THE HELMET OF SALVATION-VERSE 17.

“And take the helmet of salvation;” here again we have another piece of armour made and worn for defensive purposes. In verses 13 & 14 Paul writes; “….and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore.” If we stand firm in our spiritual armour against the devil’s attacks, we will be able to repel all his assaults. However, we are not to fall into the temptation of using the devil’s own weapons against him or any other person. “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead,” 1 Peter 3:8-9. Peter’s instructions here are especially applicable when the devil is working through another person to attack us.

We have a girdle and a breastplate to defend us from anything thrown at us, and to give us comfort in our sincerity and holy walk. These are to repel the enemy’s flaming arrows, but are not weapons for self-revenge. A shield has been put into our hands to quench the fiery arrows of the devil, but not to send fiery darts in return. We are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, but there is no pride here with which to trample those who wrong us. We see therefore that most of the pieces of our armour are to defend us in suffering but not to protect us from it. As a Christian, we all will suffer in some way or other in life’s battles, but the Lord has given us the means of protection.

In verse 17, Paul says, “In addition….,” and links this helmet of salvation to the other pieces of armour which he has mentioned, and therefore shows the connection between the various pieces. He also does this in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “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.” Why, in this verse, does Paul refer to the helmet as “the hope of salvation?” Because through faith in Christ we have salvation, but not yet in all its fullness. Therefore hope is the supernatural grace of God whereby we expect and wait for all that God has promised but have not yet fully received.

We are rather like those heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:13; “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that we are strangers and exiles on the earth.” On the glorious day of our resurrection we shall receive the fullness of our salvation and all that God has promised, but until that time, we have been given sufficient grace through our hope and helmet of salvation to protect us from the devil’s flaming arrows. So then, our hope in salvation’s fullness is the ultimate object of our Christian expectation.

Just as the helmet protects the head, so this ‘hope of salvation’ defends the mind and the soul. The helmet protects and defends the believer from snares of sin and temptation. As Pilgrim in Pilgrim’s Progress, our own life is like a journey to the heavenly city. We are “pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 3:14. However, like Pilgrim, our life’s journey is beset by various problems caused by Satan through sin and temptation in its various forms, and these are all designed to take our eyes off our ultimate goal. If Satan can weaken our hope of salvation by enticing us back into the world’s ways and thinking, he will certainly do so. However, should this happen, all hope is not lost. Our hope can be revived and strengthened through our repentance and cleansing. Our dear Lord can renew our hope and set us on the right path once again to continue our journey onward and upward.

Just as the helmet defends the soldier’s head from wounds, so it also protects our heart from failing. Having a strong hope in our salvation can give us courage and confidence in our daily walk and warfare. King David had a fearless trust in God and once said, “Though the host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident,” Psalm 27:3. David knew what it was to wear the helmet of salvation, and could say in verse 6 of this Psalm, “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me.”

Through wearing the helmet of salvation we are equipped to lift up our heads, and like David, be confident of the enemy’s defeat, even in the midst of battle. In one of the darkest moments of his life, when he had been forced to flee from his son Absalom, David was still able to say, “But You O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head,” Psalm 3:3. The Lord Jesus, on speaking of the chaos of the last days, before His second coming said, “But when you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near,” Luke 21:28. This is what our helmet, the hope of our salvation, will do for us. We will be able to lift up our heads, even in our darkest hour.

Our helmet of hope is something which we must never take off, that is, until it has served its full purpose. It has been said, “We must take it so far as never lay it down until God takes it off to put a crown of glory in its place.” And again, “The Christian, once he enters the gates of the glorious city, can say, ‘armour was for earth, but robes are for heaven.’” Hope is with the Christian until the last battle is fought. However, this does not mean that in fighting our spiritual warfare we will never get weary.

Sometimes when we feel at a low spiritual ebb, we are tempted to say, “How long O Lord, how long?” And it is often at this time when our enemy decides to make an assault upon us. He is not a gentleman and will fight with all the dirtiest tricks in his arsenal in order to overcome us. But at these times let us come before the Lord with His Word in our hands and repel the devil’s attacks by reminding him of the victory of the Cross; of our complete trust in the Lord Jesus, and the power of His blood; and His promises to redeem us and save us forever. In his Epistles, Paul often speaks of being weary in the fight, but puts it down to the results of serving Christ and battles with the enemy. “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong,” 2 Corinthians 12:10. Paul always took hope from the fact that despite all the devil was doing to disrupt his work, people were getting saved and churches were being established. What an encouragement this is to us when weariness and weakness comes upon us.

The Apostle Peter gives the same teaching, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you,” 1 Peter 5:10. Similarly the Apostle John, “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is,” 1 John 3:2. Then follows the words; “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him.” That is it! The hope of eternal salvation! The helmet of salvation! We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. The past is Justification, the present is Sanctification, and the future is Glorification.

Whatever the power of the enemy, Christ’s power is stronger. If the Lord has set His love and affection upon us, and having called us, He will never let us go. “And I will give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand,” John 10:28-29.

That is the helmet of salvation! No man shall ever be able to snatch us out of the hand of the Son, or the hand of the Father. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31.

God bless you

John