The Helmet of Salvation

by Rick Renner

And take the helmet of salvation.… 

Ephesians 6:17

How would you like to have supernatural protection wrapped so tightly around your head that it would safeguard your mind from every mental assault of the devil? Well, you may not realize it, but if you are a child of God, you have already been given this kind of safe­guard to protect you from the enemy's attacks against your mind. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul writes, "And take the helmet of salvation.…"

In this final chapter of Ephesians, Paul deals extensively with the subject of spiritual armor. By the time we come to verse 17, he has already talked about the loinbelt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, and the shield of faith. Now Paul speaks to us about the helmet of salvation, using the illustration of a Roman soldier's helmet to make his point. Let's see what we can know about the helmet of a Roman soldier.

The word "helmet" in Greek is taken from the Greek word perkephalaia, and it is a compound of the words peri and kephale. The word peri means around, and the word kephale is the Greek word for the head. When you compound these two words into one, you discover that the word perkepha­laia denotes a piece of armor that fits very tightly around the head.

Up in Smoke

"The tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6)

Words. Use them right and they'll move mountains. Use them wrong and they can cause your entire life to go up in smoke.

"Now, Brother Copeland," you may say, "I find it hard to believe that major catastrophes can be caused by a few simple words. I just can't see the connection."

Look again at the phrase James used. "How great a matter a little fire kindleth!" Have you ever lit a few little pieces of kindling wood and set them in the fireplace beneath a stack of logs?

What happened?

KNOWING WHO I AM IN CHRIST

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).

I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).

I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14).

I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).

I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).

I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).

I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Is There Not a Cause?

And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? —1 Samuel 17:29

In 1990 the atrocities committed against the people of Kuwait roused our nation to righteous indignation. President George Bush announced, "This aggression-.-.-.-will not stand."

While the Iraqi army continued laying mine fields and stringing barbed wire, armaments and supplies began arriving from America, Europe, and Africa, accompanied by soldiers, ships, and aircraft. Differences in uniforms, languages, customs, and manners faded as the soldiers became Desert Shield. The world had seen the outrages, and now the world had a cause.

In these last days, multitudes of nations are again gathering behind a shield. Differences in dress, language, customs, songs, and worship fade as the remnant church of Jesus Christ unites behind the shield of faith. We are preparing to go forth into battle against the devil's forces. The church has seen the outrage, and the church has a cause.