This Fall, we are studying the Armor of God in Ephesians 6 to take a stand against the spiritual attacks that come against us in this world of darkness. Today, we're continuing our Spiritual Warfare And Tactics All-Church Groups Experience by learning how to wear the Helmet of Salvation! Wearing your helmet is the difference between life and death... victory and defeat. See, God is our Divine Warrior, and we wear the Armor of God to take ground and advance against the Enemy of our souls, the devil.

THE DIVINE WARRIOR

Did you know the Armor of God in Ephesians is not the first mention of the Armor of God in the Bible? Actually, the first mention occurred almost 800 years prior, when the prophet Isaiah wrote this about God:

“He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head…” – Isaiah 59:17

Now, we may hear the word “salvation” often… but do we know what it really means? In Ephesians 2:12, Paul wrote that we were once enemies of God, strangers to Him. But, while we were far from God in our sin and selfishness, Jesus left the comfort of Heaven so we could live eternally with Him! At the Cross, Jesus came to save you from your sin and from the Enemy of your soul. While you can have salvation through Christ,  you may still struggle with sin during your time on this Earth, because the Enemy loves to try and pin down Christians. But, it’s time for the Church to wear the Helmet of Salvation so we can run into battle against the Enemy!

THE ROMAN HELMET

As Paul wrote Ephesians from his prison cell, he stared right at the Roman armor of a prison guard. He saw the helmet was essential to protecting the head and likewise, Paul found the war for our souls is waged in the battlefield of the mind. Be warned, the Enemy will try to get you to rationalize your sin, instead of running from it... he'll try to talk you out of taking risks for the Kingdom of God... He'll even try to get you to engage in friendly fire, making it look like your spouse or kids are the Enemy so you attack them instead of the real Enemy. Truly, the only way to win the battle in your mind is to let Jesus transform your thinking.

So, how do we clear out the lies in our heads? One of the best ways to renew your mind is to study the Bible. See, if the devil can't send you to hell, he will try everything in his power to stop you from being effective here on Earth. However, in your Small Groups, you can come together in community as an Army of God ready to fight your battles side-by-side... diving deeper into the truth of God's word together!

Then, when the Enemy says you are unworthy... by wearing the Helmet of Salvation, you can remember that God says you are HOLY... BLAMELESS before him (Ephesians 1:4).

When the Enemy says you are unloved... Salvation says you are LOVED for all eternity (Ephesians 1:4)!

When the enemy says you are unforgiven... Salvation through Jesus says you are FORGIVEN... a beloved CHOSEN one who is RAISED with Christ into new life (Ephesians 1:7, 2:6)!

The only way to wear the Helmet of Salvation in all of your battles is to YES to Jesus. To do this, simply ADMIT you are a sinner, BELIEVE in Jesus, and COMMIT to follow Him. Do not delay - do it today so you can wear the Helmet of Salvation and face the lies of the Enemy head-on with your new life in Christ Jesus!