We know there is a battle going on around us that is real, although it cannot be seen by the eye.
We have been reading about it for the past few weeks, asking God to help us put on His full armor so that we can withstand the schemes of the evil one. There is a battle being waged for our souls, and the enemy is targeting our minds. This is why Romans 12 says that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The minds of God’s children are the territory that the evil one is trying to steal from God to take us down the path that leads to death.
We are told to be alert and of sober mind, for the enemy of God prowls around like a lion seeking someone he can devour (1 Peter 5:8).
We cannot lessen the truth any longer: the enemy’s goal is to destroy us (John 10:10). He masquerades like an angel of light, seeking to deceive us (2 Corinthians 11:14).
It is easy to get caught up in his deception if we are not actively seeking the face of God and renewing our minds in His presence and in His Word. It is so easy to let our minds wander from truth if we are not making it a priority to know the truth and claim it as our own.
This is why we need to put on the helmet of salvation.
Putting on the helmet of salvation entails prayer. We must pray for alertness, wisdom, and discernment. God is the gracious giver of these things when we ask, and He is honored by these requests (James 1:5).
We must pray for everything of the Holy Spirit to abound, and everything not of the Holy Spirit to be put to death. We must exist in communication with God. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples that He would give them His Spirit (John 14:26). The Spirit of God lives in believers, and this is what sets us apart. We have Jesus inside of us as a constant companion.
When tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, the devil knew the Word of God like Jesus did, but Jesus had the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit to lead us through this life. We need to commune with Him constantly and never stop relying on Him (Ephesians 6:18).
Putting on the helmet of salvation entails knowledge of God and belief in His Word. We must meditate on His Word continually, know it, and believe it. We must remind ourselves constantly of the salvation God has given us through Jesus’ blood and our new and final identity as children of God. We must live in the Word.
We are not called to merely make up positive things to tell ourselves to “feel good,” but to proclaim the Word of God over every situation. The Word is truth, and truth brings about freedom (John 8:32). The Word exhibits all the heavenly thought-qualities mentioned in Philippians 4. It is true, respectable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is born from the mouth of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
Practically, claiming victory over the enemy looks like this:
- When the enemy tries to define you by your sin, remind yourself of what God has done. He saved you by His blood and removed your sins from you (Psalm 103:12).
- When you feel all alone, remind yourself of what God has done. He sent His Son to make a way for you to be close to Him, and He has given you His Spirit (John 14:26).
- When you are in need, remind yourself of what God has done. He provided for His people and will not stop, and nothing is impossible for Him (Matthew 19:26).
This is what it means to put on the helmet of salvation—to defeat lies with the truth of God’s Word.
Even though there are flaming arrows targeting us from all sides, even spots we cannot see, we do not have to fear because the Word tells us that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).
The Word tells us that, as believers, we have overcome the world by our faith in Jesus (1 John 5:4). The Word tells us that God hems us in on all sides (Psalm 139:5). The Word tells us that, since we have received the gospel of salvation, the Holy Spirit seals us (Ephesians 1:3).
We must walk in step with the Spirit so we can walk on the path of life. We must seek Him in all moments. We must know the powerful Word of God and repeat it over ourselves without ceasing.
Friend, in every moment, remind yourself what God has done. He saved you and has declared you victorious.
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