What is the Helmet of Salvation?
“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” (Ephesians 6:16-17, ESV)
When I was about 6 years old, I attended a summer camp at a local farm.
This was the beginning of my horse obsession.
One of the first lessons at camp taught us about the necessary equipment, both for the horse and for the rider.
The horse must be equipped with a saddle, saddle pad, girth, and bridle.
The rider must be equipped with proper riding attire such as breeches (pants), boots, gloves, and a helmet.
Young Sara Claudia smiling next to her black horse that is saddled up and ready to ride.
This is an important piece because depending on the size of your horse, you might have an exceptionally long way down to the ground, and involuntary dismounts, as my trainer used to call falls, are common in this sport.
Your horse could spook and bolt and send you toppling to the ground, make a sudden stop and send you crashing into a jump, or the horse could become unsteady on his feet and fall, bringing you down with him.
Throughout my years as an equestrian, I have taken many tumbles from horseback.
Because I donned my helmet, however, I was able to jump right back into the saddle with a hopeful spirit that the next ride would turn out better than the last.
The helmet of salvation, the next piece of the armor of God, is one of hope as well.
An open Bible flipping pages through the wind with sunshine beaming on it.
The salvation we have in Christ is a promise of an eternal life spent in glory with Him. No matter what happens to us during this life, we can look forward to it with joyful anticipation.
On the battlefield with our spiritual enemies, deceit is a common attack used against us. Satan often tries to infiltrate our minds, thoughts, and feelings with lies and deception, leaving us fearful and anxious.
In these situations, we need to cover our thoughts with the helmet of salvation.
When I buckled the strap on my helmet before mounting my horse, it was like I was wrapping my thoughts with a protective embrace, and we can do the same on the spiritual battlefield as we fix our minds on the promises and hope that we have in Christ.
How can we practically strap on the helmet of salvation in our everyday lives?
A wonderful place to start is with the advice from Paul found in Philippians 4,
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 ESV)
We have the power to choose our thoughts.
We can choose to dwell on the lies that Satan tells us, or we can choose to dwell on positive, Christ-centered aspects of thought.
For me, this is what donning the helmet of salvation looks like.
It means turning my mind to the one positive, hope-filled thought that will always remain no matter what dark season I am walking through, and that is my savior, Jesus Christ!
Stay tuned to my blog for the last installment of the Armor of God series. I pray that you have enjoyed reading, learning, and growing with me so far!
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