Today, we continue our series Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. As we seek to run well the race marked out for us, this calling means advancing the righteous reign of King Jesus in our own hearts, attitudes, and behavior, not to mention shaping each sphere of life with Christ’s agenda. But it is very easy to think, “Who am I to spread righteousness anywhere? Whoever thinks that’s my job in life, doesn’t understand the corruption of MY heart and weakness of MY flesh.” But it is Christ who told his followers to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Jesus calls us to this primary life focus, knowing the weakness of our sinful nature because his plan has never been for us to seek righteousness in our own strength but in his. He tell us.
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 evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God (Eph 6:10-13).
This episode tries to define in practical terms how to put on the helmet of salvation and how that protects us in the fight to do the right thing.
A few years ago, I was sitting in the stands watching some of the finest moments in my son’s collegiate football career. Playing the Rover position (sort of combination safety/linebacker, he had stopped the opposing ball carrier for no gain. On the next play he chased down the tailback on a sweep for a loss. A few plays later, he met the fullback right in the hole at the line of scrimmage for no gain. But my son didn’t get up. The running back had ducked his head just as Josh hit him in a helmet-to-helmet collision. Josh had a concussion that kept him in a dark, quiet dorm room for three days and out of football for weeks.
The main purpose of helmets, whether in sports, in battle, or in work situations like construction sites, is to protect the brain from injury. The brain must be fiercely protected, because once the brain is damaged, body functions also get damaged. That is why the NFL is investing millions in helmet design, most recently studying God’s design of woodpeckers. This medical reality is also the reason behind the helmets worn by the Roman legions. They did not want their soldiers concussed and therefore controlled by fuzzy vision and confused thinking. Paul tells Christians that our salvation is like a helmet protecting us from fuzzy, confused thinking. But how does the helmet of salvation do that? And what does it mean to take up the helmet of salvation over and over—we don’t have keep asking Christ to come into our lives over and over again!
Some commentators envision the helmet’s protection of the brain to be protecting our thinking—the process by which God’s Word renews our minds. Indeed, spiritual warfare is very much about the thoughts that capture our mind. In 2 Corinthians 10 we are told that we have divine power to destroy…. arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (vs 5). But in the text we’re studying, the next piece of armor Paul will mention is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, by which Jesus took every thought captive when he fought Satan. When Paul says, “Take the helmet of salvation” he is NOT talking about the need to renew our mind in this verse; he is talking about how understanding SALVATION in particular protects our minds.
An important clue in understanding Paul’s teaching on the armor of God is realizing that Paul is as influenced by Isaiah’s writing about the armor of God as by the Roman soldiers guarding him, if not more. Here are the verses that impacted Paul concerning the helmet of salvation (describing God’s decision to HIMSELF bring salvation):
Man’s Evil: Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.
Man Can’t Save Himself: He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
The Solution: then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a HELMET OF SALVATION on his head. (59:15-17b).
This text uses the same expression Paul used, helmet of salvation. The whole point to the Isaiah 59 text is that salvation for Adam’s race can not come from another human; God, himself must provide salvation from sin and its consequences. God himself will be the Messiah who wears the helmet of salvation and breastplate of righteousness. So, taking up the helmet of salvation is a reference to the reality that salvation from sin comes by grace alone, through Christ alone. Think of what Paul has already said in this same letter about salvation. By grace you have been SAVED through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (2:8-9).
Remember, the purpose of a helmet is to protect the brain. So what Paul is saying is that in some way the reality that salvation from sin comes by grace alone through Christ alone PROTECTS our thinking as Christians. I believe this is the truest understanding of taking the helmet of salvation. Let me try to say this another way. The one to whom he helmet of salvation belongs in Scripture is only Christ (Is 59:17) But we get to wear that helmet because of grace, that we are “IN Christ,” dependent upon him for every aspect of salvation. So, the helmet of salvation to which Paul refers is the protective truth surrounding our thinking that SALVATION IS FROM CHRIST AND NOT FROM US. To see how this truth can protect our thinking, let’s consider three component parts to our salvation.
