The helmet of salvation is the helmet the hope of salvation. You strap it on by holding a confident expectation that God will save, heal, and deliver you in your temporal struggles as well as eternally. With your helmet fastened tightly, you face every battle with confidence, expecting complete victory.
The Helmet of Salvation Scriptures
And take the helmet of salvation…
Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV)
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
The Active Element in the Helmet of Salvation
Salvation, and the confident expectation (hope) of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
What Does the Helmet the Hope of Salvation Protect Against?
A negative, pessimistic, defeated attitude that has laid down the will to fight; a "victim" mindset.
Why You Need the Helmet the Hope of Salvation
The best armor possible does no good if you do not have the will to fight. We fight well when we have a confident expectation and hope of victory. Therefore, holding onto hope in the midst of battle is vital to our success.
How to Put On the Helmet of Salvation
The following excerpt from my book, The Armor of Light, pp. 155-158, describes how the helmet of salvation protects our will to fight.
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Like modern soldiers, Roman soldiers wore helmets to protect their heads from injury during battle. Obviously, we need to protect our minds in spiritual warfare. But wait a minute! Every piece of armor we’ve described so far protects our minds!
- The truth of God’s Word defends us from lies and deception. (Col. 2:8)
- Knowing our righteousness in Christ protects us from false thoughts of unworthiness, lack of acceptance by God, guilt, and shame. (Romans 8:1)
- Putting on shoes of readiness means laying down selfish desires to walk in God’s paths.
- Faith in God’s Word extinguishes the troubling thoughts launched into our minds.
So what more can the helmet do that hasn’t already been done? Paul left us a clue.
The Helmet, the Hope of Salvation
In First Thessalonians, Paul calls the helmet, “the hope of salvation.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
Hope in modern English is a weak word. When we say, “I hope so,” we often mean, “I wish it were so, but I’m not sure it will work out.” But hope in the original Greek meant a confident expectation with an optimistic outlook.
Christian hope says, “With God on my side, all this trouble will work to my advantage.”
The people of the world usually say something different. They live in cynicism, skepticism, pessimism, discouragement, and despair. They say, “What’s the use?” “Why try?” “Just give up.” “Have another drink.”
But Christians who strap on their helmets have a positive attitude of hope, a confident expectation of victory. They are cheerful in the midst of trouble and with God’s help expect to win every battle. Why? They have full trust in the power, faithfulness, and reliability of God. Paul pointed out Abraham’s amazing posture of hope, “who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations…” (Romans 4:18) Even when it looked impossible, Abraham believed God.
You can have on the best armor in the world, but if you don’t have hope that inspires your will to fight, you are defeated before the battle starts.
We Need to Live in Hope
Putting on the helmet means adjusting your life’s attitude from being negative, wounded, and pessimistic, to being strong, conquering, and victorious in Christ. Nobody goes to war hoping to lose. They go to war because there is something to win, something to gain, some spoils to gather. You put on the armor of God to win something!
What are some “spoils” of winning in Christian conflict? Personal freedom from the enemy! Salvation of souls! Being a blessing to all nations (starting in your neighborhood)!
We learn from experience that the Lord brings us through every difficulty and trial. So, as we grow in Christ, our attitude should change from hoping for a little victory once in a while to expecting victory all the time. Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
Wouldn’t you agree that “always” is a strong but inspired word? Paul should know—he went through more trouble than anyone I know. John also wrote,
1 John 5:4 And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Both Paul and John wore the helmet, the confident expectation that salvation would work everything to their advantage for the benefit of the kingdom of God.
The Winning Attitude
In our culture the closest thing to the helmet of salvation is the attitude of soldiers and professional athletes who prepare to overcome adversity and win every battle and game. They never give up. I love fourth quarter, come-from-behind victories. What a thrill when my team rallies, scores, and seizes the day.
You may think you’re losing, but a champion lives in your heart—Jesus! He never gives up and doesn’t want you to let go of your dream. You can do it. You will make it. You are an overcomer!
Temporal and Eternal Salvation
We are to put on the helmet of salvation. The essence of the word is “being made safe.” Christians often narrow the meaning to having an eternal home in heaven, but Jesus wants to “save” us in temporal things as well. In the Bible, the words save and salvation also speak of healing, physical safety, and deliverance from calamities, demons, storms, and prison. (Matt. 9:21-22 [“made well”], Matt. 14:30, 27:42, Mark 5:23 [“healed”], Mark 6:56, 10:52 [“made well”], Luke 7:50, Luke 8:36 [“healed” from a demon], Acts 27:31, 2 Tim. 4:18 [“preserve”], etc.)
In all things, then, both eternal and temporal, Christians are to strap on a confident expectation and a winning attitude. Through faith in Christ we have a home in heaven, but while we are on earth our Savior heals, delivers, and provides for us in earthly, temporal difficulties, too.
Sometimes people think God does not care about the temporal things of earth, yet He was the one who made every material thing and declared it very good. He is touched with the feelings of our (temporal) infirmities. (Heb. 4:15-16) Yes, the eternal is all that ultimately matters, but God loves us enough to care and provide for us while we live here on earth.
Three Steps to Keeping a Positive, Confident Outlook
- Don’t be alarmed or surprised by resistance. It’s no surprise to God. (John 16:33)
- Encourage yourself in the Lord by remembering how God helped you in the past. (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
- Prepare for victory by confessing your faith. (1 Samuel 17:26, 36-37, 45-46)
Putting on the helmet of salvation, the confident expectation of salvation, defends you from the discouragement and depression so common in the world. When you have on the helmet, you see the glass half full (not half empty) and won’t quit or throw in the towel. Because you have the Lord on your side and fighting for you, you remain upbeat, confident, and willing to take new ground for Jesus.
2 Chronicles 20:15 (NKJV) And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! 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."