“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of in the heavenly places. 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 6:10-18a ESV

Today’s post is part five in a series about the Armor of God. Click here to read last week’s post.

Helmet of Salvation

We wear helmets to ride bikes, ride horses, and rappel down mountains (I only did that once, and I feel pretty content with doing it just the one time).

The Roman helmet, or galea, was often made of metal with protective side pieces to cover the cheeks.

Helmets are worn to protect our heads. But as part of the Armor of God, the helmet is also meant to protect our minds.

“Take the helmet of salvation. . . “

Ephesians 6:17 ESV

Helmets as protection are mentioned multiple times in the Bible: Isaiah 59:16-18 ESV; 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 ESV; Psalm 60:6-8 ESV; Psalm 108:7-9 ESV)

And if we are to put on the Helmet of Salvation, we need to remember where our salvation comes from: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 ESV

If I have received the gift of salvation, then my mind is protected.

But what is my mind protected from?

For me, it’s thoughts of gossip, judgment, and anxious thoughts. . . and those thoughts aren’t from God.

In fact, any thoughts of condemnation can’t be from God (Romans 8:1 ESV).

So when those thoughts arise, I can think about the things of God (Philippians 4:8; Romans 8:5; Colossians 3:2; Matthew 22:37) and be prepared to keep my thoughts focused on those Godly things in the midst of every day life (1 Peter 1:13; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Then I receive peace (Romans 8:6; Isaiah 26:3) and can discern the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 4:23).

Wow, that’s powerful stuff right there.

But wait, there’s more. . . 

Romans soldiers wore plumes on their helmets to represent their rank. A lack of plume, a plume worn front to back, or a plume worn side to side showed their standing in the Roman army.

As Christians, how do we show our standing as children of God? How do we wear our “plume” of salvation?

We should live lives that point to Christ (Philippians 1:27-29 ESV).

We should live lives full of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5 ESV.

Easier said than done, I know. But let’s go for it.

How is the plume on your Helmet of Salvation looking these days?

“Take the helmet of salvation. . . ” Ephesians 6:17 ESV