The Full Armor of God - Helmet of Salvation

"...and take the helmet of salvation..." Ephesians 6:16

Why do motorcyclists wear helmets? How about football players? Why do moms make their children wear helmets when they ride their bikes? Why do soldiers wear helmets in battle? For that matter, why did David aim for Goliath's head?

Because the head is important enough to protect. A blow to the head can change your life forever, and in some cases it can end your life.

So, from a spiritual stand point, why is the head valuable and why is the helmet made up of...salvation?

Well, the head contains the mind, and the mind is Satan's favorite battlefield. Oh, he can go after the body, but it's in the mind where he can do the most damage in the shortest amount of time. He can pound on a body and take years off someone's life, but a well placed blow to the head can knock someone out of the game in no time flat.

Let me try to explain it this way: Have you ever doubted your salvation? Could God really love you after the things you've done? And now, you're really the same person - does salvation really change a person? Is there really a heaven and a hell? Couldn't God use many ways to get to Himself?

Have you ever wondered if the Bible was really inspired? I mean, come on, 6 days for creation? Everything around you points to an old earth, so could the Bible be wrong about creation? Did the sun really stand still for Joshua? Was Jesus really 100% God and 100% man? And the virgin birth...really?

Does the Holy Spirit really live in me, or is it possible that I'm not that bad of a person and I make better decisions than the average Joe? Does God really care about whether or not I go to church or if I give money to the church? Why would God allow sin in the first place? Didn't He realize that Jesus would have to die? Doesn't it sound rather dramatic if He really is God?

Doubt.

These questions all stem from doubt. Doubt that God's Word is the divine, inspired revelation of Almighty God given for sinful man.

And where does doubt reside? In the mind.

And who puts it there? Well, we definitely know that Satan loves to play mind games.

So, the mind is valuable to protect from the doubt that Satan wants to plant. That's why the helmet is made up of salvation. The foundation of our faith lies in the good news of Jesus Christ. The truth of salvation is a protection for our mind. If the basics of salvation are encompassing our mind, then doubt has no cracks to seep into.

God is holy.

Man needs a savior.

Jesus loves us and gave His life for us.

If we give our lives to Him, we can have an eternal relationship with the Father.

And the only way to solidify these facts in your mind is to immerse yourself in truth - in the Word of God. So, protect your mind by filling it with the basics of salvation. This truth will keep you humble, keep you focused on your Savior and keep you protected from the doubts of the enemy.

Remember, this is not Kristen's suggestion. It's what God's Word instructs you to put on for your own protection.

(Don't you love that picture?)

The Full Armor of God - Shield of Faith

(Say it with me:)

Faith is believing the Word of God and acting on it, no matter how I feel, because God promises a good result.

(If this definition is new to you, stop here and read it again. Slowly. Go ahead. We'll wait.)

The next item we are to have is the shield of faith. As you can see from our definition of faith, the shield is made of two materials - belief in the Word of God and action. We can then make the assumption that the fiery arrows being launched by our enemy are aimed at our mind (belief) and our choices (action), that's why we need this shield of protection.

Let's make this a bit more practical.

Spanking is not socially acceptable. No one does it anymore. We have evolved past that archaic practice and there is a much more humanitarian way to handle things, that keeps dignity in its proper place. Spanking is abusive and parents who spank face the possibility of legal action.

Same with submission. It's not socially acceptable either. Who has submissive roles in the home anymore? We have evolved way past keeping women barefoot and pregnant. Men and women have equal voice, equal roles and equal responsibilities in the home. Submission is abusive to the woman and men who insist on it should join the 21st century and take a good look at themselves.

Sound familiar? How do these two attacks affect your belief system? Given enough time, both of these arguments could change the way you handle things at home...if you are not firmly grounded in God's word.

Satan's attacks are directly at the Word of God. He loves to take a godly concept, twist it and appeal to the fallen minds of men. Why, he even tried to use scripture against Jesus Christ during a moment of weakness, but Jesus knew the Word better than Satan and it failed.

And in that statement you will find why our shield of defense against Satan is knowing the Word of God. Because God's Word is truth, we have to know it to protect our minds. Because sin has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, our minds are unable to separate truth from lies. We actually are drawn to lies because of sin, rather than being drawn to God.

At salvation, we are given the gift of faith, which is like giving a legally blind person a good set of reading glasses. For the first time in our lives we are able to know truth and to act on it. But we cannot rely on our own feelings and our own ability to discern right from wrong - we have to use the measure of God's Word, no matter how we feel, trusting that God's way is best.

So when Satan fires away at a biblical concept, the shield of faith stops his attacks by holding the Word up as our protection. If God's Word says it, then I believe it. Period. I don't have to understand it, I just have to act on it and leave the outcome in God's hands.

Now, imagine not knowing the Word...what defense do you have? At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you have to know the Word to have a shield of defense. The more you know, the bigger that shield will be.

By the way, are you seeing a recurring theme among all of these armor items?