Salvation Means We Are Saved from The PENALTY Of Sin
The Greek word for salvation, SOTERIA includes deliverance from God’s just wrath upon all lawbreakers separating them from his holy presence and consigning them justly to destruction in hell. Jesus said, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24). The salvation story is the reality that we ourselves are destitute sinners whose only hope is God’s mercy. God, himself must save us. How does surrounding our daily thinking with the helmet of salvation protect us?
1. It protects us from thinking WE ARE TOO DIRTY FOR GOD TO WANT A RELATIONSHIP WITH. In Luke 5, after spending a whole night finding no fish, Peter sees Jesus miraculously fill his nets. Luke reports, But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” I have found that many men struggling with lust, feel the same way. “Lord I know you love me, and forgive me because Christ died for my sins. But you are holy. My lust is so repulsive it makes me disgusting to you. Depart from me. I’ll be back to see you after I’ve proved that I really am sorry for my sin by getting a few wins under my belt.”
But putting the helmet of salvation on means, knowing that only Christ can make us holy. We are declared righteous. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. And Christ’s righteousness is not so incomplete that we have to add a little of our own! The truth about our salvation is that we are far more flawed than our lust proves while at the same time we are far more loved and accepted than we imagined. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, write, When we finally understand that God isn’t mad at us any more, we become free to concentrate on love and growth instead of trying to appease him (How People Grow).
A mother named Maria understood the principle that feeling dirty might drive someone away from those who love her. Her 15-year-old daughter, Christiana, had run away from home to the big city. Maria knew Christiana would turn to prostitution to support herself. She also knew that when Christiana did so, she would feel too dirty and disgusting to think her mom and family would ever want a relationship with her, again. So, Maria threw some clothes in a bag, gathered all her money, and bought a bus ticket for Rio de Janeiro. She stopped by the drugstore to take as many pictures of herself as she could afford. Maria visited every hotel, nightclub, or bar where prostitutes hung out. At each place she left her picture—taped on a bathroom mirror or tacked to a hotel bulletin board. On the back of each photo, she wrote a note. But before long, Maria was out of photos and money. So, broken-hearted, she returned home.
A few weeks later, young Christiana descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her big brown eyes no longer danced with the laughter of youth but spoke of pain and fear. She longed to trade these countless beds for the secure pallet of her bedroom at home. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyes noticed a familiar face. There on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christiana’s eyes blurred with tears as she crossed the room and removed the small photo. Written on the back was this compelling invitation: “Whatever you have done, whatever you have become, it doesn’t matter. Please come home.” Christiana did. (No Wonder They Call Him Savior, by Max Lucado).
Putting on the helmet of salvation means remembering that God’s arms are always open to us like the arms of the father who runs to throw his arms around the prodigal son.
2. The helmet of salvation protects us from JUDGING OTHERS. Jesus taught,
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye (Matt 7:3-5).
Taking up the helmet of salvation means remembering the rock from under which I was dug--that my salvation is all about God’s incredible mercy for me. I have a whole forest of timber in my eyes, compared to another’s speck. When the flaws and sinfulness of others wound me or make my life more difficult, my own desperate need for God’s mercy surrounds and protects my mind from impatience, anger, retaliation, and bitterness.
3. The helmet of salvation protects me from APATHY TOWARDS THE POOR, THE OUTCASTS, THE HURTING. Let’s think for a moment of the Good Samaritan.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back (Lk 10:30-35).
How does this relate to putting on the helmet of salvation? WE are the wounded man. We lay helpless and bankrupt, dying in the road. Christ who is our natural enemy because he is God who hates evil, who owes us nothing, nevertheless shows great mercy for us. He stops and gives us of his riches and saves us. When we realize we are the one in need of mercy, we better understand the gospel of grace. Christians who RECEIVE mercy must be drawn to those who NEED mercy.
