The Helmet of Salvation

The helmet of salvation

            The next piece of the Roman soldier’s armor that Paul wrote concerning was the helmet.  The Roman soldier’s helmet protected the back and sides of their neck along with their head and it allowed the ears the freedom to hear.  Paul incorporated the helmet of the Roman soldier into Ephesians chapter six to illustrate another point to the believers.
            Paul instructed the believer to “put on the helmet of salvation.”  The “helmet of salvation” appeared twice in Scripture.[1]  Paul used the helmet to refer to salvation or the hope of salvation, which lies within the mind.

            Paul wrote using the Roman soldier helmet as an illustration that the believer is responsible for guarding His mind.  He penned in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”  Believers should have the mind of Christ.  As the believer progresses in salvation, the old, carnal mind should be replaced with the mind of Christ.    The believer’s mind should meditate upon God[2] and upon His wonderful works to the children of men.[3]  The Christian should also control their mind.  They should control all of their thoughts in order not to be caught off guard by the enemy.  II Corinthians 10:5 states, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”  Christ mandates the believer to control their thoughts in every situation and moment of the day.  By safe-guarding their thoughts, the believer meditates upon the hope of their salvation.

            The power of the helmet lies within the believer’s hope of salvation.  What is the believer’s hope of salvation.  First, the believer’s hope of salvation lies with Christ Himself.  The believer must remember that Christ only spoke truth and that everything contained within the Bible is truth.  They must remember that God is not a fallible man[4] but all-powerful and not capable of lying.[5]  The security of heaven must be settled in the believer’s mind.

            Secondly, the believer must always remember that heaven waits for them.  All of heaven rejoiced when the believer received Christ as their personal Savior,[6] but the enemy desires to muddy the believer’s ability to perceive the reality of heaven.    The believer not only receives access to all of heaven, but Christ prepares a special portion just for the believer.[7]  This addition of heaven that Christ built for the Bride is the New Jerusalem.[8]  The believer receives more than just heaven and a special place prepared for him or her as their reward.

            Thirdly, the believer experience Christ first hand.  The believer finally receives the opportunity to behold their Savior face to face and spend eternity with Him.  The Bride is never again going to be separated from her Husband.  The two have become one and shall be together for eternity.  But, the believer does not just spend eternity with Christ, they also share Christ’s inheritance.

            Fourthly, Christ shares His inheritance with the believer.  Romans 8:17 states, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”  The believer receives and has access to the same inheritance as Christ.  Christ will receive the throne of David and the believer will rule and reign with Him.[9]  The believer will also eat of a tree.

            God will grant the believer access to the tree of life in order to eat of it.  Revelation 2:7 states, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden after they partook of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in order to prevent them from eating of the Tree of Life and living forever in their sin.[10]  But, to the believer who overcomes, God will grant him or her access to the Tree of Life.

            The believer also possesses God’s assurance that they will never be separated from Him.  Revelation 2:11 states, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”  What is this second death?  The second death involves the casting of one into the lake of fire.[11]  The second death does not just involve being cast into the lake of fire, but, it also includes eternal separation from the presence of God with no hope of redemption.  God offered mankind a hope of redemption through Jesus because He loved us, but, at this point, the individual made their decision and now the punishment is eternity of pain and suffering with no hope of redemption.  However, the believer made their decision to dwell eternally in the presence of God.  Thus, God gives the believer an assurance that they are safe from the second death.

            The believer also has the hope of eating the hidden manna and receiving a white stone with a new name on it.  Revelation 2:17 states, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”  White is the color of purity and righteousness and names always were a reflection of an individual’s character.  Will this white stone reflect the character of the believer while on earth?   Will this white stone reveal the believer’s faithfulness while on earth?  Will the name be “Faithful,” “Meek,” or “Powerful” or will it portray something like “Rollercoaster,” “Waivered,” or “Unstable?”  Regardless of the name, the believer is promised a new name on a white stone.

            God also gave the believer the hope of ruling the nations.  Revelation 2:26 declares, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.”  Scripture declares that the believer will be a king and a priest to God during the Millennial Reign of Christ.[12]  God will give the believer all power to rule the nations with Christ.  Will God give each believer a portion of the world to rule over?  Will He set up His own governmental network during the Millennial Reign?  Will some be in the position of president while others are only mayors due to their relationship with God during their lifetime on earth?  Only time will tell when time is no more but, one thing is certain, the believer will rule the nations with Christ.[13]

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[1] Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

I Thessalonians 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

[2] Psalm 63:6 “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”

[3] Psalm 107:8 “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”

[4]  Acts 1:3 “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

[5]  Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

[6]  Luke 15:7 “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”

 Luke 15:10 “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

[7] John 14:2-3 “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

[8]  Revelation 3:12 “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

Revelation 21:2-3 “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

[9] Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

Revelation 5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

[10] Genesis 3:22-24 “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

[11] Revelation 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

 Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

[12] Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

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