The Doorpost: Helmet of salvation

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

The brain is the control center for the entire body. There are other vital organs, but the brain is where all of the control and decision-making functions are centered. That is why soldiers wear helmets.

In our spiritual lives, the mind is the control and decision-making center. The battle is fought in our minds. The enemy attacks us by planting false ideas in our minds, twisting or contradicting God’s Word. Two examples of this in Scripture are in Genesis 3, when he tempted Eve, and in Matthew 4, when he tempted our Lord. The devil is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). If he can decive us into accepting unbiblical ideas, either knowingly or unknowingly, we will eventually lose the battle.

Paul says that the helmet that protects us from this attack is salvation. What does he mean by salvation? In Luke 2:30, when Simeon saw the baby Jesus in the Temple, he took Him in his arms and said, “my eyes have seen Your salvation.” Isaiah 12:2 says, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

Jesus Christ is our salvation. He is the Truth. His Word is truth. I understand that the way people are trained to detect counterfeit money is by having them study real currency. They become so familiar with the genuine that they can detect the mistakes in any imitation. This is a good way for us to combat the enemy’s lies. We need to “put on” more and more of Jesus Christ and His Word so we will be able to identify and reject falsehood.