The Full Armor of God - Gospel Shoes

"...and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace..." Ephesians 6:15

My first pair of crocs were bright orange (go Illini!) and they may have saved my life. Actually, I needed them earlier than I actually got them, but in getting them, my life was probably safer.

Picture this: Kristen in her bakery apron, sweat dripping from her brow as she bends over the swept up pile of floor droppings during morning production at the bakery. Sweeping the yuck into her dustpan, she stands up to walk over to the garbage to throw the contents away, when her foot hits a wet spot on the floor. One foot goes up, the other one follows - at one point both feet were over her head, arms go flying, and said contents of the dustpan also take flight. Then she hits the ground, bottom first, then the legs land, then hands hit - count to three - and then the debris from the dust pan sprinkle down on her head.

Moral of this story: tennis shoes were not meant for the bakery.

Enter crocs. The perfect answer to a slippery bakery floor and an uncoordinated employee.

The right shoes make all the difference. As we put on the full armor of God, we already have our belt of truth holding everything together and our breastplate of righteousness in place. So what about our feet? Barefoot warriors don't last long in the heat of the battle.

So what should we put on our feet? Well, as our verse explains, our feet are covered with preparation. Yep - preparation of the gospel of peace. Let me make this a bit clearer:

The gospel is the good news - Jesus saves, God forgives, the Spirit indwells and we can have a restored relationship with the Creator of the universe.

The gospel of peace is the same good news - we now have peace with God.

So, the preparation of the gospel of peace is the knowledge by which the believer understands the peace that he now has with God through the blood of Jesus Christ - he gains this knowledge by immersing himself in the Word and purposeful righteous living. He understands that if he chooses to sin, he is choosing to suffer. He also understands that with obedience comes blessing. This preparation time is what protects his feet as he goes into battle.

How is the preparation of the gospel of peace a protection to one's feet, you ask? The shoes you wear are what gives you traction in the battle. It is what holds you firm. If you are slipping all over the place, then you will be more likely to fall in the heat of the battle.

So the knowledge of the gospel message is what will give you traction in the battle. Knowing that God's word is truth, knowing that your sins are forgiven, knowing that you are not battling alone but with the Holy Spirit indwelling you - these are the things you need in order to stand firm.

And don't miss the fact that "preparation" means effort. Spending time in the Word, in prayer, with the Lord...this is part of your preparation.

Your responsibility.

So be prepared to stand firm - be prepared to resist.

Don't forget your crocs, because from personal experience, the floor is wet more often than not.

The Full Armor of God - Breastplate of Righteousness

"Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness..." Ephesians 6:14

Let's state the obvious. A breastplate is meant to protect your vital organs, most specifically, your heart. A wound to the heart can cause immediate death or a slow, painful bleed out. Neither make for a happy ending.

So, what exactly is the breastplate of righteousness?

Well, righteousness comes into our life two ways - it's imputed and it's imparted. Let me explain.

When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you exchange identities with Him. He takes your sin and gives you His perfect record - His righteousness is imputed to you. That debt of sin is paid-in-full through the salvation work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and when you stand before the Father, He doesn't see you drenched in sin, but He sees you clothed in Jesus' righteousness.

So, at salvation you become instantaneously righteous in your standing before God. Pretty incredible, wouldn't you say?

But it doesn't stop there, because we all know that while on earth, we are still battling with sin in our lives. In other words, nobody's perfect. That's when righteousness is imparted to us. It's called the sanctification process and as you walk with Jesus, you learn more about Him and you start to imitate Him. He is our example of righteousness, and with our new nature, we have the ability to put off the old and put on the new daily. God has given us His Spirit to work within us - with our cooperation, we are able to make righteous choices and live righteous lives. Notice I said "with our cooperation." It takes effort - you don't just wake up one day and make good decisions. No, it's a process but we are not alone. We have Jesus as our example, the Spirit as our guide and the Father as our rewarder.

It really doesn't get much better than that, does it?

So, putting on the breastplate of righteousness is really a two-fold action. Perhaps a double-sided breastplate. On one side, you have Jesus' imputed righteousness. There's nothing you can to do lose that. It's a fact and you need to remember that. No matter what you've done, in light of eternity, Jesus has already paid for it.

Second is the righteousness that comes through growing in Christ. You must remember who you are in Christ, who He enables you to be and put into practice what He is teaching you through His Word.

These two things are a protection for your heart. Think about it - righteous living is a protection for you. If you are not a gossip, then no one can complain about your words. If you choose purity in your marriage, then Satan has no accusations to whisper in the ears of your neighbors. If you are falsely accused, you can sleep at night because you know that before the Lord, you have been righteous.

But, when you choose to live unrighteously, there are always consequences. I won't go into them here, but you all know what I am talking about. And those consequences wear out your heart.

So, put on the breastplate of righteousness - remember what Jesus has done for you and choose to follow Him daily, to protect your heart from the consequences of sin and the accusations of the devil.

I love that picture above - instead of a soldier, I decided to make it more personal...