Lesson 24: The Helmet of Salvation, part 3

Ephesians 6:17
…and take the helmet of salvation,

Putting on the helmet of salvation does not mean that I am putting on salvation! Only Jesus can give us salvation. We can do nothing to take it, or make it happen – we only receive what Jesus has already done, by faith believing what He says is true (Ephesians 2:8-10). Once we are saved, we have received this helmet of salvation – our duty is to put it on our heads. No one else can do this for us, because no one else can tell us what to think.

When we accept the gift of salvation from Jesus, we are saved for eternity. John 3:16 tells us He gives us ETERNAL life. Romans 8:31-39 tells us there is now nothing – NOTHING – that can separate us from His love. We are saved forever! Here are more verses of this promise:
John 5:24 - Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:37 - All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
John 10:28 - I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
1 John 5:13 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Why is the knowledge of our salvation being "eternal" so important? Because this is precisely where the enemy will strike! How many times does he try to get you to doubt your salvation and when you give in to it even for a second, what happens? You get knocked down! You cannot even stand! The Roman soldier's opponent carried a broadsword or even short-handled ax called a battle-ax - and when they were used, heads rolled! Therefore, if the Roman soldier did not have a helmet on when he went out to fight, he could be absolutely sure that he would lose his head.

The helmet of salvation protects our mind and thus protects against discouragement, doubt, despair and the desire to give up. But if you do not walk in the fullness of all that your salvation contains, the eternality of it, its security, then you will feel the brunt of your enemy's battle-ax slicing through your mind, and he will attack and steal your victory. He will hack away at your foundation, telling you your healing, deliverance, preservation, and salvation was not eternal, that there is no guarantee, maybe it will happen, maybe it will not, and your head begins to roll! Satan's double-edged sword is discouragement and doubt and he wants to discourage you by getting you to doubt your salvation. The evil one attacks with, "You are not a Christian. Look at you! Why would the Lord ever save you? You are not good enough. You do not deserve to be saved. How do you know you meant it when you did it?” And on and on it goes!

We need victory by wearing our helmet of salvation!