(The helmet
Pt. 1 of 2)
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God”
Ephesians
6:17
The
helmet worn by a Roman soldier was their most expensive piece of equipment and
served a very obvious purpose; to protect the head and neck from receiving a
fatal wound. One blow to the carotid artery would cause a man to bleed out. One
blow to the head would fracture a man’s skull leading to death.
We
see an example of man’s vulnerability in battle, when he fails to properly
secure his helmet, in Judges 9:52-53:
“Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it.
But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman
dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.”
Without
the helmet of salvation securely in place we are extremely susceptible to the
enemy’s attacks. By carefully examining
Paul’s writings we see that he understood this and declared it to God’s people.
He began by using imagery found in Isaiah 59:17 in his depiction of the armor
of God found in Ephesians 6:
“He put on righteousness
like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head, and he put on
garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself in zeal and a mantle.”
He
then carried the narrative into 1 Thessalonians 5:8 where he writes:
“But since we are of the
day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a
helmet, the hope of salvation.”
Paul’s
writings address both of the aforementioned areas of vulnerability: the neck
and the head. The neck provides two essential functions to the body; it
provides support to and gives direction to the head. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-11
defines this spiritual helmet as the hope of salvation.
As believers
we receive tremendous hope and encouragement by focusing on the sacrifice Jesus
made to give us life and on His soon return; which is the goal of our
salvation. This hope works like a helmet to protect our minds from
discouragement and despair. Before we came to Christ we did not have this hope:
“Remember that at that time you were
separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to
the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through
the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians
2:12-13.
This
hope provides the basis for our faith in Christ. Just as the head rests on the neck; so our
faith rests on hope.
Pastor
Scott Burr
Lead
Pastor
Dayspring
Community Church
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