Putting on the Full Armor of God: The Helmet of Salvation
by David Chadwick The next piece in the armor of God is the helmet of salvation. We are called to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). To think like he thinks. We are transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). As we think like Jesus thinks, we change and are renewed. We are to focus our thought life on things that are above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). As we learn to have the mind of Christ, we become transformed and renewed, and our thoughts will actually start to recalibrate toward the things of God and his kingdom. The spiritual battleground is in your mind. Control what you think and you will control how you feel. Change your beliefs and you will change your behavior. If I could make this one plea to you - please be mindful of what you are allowing into your minds. It really does affect you more than you know. For example, the power of social media comes largely because of how well it can control your mind. After you put on the helmet of salvation, ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is anything that could be hindering your ability to control your thought life and call it into submission with Jesus. The world wants you to think that you are subservient to your feelings. It’s not true. You CAN control your feelings by controlling your thoughts! If you don’t believe me, I would lovingly challenge you to memorize some of the Scriptures that I shared above. Or maybe try fasting. Ask God to replace bad patterns with holy ones. He might even ask you to delete your social media. Put down your phone. Go for a walk each morning. You might be surprised what solutions the Lord will show you if you are faithful to put on the helmet of salvation and ask him to change the way you think. And please note this fact: the helmet of salvation should remind your thought life daily that you are saved! Your entire life–body, soul, and spirit–belong to Jesus. Your eternity is secure. You are headed to heaven! He who lives in you (Jesus) is greater than your enemy (Satan) who lives in the world (1 John 4:4). Memorize this verse for help every day! Something is molding you into its image at every turn: the world or the Word. Christ or culture. Put on the helmet of salvation. And live in Jesus’s victory every moment of every day.