The Helmet of Salvation
—Armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

As Christians we are at war —not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness and darkness. To win this war, to fight the good fight, we must be adequately equipped. Part of that equipment is "The Helmet of Salvation" (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Paul may have drawn this image from Isaiah who describes the Redeemer of Zion: "He put righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head" (Isaiah 59:17)

Paul uses the same image in 1Thessalonians 5:8 where he urges Christians to "Put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation".

Isaiah’s "Redeemer of Zion" is Jesus Christ, and he is "the Captain of our salvation" (Hebrews 2:10). So we wear the same armour as he. We become "conformed to the image of God’s Son" (Romans 8:29).

What does it mean to put on the helmet of salvation and the full armour of God? That's what this lesson is about.

We now consider the following points. Soldiers of Christ, who put on the helmet of salvation, will do the following...

1 Heed Captain’s Orders

Soldiers must heed and obey the orders of their superiors. Helmets protect their heads, but they are not expected to use their heads to invent orders for themselves. Soldiers don't do their own will, but rather the will of their superiors.

In the Lord’s army, his soldiers heed his will, and he says to them, "Don't be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is" (Ephesians 5:17).

2 Enter by His Protocol

People can't just turn up at parade and expect to be treated as soldiers. There are procedures to be followed rigidly for entrance into the army.

Before you can put on the helmet of salvation, you have to be initiated into the army of the Lord. There is an entry protocol that starts with a confession of belief in Jesus Christ, and is completed when one is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13).

This process includes repentance and baptism, the ceremony in which God gives new life in Christ and salvation by grace (Ephesians 2:1-6, Romans 6)

3 Learn by His Discipline

Soldiers are expected to train hard, learn various skills, and aquire certain attitudes. Those who have "not learned Christ" (Ephesians 4:20) have no helmet of salvation to wear and no place in his army.

The helmet of salvation obligates its wearers to become completely new persons by being "taught in Christ" and adopting his image (Ephesians 4:20-24)

4 Mature to His Stature

The helmet of salvation heightens one's stature to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). We strive to grow strong and mature like the Captain of our salvation.

5 Endure in His Battle

Those who put on the helmet of salvation must be courageous, and "walk worthy of the calling" (Ephesians 4:1-5).

They must be true to the bond that unites them with their comrades. The helmet is not for the weak, the selfish, or the cowardly.

6 Triumph in His Victory

Having endured the battle to the end, the soldiers of Christ will triumph with him. They have a place reserved in heavenly glory through the wonderful plan of salvation so wonderfully worked out by God.

The strategy of the Lord’s army is to win glory, and exchange their helmets for crowns (Ephesians 1:3-12, 1Timothy 4:7-8).

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Heed Captain’s orders,
   obey his will not yours
Enter God’s Army
   by his protocol
Learn the skills,
   attitudes, discipline
Mature with Christ,
   aspire to his stature
Endure the Hardships
   of the battle
Triumph in the end,
   win glory with Christ.

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Webservant Ron Graham

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