CWW Week 13 - Day 6 - The Armour of God
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The Armour Of God
Scripture:
Ephesians 6:17 in the New King James Version (NKJV) reads:
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
Today we talk about the “helmet of salvation” and it’s importance as a part of the armour of God as described by the apostle Paul. This is used to illustrate the spiritual protection that believers should have against the schemes of the devil. The “helmet of salvation” signifies:
- Protection and Assurance: The helmet protects the head, which is crucial for protecting the brain and ensuring the overall functioning of the body. In a spiritual sense, the helmet of salvation symbolises the assurance and protection that comes from knowing and trusting in Christ’s salvation. It guards the believer’s mind against doubts, fears, and spiritual attacks.
- Confidence in Salvation: Wearing the helmet of salvation means having confidence in the reality and security of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It involves understanding and embracing the truth of God’s saving grace, which gives us a firm foundation and security in our identity as children of God.
- Sound Thinking and Discernment: The helmet also represents sound thinking and discernment based on the truth of God’s Word. A believer who wears the helmet of salvation is equipped to discern between truth and falsehood, to reject lies and deception, and to think with a renewed mind according to God’s will (Romans 12:2).
Overall, the helmet of salvation in Ephesians 6:17 underscores the importance of maintaining a secure and confident stance in Christ, safeguarding our minds and thoughts from the attacks of the enemy by relying on the truth of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.
By now we have established that we have protection and assurance that comes from having confidence in salvation. We should by now have a firm hold on the assurance that we truly have salvation as a gift of Grace given at the cross. As hard as it may be to accept this gift, it is nonetheless freely given when we acknowledge the Gift Giver Jesus Christ. Acknowledging Him means sharing the testimony of Jesus as the giver of the greatest gift and then in living by His principles as we face an enemy of great power. The evil ones’ power is greatly diminished when we pronounce the name of Jesus to his face.
What I really want to turn our attention towards is sound thinking and discernment.
In todays world we are confronted with more knowledge than many of us can handle. This is a recurring theme in all of our devotionals. The Holy Spirit is driving me to emphasise the importance of knowing how powerful this can be as a force for good as well as evil. Have you ever dined at a smorgasbord? What do we need to guard against when we approach the fine array on the table with our plates in our hands?
Well we can stand there in dismay at the choices available and struggle to know where to start. We tend in that situation to take a little of everything realising that half way along the line our huge plate is already overflowing. We console ourselves by saying that we can always come back again and again, which we then do.
The other thing I often notice is that the food that is healthy for me, tends to stay on the table. I move along saying things like, “I can get this at home, this is time to treat myself.” We then tend to eat the rubbish and worry about the guilt later.
I hate to admit it but after a smorgasbord I always leave feeling bloated, guilty and weak. The other thing I notice is that I knew I would on the way to the restaurant.
Today we face a plethora of knowledge often harmful when we over eat . The devil knows this and uses our weakness to gain a foothold in our lives, to divert us from the gift he so desperately wants us to reject.
The Serenity Prayer is a wonderful way to meditate our way through the minefield of useless and often harmful information laid out before us. Let me write the first part of the prayer most remembered by those who have heard it.
“Dear Lord. Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Who provides the serenity, courage and wisdom? Yes God does. We must discern the information by filtering it through scripture. Many will be deceived by signs and wonders and have we not learned the hard way that fear has been used to coerce and deceive us?
We must protect ourselves from False Evidence Appearing Real because when the methods indicate the motives, and we blindly pursue the wrong path as a result, then we have clearly demonstrated that all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools.
When I am troubled about current events I think on how God is still in control and He has my best interests at heart.
I remember being in lectures as I learned the theory behind my chosen career in aviation. Some topics required enormous effort that I felt was wasted because it had no relevance in practice in the aeroplane and only represented a minor percentage of the marks required to pass the exam. I thank God that I was able to discern this and switch it off.
So much of what we are presented with is just background noise designed to confuse and confound us. The main stream media is a perfect example of the fine art of propaganda. We sheep need a good shepherd who will guide us away from the cliff and keep us on green grass.
I have chosen mine. Have you made that choice too?
Questions
- How many unchangeable things do you devote inordinate amounts of time worrying about?
- How has this affected your quality of life and of relationships?
- Are you in need of donning the helmet of salvation?
It might now be timely to close todays discussion with the Serenity Prayer.
Prayer.
Dear Lord, Papa God.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
Graham Hood