, sibling, spouse, parent, minister, employee. How does being a Christian affect how you value that, define that; how does it affect your behaviors and attitudes? How does being a Christian make a tangible difference in your life? This is the process of folding salvation into our lives and letting it permeate every dimension of our existence.
One more reminder: a helmet is a provision given by another. Soldiers don’t make or have to go find their own helmets before going into battle. We’re told specifically in 2 Chronicles 26:14 that Uzziah provided the army with their equipment, helmets included. Even if you buy a helmet at the bike shop, you’re getting the benefit of someone else’s work when they designed and made that helmet.
Our salvation, our helmet, was provided by Jesus Christ through his life and death. You didn’t provide salvation for yourself; it was provided to you.
Lead Well!
