Women of the Bible Lesson 8 Jael: A Story of Courage Part 6 Armor of God

Today we will continue talking about the armor we have been provided through the Holy Spirit to protect us in our spiritual battles.  

Ephesians 6:14-18 gives us a list of the armor we have been provided through the Holy Spirit. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (NLT) 

Today we will look at the Helmet of Salvation.  “The Roman helmet was called a galea, and it had two purposes: protection and identification.”i 

“Helmets in the Roman army did not provide complete head protection - the face was always left uncovered, which was not a significant issue due to the tactics employed. The exception was cavalry and certain distinguished groups, whose faces could be covered with a mask. The helmet was designed to protect the cheeks, crown, and back of the head, so the metal covered almost everything, leaving only the ears and face exposed. In a combat stance, the back of the helmet also protected part of the neck and back, leaving only a small area vulnerable to attack.”ii 

Today we will focus on the two main purposes for the Helmet of Salvation, protection and identification.   

First up is protection.  It is interesting to note that the helmet is called the Helmet of Salvation, however, Paul admonishes the Ephesians to take it up daily and put it on. Here Paul is not saying we must pray the sinner's prayer daily. Once we accept salvation through Christ we are saved (born again). 

What Paul is talking about here is the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8, But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (NIV) As we talked about last week, Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the reality of the things we hope for.  

Websters online dictionary defines hope as to expect with confidence: TRUST.  When we come to Christ and accept His sacrifice for our salvation, we apply hope/trust.  After that we have the assurance of our salvation.  However, we know that the enemy is always swinging his spiritual broadsword at us. The enemy's sword has two edges: doubt and discouragement.iii 

We know that the biggest battlefield for the Christian is the battlefield our minds.  Doubt and discouragement are fought on this battlefield. The enemy knows if he can impact and change our thoughts, he can change our actions and behaviors. I have heard it said many times, all sin starts with a thought.  I have also heard it said that you cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.  We must conscientiously put on the helmet of salvation, daily. As we do, we can battle the lies of the enemy in our minds. 

The moment we accept Christ as our Savior, he begins to plant doubts about the reality of our salvation. He says that we were just experiencing an emotional high or false sense of peace.  When this does not work, he begins to find other things to plant in our thoughts to get us to doubt God and our position in Christ and to discourage us from even trying to live a godly life.  

The following is a list of a few potential doubts/discouragements the enemy might try and the scriptures that counteract them with the Truth!! Remember our belt?  Cinch it up tight! 

1. God does not love us.  - John 3:16; John 15:13; Proverbs 17:17 

2. We are defeated. - Romans 8:37; 1 John 4:4 

3. We are condemned, there is no use trying to live a holy life. - Romans 8:1; Romans 8:34 

4. We can never be good enough to deserve God’s love. - Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:13 

5. We can never escape our past. - 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9; Matthew 16:19 

6. We have failed God too many times. - Proverbs 24:16; Psalm 73:26; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Romans 5:3-5 

“When we put on the helmet of salvation, we put on Christ Himself. Christ protects not just our heads but our entire beings from spiritual death. To wear the helmet of salvation means to live every day focused on eternity and the promised future we have. It changes the way we live. 

Salvation is more than future benefits. It’s supposed to impact our present life. But we need to not only receive salvation, we need to apply it. 

Salvation redeems us. Salvation restores, protects, and shields us from daily attacks from Satan.”iv 

“Salvation is the hope for our soul which yields us the power to take every thought captive and keep our thoughts on Jesus. The helmet battles negative thoughts and reverts our focus on what the Savior said, not the lies of the enemy. We’re emboldened to imitate Him in action and speech. Jesus endured and persevered despite the constant assault on His identity, character, and doctrine. Endurance and crisis produce perseverance as storms rage and chaos calls. Perseverance builds character. Character breeds hope.”v 

The second purpose for the helmet is for identification. “Roman helmets provided great defense against direct blows from weapons such as swords, arrows, or blunt objects, significantly reducing the risk of severe head injuries. However, the Roman helmet held a deep symbolic significance, which was a reflection of the soldier’s identity and status.   

The design, decorations, and type of crests on the helmets varied based on factors such as rank, unit, and specialization. Your Roman army career was only valid if you had the armor to show for it.    

The fact that the helmets were so visually distinct also fostered a sense of pride in the wearers. By wearing a helmet that represented their unit or rank, soldiers identified themselves as part of a larger collective, reinforcing their commitment to their comrades and their shared mission.”vi 

The helmet of salvation identifies which army we belong to. Our identity is entirely based on our salvation.  Salvation is what binds believers to each other.  It is the core of who we are and how we live, move, and have our being.  Salvation is what sets us apart from this fallen, sinful world.  It causes us to stand out in the crowd, to look and act differently than those who do not know Christ.   

We know that Jesus is the Commander and Chief of Heaven’s Army.  We are all soldiers under his command.   

Joshua 5:13-14, When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” (NLT) 

“The “Man” in verse 13 was the Angel of Jehovah—the Lord Jesus in one of His preincarnate appearances. He introduced Himself as Commander of the army of the LORD. Christ does not come merely to help us, and certainly not to harm us; He comes to take full control.”vii 

When we join the family of God, we are then enlisted in the army of Heaven. The Helmet of Salvation reminds us that we are not alone. We are part of a mighty fighting force that will overcome because the battle is the Lord’s and has already been won!   

2 Chronicles 20:15b, Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. (NKJV) 

Corinthians 15:57, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT) 

1 John 5:4, For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. (NLT) 

Colossians 2:13-15, You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (NLT) 

In conclusion, the Helmet of Salvation provides us with protection and identifies us as followers of Christ.  

We belong to the greatest Kingdom! We have the greatest King! 

Works Cited:

i https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/centurions-and-cohorts-10-facts.html 

ii https://x-legio.com/en/wiki/galea-roman-army 

iii https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0299/what-is-the-helmet-of-salvation 

iv https://thecove.org/blog/the-full-armor-of-god-helmet-of-salvation/ 

v https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-wear-armor-of-god-helmet-of-salvation-today.html 

vi https://historycooperative.org/roman-helmet/ vii Believer's Bible Commentary Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2016 by William MacDonald.