The Helmet of Salvation

The Roman soldier was, of course, not fully equipped until he put on his helmet. The purpose of the helmet, or coolus, was obviously to protect the soldier's head, where several important senses are located, as well as the brain.

The Christian soldier, similarly, must be protected with the helmet of salvation. One of the most important things a Christian must know is that his salvation is NOT dependent on his performance. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." In other words, it is God's grace that saves us, not anything that we do. What a secure feeling it is to know that our salvation is not dependent on our performance.

Just as the Roman soldier's head (brain, senses, understanding) was protected by the wearing of his helmet, so our heading (eternal destiny, sense of belonging, understanding of who we are in Christ) is protected by our salvation that is bestowed on us by God's grace, through faith. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:29, emphasis added) Our salvation, because it is secure, protects our mind (brain) from the lies of Satan. When he would club us over the head with lies like, "I am not good enough to serve God," or "I have to follow all the rules I can find in the Bible, or I am in real trouble with God," we are protected by God's faithfulness. God is never disillusioned with us, because He has no illusions about us. He knows we are imperfect, fallen, that we stumble; but He sees us washed by the blood of Christ so that we are without spot or wrinkle or blemish of any kind.

The powerful protection of God's salvation is unbreakable. Isn't that the kind of protection you want as you go into the battle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age?" Christian, we must never forget that we are secure in God's grace. We needn't fear Satan's wimpy weapons, when he attacks. The Lord has already given him into our hands. That happened at Calvary, when Christ won the victory over Satan by paying the ransom for our sins. So, don't lose your head in the heat of battle. Put on the helmet of salvation, and go forth, confident that God will never leave you nor forsake you.