“Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand… And take the helmet of salvation,
Ephesians 6:13, 17 (NKJV)
Salvation is the first step to success in the spiritual battle we find ourselves in. Without being a child of God, you don’t stand a chance.
The helmet protects the soldier’s head against serious blows. The head is like the control room – it’s where your mind is, your vision and other senses. Your head needs protecting and salvation is the helmet which protects your head.
Salvation is all about relationship with God (John 3:16; John 17:3). When we are wearing the helmet of salvation, we’re not only born-again (saved and on our way to heaven) but we’re enjoying a living relationship with our Saviour. One of the ways in which salvation (or relationship with God) protects “the control room” (the head) is that salvation affects our thinking and decision making. We should be wiser, and make better decisions because we have a relationship with God. The problem is that we don’t always allow the Lord to influence us in this way and we tend to rely on our own wisdom or conventional wisdom. Because of salvation we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) – but it doesn’t automatically influence our lives. We need to tap into that wisdom and use it. Through relationship with God we can get the guidance and wisdom we need to make decisions and go in the right direction. This happens through His Word and through Holy Spirit (keeping in mind that Holy Spirit will never contradict God’s written Word).
“The Lord is my shepherd… He leads me beside.”
Psalm 23:1,2 (NKJV)
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
James 1:5 (ESV)
We always need to make decisions, and whether they are big or small, we can always ask God for wisdom. He wants you to invite Him and allow Him to lead you. He is The Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and desires to lovingly lead you in the right direction – towards the great plans and destiny that He has for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Salvation changes everything. Now you’re a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17); the old way of doing things has passed away (relying on yourself and conventional wisdom has passed away) and the new way has come (now you can rely on and draw from your relationship with your loving heavenly Father).
If “the helmet of salvation” protects your head, this also shows us the importance of having God’s Word protect our minds – we need to be spiritually-minded (Word-minded) and not carnal-minded (Romans 8:6). What we think about is important and so we need to change our way of thinking and start thinking in accordance with God’s Word (Romans 12:2). It is important that we spend time in God’s Word so that we start to think according to God’s Word. It’s also important that we spend time in prayer allowing God to speak to us in our hearts.
If you want to be an effective “soldier” in the spiritual battle then you need to control your thinking and be “spiritually-minded”. Before you win any battle on the outside you need to win the battle on the inside (of your mind) (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Thought to focus on for the day:
Through my relationship with God I have access to His wisdom and can therefore make good decisions. I hear God’s voice (John 10:27). He will lead me and guide me with His love (Psalm 32:8). I am never alone; I can always rely on Him to walk with me in my decisions (Isaiah 30:21). Because I am doing life with Him, all things will work together for my good (Romans 8:28).
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