“and take the helmet of salvation,” Ephesians 6:17a ESV
Birthdays, Christmas…..and gifts are always great. You will never see me turn down a gift! Needless to say, everyone likes gifts, especially if it is something they want.
As believers we have been given a gift. Salvation!
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” Ephesians 2:8 ESV
A Roman soldier’s helmet was very important for keeping their head safe. It was made of metal and had special parts to protect their face, neck, and cheeks. The helmet helped protect the soldier from getting hurt by swords, arrows, and other weapons during battles.
The helmet is a metaphor for protecting our mind, our intellect, and our thoughts from the doubts of Satan.
We see in Genesis 3 how Satan’s questions filled Eve’s mind with doubts about what God had said. Satan does the same with us, especially about our salvation.
When we grow in our knowledge of God, we know the truth about His Word, which provides us with full assurance of our salvation.
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary gives us a definition of assurance,
“Assurance-the state of being assured; freedom from doubt and uncertainty. As a theological concept, assurance is one of the richest doctrines of the Bible. It refers to the believers’ full confidence and conviction that the penalty of their sins has been paid and that heaven has been secured as their eternal destiny by Christ’s death and resurrection.” (2014)
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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.”
I John 5:11-12 ESV
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:72-18 ESV
When we allow God and His Word to fill our hearts and minds, it can protect us from Satan’s deceptions.
We should constantly preach the gospel to ourselves daily. It reminds us and reinforces God’s promises and goodness to us. We can never lose our salvation because it was given to us by God. We can’t lose something that an all-powerful, eternal God gives.
Rest in the knowledge of this gift. Salvation.
References
Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary Editor Ronald F. Youngblood (2014)
