Helmet of Salvation: Saul is transformed
We’re nearing the end of the armor of God - just two pieces left! Today, we’re looking at the Helmet of Salvation.
Ephesians 6:17a | Put on salvation as your helmet…
Football, hockey, baseball… Many sports require helmets because they know that a serious blow to the head could wreck your life. It makes sense that a soldier would need a helmet in battle- protecting your head is serious business! For God’s followers, this is also true. The Helmet of Salvation is a vital piece of armor because it guards us from life-altering blows that could undermine God’s purposes for our lives.
It is interesting to note that the Helmet of Salvation isn’t the first piece of armor listed. To be clear- the other pieces of armor are for God’s followers (those who are already saved). We don’t work our way through the other pieces of armor by our own efforts and THEN receive salvation. Instead, the helmet of salvation, like the rest of the armor, is about a daily practice. It is a reminder of who you belong to, by whose power your fight, and where your thoughts should dwell.
Through the Bible, we see that salvation, or saving faith, transforms.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 | This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
As you become a new creation and accept the identity God has for you, your thinking changes. You realize your worth is in God, not what man thinks or how the world measures your value. Remember Moses?
At the burning bush, Moses is insecure and afraid. But once he puts his faith in God, he is transformed. He is able to step out in faith, obeying God, unaffected by the insults of Pharaoh and the complaints of the Israelites. He comes to know God intimately and is used in truly incredible ways! The Helmet of Salvation changed the way Moses thought!
Paul explained this transformation in his own life.
When we met Paul (Saul) two weeks ago, we saw him (Saul) persecuting the church-
Acts 8:1b-3 | A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
Believe it or not, Paul (Saul) wasn’t a mean guy. He was an incredibly zealous law follower, passionate about his own righteousness, much like the other Pharisees we saw interact with Jesus in the four Gospels. Pauls says-
Philippians 3:5-6 | I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
He THOUGHT he was doing right and he made sure he was doing as much right as possible at all times - that is where he found his value. But one day, his thinking was drastically changed… by the Helmet of Salvation.
On a day much like any other, Saul was on a mission. He was seeking permission to arrest followers of Jesus to extinguish what he thought was a false religion.
Acts 9:1-2 | Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
But before Saul could complete his journey, he was interrupted:
Acts 9:3-4 | As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
Saul is trembling and afraid but he wants to obey-
Acts 9:5-6 | “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
When Saul gets up off the ground to obey, he is blind (vs. 8). He does end up in Damascus, like he hoped, but he isn’t there to arrest followers of Jesus. He’s there to find out more about Him! He waits expectantly, fasting until He hears the rest of the Lord’s instructions (vs 9).
God sends a man named Ananias to Saul. Saul accepts Jesus as Savior and he’s baptized (vs 18). Saul has put on the Helmet of Salvation and his life is completely transformed!
Acts 9:20-21 | And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!” All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
Talk about a radical change! We see Saul (also known as Paul) spread the message of Jesus far and wide on several missionary journeys. He is able to walk in his new identity, without slipping back into the old one, because he continues wearing the Helmet of Salvation.
Romans 12 tells us that God transforms us as He changes the way we think-
Romans 12:2 | Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Saul/Paul embodies this transformation, explaining in Philippians 3 that he no longer found his worth in his own righteousness/accomplishments. Instead, he says-
Philippians 3:7-9 | I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
His identity as a child of God is enough.
While God’s transforming work begins at Salvation, it continues as we choose to “put on” the Helmet of Salvation, letting God change the way we think, just like we see in Saul’s transformation. We must continue to “put on” the Helmet of Salvation each day, lest we open ourselves up to the attacks of the enemy – attacks on who we are, what our purpose is, or where our value comes from.
How exactly do we do this? The Bible instructs us to wage war on our thoughts (2nd Cor. 10:3-5), to maintain a heavenly perspective (Col. 3:2), and to practice fixing our minds on things that are fitting for followers of God-
Philippians 4:8-9 | And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me (Saul/Paul!) and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
The daily wearing of the Helmet of Salvation allows the transformation of your mind, which, as we saw with Saul/Paul, results in the transformation of your actions too. And when the enemy tries to attack with whispers of discouragement to undermine your value, purpose, or eternal security, you’re able to stand firm because you know to whom you belong. Put on the Helmet of Salvation!
Why is the Helmet of Salvation an important piece of armor for God’s followers?
What is the difference between salvation and “putting on the helmet of salvation?”
How was Saul transformed? What changes occurred?
Where did Saul find his value, purpose, and identity after surrendering to Jesus? How do you know?