ICS Daily Devotions
Taking the Helmet of Salvation

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.

The Roman soldier’s helmet is like a piece of art work but it is an important part of the whole armor because it protects the head from being hurt in the midst of the battle. It is foolish for a Roman soldier to go into war without the helmet because it will be subjected to the attack of the enemy’s battle ax or sword, which will be fatal upon impact.

It is very interesting for Paul to name it the Helmet of Salvation because the last battle or frontier is the battle in the mind regarding our salvation. This is where the devil will put temptation, doubt, fear and tormenting thoughts to immobilize us, which will lead us to sin against God. He knows that if he is able to seize the mind, he can manipulate our emotions and our actions because as a man thinks in his heart so is he. Our action is very much determined by our life of thoughts. The wiles, schemes, devices and deceits of the evil one come through the mind!

Sometimes we tend to think that the devil’s attack is narrowed to our assurance of salvation only. If we recognize his scheme, his wickedness and all that darkness entails, then it will not be solely focused on the aspect of whether we are saved but it will affect every aspect of our lives. He attacks our daily life, thought life, and experiences. Praise the Lord that salvation encompass every aspect of our lives!

Salvation describes the act of delivering or saving from great danger or peril and of healing, protecting and preserving. It literally means deliverance, safety, preservation, material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness, and soundness.

Therefore, salvation does not mean just getting us saved spiritually but it literally means: deliverance, safety, preservation, material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension, pardon, restoration, healing, wholeness, and soundness.

We need to put on our helmet of salvation and be renewed by the word of God. We are to train our minds to think correctly especially in the area of our salvation of what it entails and the finished work of Christ that concerns us.

2 Cor 10:3-6 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul emphasized that the warfare is not against flesh and blood but strongholds that are being built in our minds by the enemy. Hence, we have the responsibility to pull down the strongholds by bringing it into subjection to the Word of God. “Stronghold” in Greek describes a fortress or prison. These strongholds are not built overnight but through a process of time when the enemy makes inroads into our mind through lies. When these lies are unchallenged, it will gradually become thick and impregnable walls around our lives.

There are two kinds of strongholds, namely the rational and irrational. Rational strongholds come when reasoning and logic is placed above the authority of God’s word. People use logical means to refute the Word of God in an area where it actually needs faith to believe the Word, where the mind is not able to understand. If our mind is not renewed or submitted to the Word of God, reasoning will eventually talk us out of obeying God, which will in turn negatively dominate and control our obedience to God. On the other hand, irrational strongholds have to do with fears and worries that are completely unreal. There are abnormal fears of rejection which keep us from building relationships in life.

The helmet of salvation protects our mind and thus protects against discouragement, doubt and desire to give up. We are to arrest every thought that is negative and bring down every thought that exalts itself above the truth of the Word! Say ‘no’ to those thoughts and bring them into subjection to what the Word says!

Sermon series: Inner Man