Paul says to take the helmet of salvation.  Earlier we talked about the breastplate of righteousness covering a very vital area of the body (heart). The helmet covers the other extremely vital area of the body (head). Salvation is necessary for life and sustenance.  Without the head, the body dies. Without salvation, the people perish. Salvation is needed on a daily, hourly, and minute to second basis. Without salvation, we cannot live or move at all. Now, what does our helmet that we put on save us from? The helmet of salvation saves us from having our head filled with old wives' tales, cunningly devised fables, and the slight of men. By being knowledgeable of the promises of God, the child of God can take comfort in the fact that there is nothing that man can do to him.  

The Lord said not to fear someone who can destroy the body but not the soul (as the body is all that man can destroy). We are to fear the one who can destroy both in hell. Our helmet also saves us from digging a pit and falling into it.  By looking unto God in our decisions (through prayer), we are kept safe and in His protective hand of providence. Many times, we have not, because we ask not. Salvation comes in asking the Lord to bestow wisdom to us to know how to govern and make decisions.  The Lord blessed Solomon for asking such, and He gave it to him abundantly.  

The spiritual application of the helmet of salvation is that our Lord has saved us from a condition that we cannot fully grasp. Who can know the fullness of the wickedness of man? Who can comprehend how torturous a place the lake of fire will be throughout all eternity? That is what the Lord delivered us from by hanging upon the tree of the cross and serving out our justice. By doing so, what did He crush? We are told that His suffering would bruise His heel (which it literally did), but it also bruised the HEAD of the serpent! That helmet points to the defeated head of death, hell, and the grave. The serpent's head was crushed and ours never will.  

Also, when the Lord blessed David to slay Goliath, David cut off the head of the enemy for all of Israel to see that their captor was vanquished (a picture of the Lord's work on Calvary). Eternally, our head is secure in the hand of Jesus Christ and the Father.  Nothing can rip us from that, and it is a consolation to put on the helmet of timely deliverance to see, know, and rest in that state. A child of God can be eternally secure and insecure here in time. That is why Peter admonishes us to make our calling and election sure (to ourselves). Place the helmet firmly upon the head, and march onward in Zion prepared for the temptations and tribulations that will most certainly come.  

Ephesians 6:17  "and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

This morning, many people desire to live in a world without standards. Standards do not appeal to the natural man, for he desires a life with no bounds or control. The written word of God is our standard. It is the only acceptable standard, for it is divinely inspired to each and every jot and tittle. Our Lord, while He walked this earth, said that His "words would never pass away." (Mark 13:31) There is a standard gravity constant that keeps us upon the earth. Man may disapprove of the standard that governs him, but the standard is still there. Likewise, the standard of the word of God is in effect whether man likes it or not.  The Lord does not change His mind or word, and they are never out of date. Man may try to claim that the Bible is not relevant anymore, but the standard is still binding.

This piece of armour is the only offensive weapon that has been given to us. The rest of the pieces are for protection, but the written word of God is our sword. There is not a situation that we may encounter
that the Bible does not have an answer for. Whether we can find it or not, depends on how sharp we keep our blade for the battle. When our Lord was tempted of the devil, He responded each and every time by
saying, "It is written." That is our example for our warfare. We need to address our temptations and trials by saying, "It is written."  

The inspired word of God is for us to study to shew ourselves approved unto God, and it is thoroughly furnishes to the profit of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. (II Timothy 3:15-16) The spiritual application is that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. He has taken the offensive to the enemy, and He is without fail victorious in that endeavor. We are told that He is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. He can discern the thoughts and intents of the heart, and as such, He is the final authority on whether someone resides in heaven or the lake of fire for all eternity. When He cried out, "It is finished," the battle and war was legally won at that moment. Our God vanquished all of His foes, and His throne is high and lifted up above all principalities and powers.  

Therefore, we can take consolation that what His written word says is indeed the truth. Our sword, like all the rest of our armour, is of profit if we use it. Since our Living Word has won our victory, let us ever wield the written word as our standard and not leave it in the sheath. Many times, conversations start with, "Well I think" or "My opinion is" when it should start with "It is written" or "Thus saith the Lord." We should spend less time with our opinion and more time on His commandments.  They are not grievous, and it should not grieve us to state them and live by them in our service to Him.  Many times I wonder, "How sharp is my sword?"

In Hope,

Bro Philip