Bulletproof Helmets (armor of God Part 3)
Only God’s Helmets are Bulletproof, man made ones aren’t!
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation
Every Word of God is useful. But the book of Ephesians really helps me a lot lately. The helmet of salvation, from Ephesians 6:17, represents God’s protection of a believer’s mind, thoughts, and assurance in Christ against spiritual attacks, doubt, and fear. The only qualifier is that you have to ‘put it on’. Like the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. If you leave it in the closet collecting dust, what good will it do you? Use it!
You have to put the helmet on or you have no protection. Just like most of God’s armor pieces that are meant to protect you.
The helmet symbolizes the security of being saved by grace, allowing Christians to focus on eternal hope rather than worldly anxieties. When fear, doubt and anxiety come circling around you like sharks, reach into the closet, pull out the helmet and place it securely upon your head.
We have 1/5 of a second to put on our helmet and to take our thoughts captive. I know that if God tells me to take my thoughts captive, it’s possible to do so. I have also learned it IS possible, for a fifth of a second to do it. Two verses come to mind, although I confess that I myself don’t often remember to do so. I forget to grab the helmet, and to observe the fifth of a second rule. More times than not, I fail miserably.
2 Cor 10:5 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;
We can’t take our thoughts captive if we’re not wearing our helmet. Another commandment that Jesus gives us from another favorite book of mine, the book of James is;
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
God’s Helmet’s usefulness:
Protection of the Mind: Just as a helmet protects a soldier’s head from shrapnel or rocks, this spiritual helmet guards against lies, fear, and discouragement, securing one’s thoughts in God’s truth.
Assurance of Salvation: It provides the confidence and security that one belongs to God, which prevents doubt and spiritual defeat.
Hope: It is often described as the “helmet of the hope of salvation,” representing a firm confidence in future deliverance from sin, and heaven afterwards.
Focus: Wearing this helmet involves shifting perspective from temporal struggles to eternal, godly priorities, helping to renew the mind. Ever noticed in Paul’s day the helmets extended beside the outside of the soldiers’ eyes. They’re like blinders on a race horse, helping them to focus on the imminent threat in front of them, while protecting the vision (and brain) from the side in the meantime.
Biblical Context, if it’s not in context, it’s pretext:
In Ephesians 6, Paul describes this as part of the “Armor of God,” intended to help believers stand firm against spiritual evil. The concept is also linked to 1 Thessalonians 5:8, which explicitly calls it the “hope of salvation”. It is often interpreted as the final piece of armor taken up, signifying a complete reliance on God’s protection. I felt led to insert it today, (halfway through my armor of God series) because the helmet is most critical in this day and age.
1 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.”