The Helmet of Salvation

Andy Rupert

During first-century battles, “the Roman soldier wore a bronze helmet equipped with cheek pieces. The helmet was a heavy decorative and expensive item which had an inside lining of felt or sponge which made the weight bearable. Nothing short of an axe or hammer could pierce a heavy helmet” (Reinecker and Rogers 542). Imagine yourself going into battle against a sword swinging enemy without any protection for your head. That would be incredibly dangerous! But with your head safely covered, you could confidently defend yourself from his attack.

Facing spiritual battles without the certainty of your own salvation is as foolish as fighting a physical battle without a helmet. God has given us the helmet of salvation to guard our minds from doubt and to give us confidence in every spiritual battle (Eph. 6:17). Consider several times that the word “save” is mentioned in the New Testament:

• We have been saved from perishing (John 3:16).
• We have been saved from a perverse generation (Acts 2:40).
• We have been saved from God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9).
• We have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:5-8).
• We have been saved according to his purpose not our works (2 Tim. 1:9).
• We have been saved according to his mercy (Titus 3:5).

God wants us to have certainty regarding our salvation (1 John 5:13). It is not something we hope will happen some day but something that has already taken place, continues, and will be consummated when we are with God for eternity. Christians from past generations have been able to face very difficult situations knowing that God would keep his promise of their future salvation if they died during their battle. That certainty gave them the confidence to persevere under great trials. Do you know that you have been saved? Are you confident that God will keep his promise of salvation for you? Look to the promises of God and believe him today.

Andy Rupert is a member of Orwell Bible Church and leads a church planting Bible study in Painesville, Ohio. He blogs at Isle Kerguelen, where this piece first appeared.

Andy has another article on The Sword of the Spirit you may be interested in.