There are two powerful effects that the gospel of grace has on a person who has been touched by it writes Tim Keller. First, the person who knows that he has received mercy while an undeserving enemy of God will have a heart of love for even (and especially) the most difficult and ungrateful persons. When a Christian sees prostitutes, alcoholics, prisoners, drug addicts, unwed mothers, the homeless, the refugee, he knows that he is looking in a mirror….The second major effect that the gospel of grace has on a person is that it creates spontaneous generosity (Ministries of Mercy)
My salvation story is that he who was rich emptied himself so that I who am poor might be rich. This truth that is foundational to the salvation story is a helmet that protects me from apathy for those broken by sin. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, said our master (Lk 12:48).
Salvation Means We Are Saved from the POWER of Sin
4. Putting on the helmet of salvation protects us from PASSIVITY AND LAZINESS. The salvation story was never just that those who put their faith in Christ are saved from the penalty of their sin and go to heaven when they die. Such a mistaken understanding leads to a neglect of Christ’s call to discipleship—the call to enjoy a personal relationship with him right now, the call to become like him in this life, the call to spread the kingdom of righteousness over our sphere of earth.
The word salvation refers to the truth that believers are being saved from the power of sin in this life. Justification is a one-time act that saves us from sin’s punishment. Sanctification is the ongoing process of saving us from sin’s power. Paul writes: For this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thes 4:3). I am called to pursue God’s goal for my life: holiness of character. Salvation is not spiritual retirement. It is pressing on towards our upward call in Christ Jesus.
5. Putting on the helmet of salvation protects us from NEGLECTING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. The helmet of salvation is the reality that Jesus is the only one with the power to save me from sin’s destructive power. WE MUST DEPEND UPON HIM EVERYDAY. Jesus precedes his marching orders to the church to make disciples with a very important historic fact about our power for discipleship. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples (Matt 28:18). It is only in the power of Christ that I can surrender to Christ’s kingly rule over my heart loyalties, heart attitudes, and the other spheres of my life. After Christ ascended, he poured out the Holy Spirit who empowers us to be holy. But the only way the spiritual fruit of godliness is produced is by abiding in Christ, because he is the vine, and we are the branches.
Salvation Means We Are Saved from the PRESENCE of sin
6. Putting on the helmet of salvation protects us from DESPAIR, when evil wins.
The third aspect of the word, salvation, refers to our future hope. The biblical word for hope does not imply uncertainty as the English word does. Our hope is certain, but it is future. Before penning the verses we are studying in Ephesians, Paul had written to the Thessalonians, Let us be sober, having put on...for a helmet the hope of salvation. Here, Paul had referred to this third part of salvation—the final return of Christ when all of creation will be set free from its bondage to sin and restored. (Rom 8:18-21). We are given a glimpse in Rev 21.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away…. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment” (Rev 21:1-5).
John’s vision of the new heaven and the new earth is breathtaking. God’s people are adorned as a bride for his son, clothed in righteousness. God, whose presence dwelt in the tabernacle and temple of old, will be present with them to satisfy their hearts with the ecstasy of his immediate presence; they will see him face-to-face. Sorrows will be turned to joy, mourning and pain wiped from memory. Thirst will be quenched without cost.
During this church age evil will triumph at times, then be driven back, and then triumph, back and forth. But taking up the helmet of salvation is remembering that sin’s utter defeat will take place one day. The proof of that, argued Paul, was Christ’s resurrection. That is why he closed his chapter on the resurrection (I Corinthians 15) with the words, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain (vs 58).
For Further Prayerful Thought:
1. Why does taking up the helmet of salvation mean something different from just thinking biblically about stuff.
2. How does putting on the helmet of salvation protect us from thinking we are too dirty for God to love?
3. Why does being saved by grace alone cause a true Christian to be drawn to those who need mercy?
