Life is a contact sport.  It is a rough and tumble world out there; but praise God, He has supplied us with the helmet of salvation along with the rest of the armor of God.   We need this spiritual armor because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits from on high.

Wherefore [because of this] take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  

The helmet is a crucial piece of the armor of God because it protects your head.

In Jesus’ day no Roman soldier would even think of going into battle without his helmet.  He knew that without it he was asking to be slaughtered because he had left his most valuable asset, his head, vulnerable to the blows of the enemy.

In Ephesians putting on the helmet of salvation means: to hold fast in your mind ALL that was accomplished for you, and given to you at the moment of your  new birth.  It is holding in your mind the truth that you are more than a conqueror through Christ, that God is with you and in you at all times, and that you are seated in the heavenlies looking down on the world from HIS vantage point.  Therefore, you don’t need to have any fear, doubt or worry.  In essence, it is what I call “God confidence.”

Putting on the helmet of salvation means putting on the mind of Christ.  You know you have the helmet on when you deal with a problem from the position of your authority in Christ Jesus.  Walking in your sonship rights, and knowing the power you wield as a son of God, protects your mind from being overcome with fear or despair; two of Satan’s favorite weapons.

In your head – your mind – is  where you win or lose ALL the battles of life.  Which is why it is crucial to arm yourself with the following mindset; I am what the Word of God says I am, I can do what the Word of God says I can do, therefore I do!

I don’t think any of us would consider walking out your front door naked to go to work completely naked.  And yet millions of Christians go through their day spiritually naked, trying to do it all on their own.  When we get dressed in the morning, we need to put on our spiritual armor as well as clothes, and keep it on throughout the day. Being clothed spiritually is every bit as, I daresay, even more necessary, than your physical clothing.

Isaiah described Jehovah as having put on the helmet of salvation when He fights for His people.  Amazing!  In this scenario God is not half-stepping, but going to war for His people with a zeal.  He is passionately and fully committed.  And we are told to imitate Him.  Eph. 5:1.

God always has the right mind set; He has ZERO DOUBT that He will win.  And He wants His children to have the same assurance, that through Him they are never a victim, but more than a conqueror.

You simply cannot stand against the wiles of the devil without God’s help.  He says so!  But it is up to you to take (put on) the helmet of salvation by bringing “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” to win spiritual warfare.

With your helmet of salvation in place you can be fully assured that the power within you is greater than the problem that lay in front of you.

A few months ago I was ministering to “Mike” [not his real name] in my office when a murder spirit manifested.  Mike’s visage changed, his hair stood on end, and his eyes looked fiery and violent.  I have dealt with demons a lot in my ministry, and this was certainly one of the more dramatic manifestations I had seen in a while.  Then the demon spoke through Mike, in a deep, growling voice, and said to me, “I am  going to kill you…” and Mike started shaking, and inched forward in his seat, looking ready to pounce.

I was caught a little off guard by this, and my initial sensation was a tingle of nervous anxiety, but I quickly remembered to take the helmet of whole thoughts.  To get “Christ in me, minded.”  And so, I spoke to the demon with the authority of Jesus in the forefront of my mind, and said, in a very calm voice, “Be quiet. You will do no such thing.  Greater is he that is in me than he that is in this world.  Come out of Mike, right now, in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Mike went limp, he coughed, and big glob of ectoplasm came out of his mouth and landed on the arm of the chair (thank goodness it was leather, so I could easily clean it off).   Mike sort of woke up, as if out of a daze, and he asked me what was going on.   I shared with him  what the Lord told me to share, and we moved on with the rest of his healing session.  Praise God, Mike got delivered from a number of things that day which had plagued him since childhood.  He left here full of the joy of the Lord, and he is still doing fine to this day.

I shudder to think what might have happened if I had frozen up with fear.  I could have ended up like the sons of Sceva in Acts 19:14-16.  But I am glad I didn’t have to find out.  Instead of letting fear take hold of my mind, I put on the helmet of salvation, sound thinking, and claimed my power and authority in Christ.  I remembered that there is not a demon from hell that I need to be afraid of.  As a child of the Most High God, MY Lord defeated the host of hell two thousand years ago!  They are under MY feet!  When Jesus ascended up on high he “led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men.”  Eph. 4:8.  Among other things, he led demons captive, and gifted the believer with power and authority over them.  And, boy, the devil does NOT want you to know that one!  Or this one:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you [Christ in you], than he that is in the world [the devil].  I John 4:4

Brothers and sisters, we just never wrestle against flesh and blood.  Although I have dealt with demons hundreds of times over the years, I must admit, the encounter with Mike was a little more dramatic than most.  But, once again, it put a glaring spotlight on who is really behind all the misery, all the disease, all the ruin of mankind; the devil and his minions.

When the believers in the first century church learned to put on the whole armor of God, their believing became “white hot,” and they experienced the power of the Living God in action.  Remember, they lived the book of “Acts” not the book of  “Thoughts.”  And Acts 17:6 testifies, “These that have turned the world upside down are come here also.”

That should be OUR battle cry! “We’re HERE, and we’re turning the world upside down,” which means putting things right with God’s word.  That’s when we walk and live as more than conquerors, and lead others to the same freedoms in Christ.

Our heavenly Father has equipped us to be world changers – we don’t have to live the same sad, defeated existence as the unbeliever, or the carnal Christian.   Through Christ we are the head, and not the tail.  All we need to do is put on the whole armor of God, starting with our helmet, to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The helmet of salvation protects your head, your thoughts.  It keeps the enemy from defeating you with his tricks and lies.  With your helmet firmly in place, you can utilize the rest of your armor most efficaciously, especially the sword of the Spirit.

As I said in the opening, “Life is hard” but you have been given a helmet, the helmet of salvation.  It IS a rough and tumble world that you live in, but with your helmet in place, the devil is afraid of you; not the other way around. 

With a new year dawning I want my life to be so on fire with God that when I wake up in the morning, and my feet hit the ground, the devils tremble and say, “Uh,oh — she’s AWAKE!”

Wearing the Whole Armor,