The Helmet of Salvation
Sometimes we wonder why we are in certain situations. Why did some difficult circumstance have to happen? Why is God allowing something to happen? When I feel this way, I remind myself that it is God, not me, who knows my life's plan. He will carry me through life, and I don't need to worry about it any more. I remind myself that I exist to bring glory to God.
Some of us understand this better than others. Paul certainly was surrendered to God's perfect will for his life. There was no trial so big that God was not bigger.
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.-- Ephesians 6:17-20
This passage is taken from a bigger chapter which talks about how we are to defend ourselves in spiritual warfare. Salvation is likened to a helmet, which protects the head. I always thought this was interesting. Our head is made up of several smaller parts. In The Holy War, the allegory we have been discussing, Bunyan imagines the city of Mansoul as having four gates: Feel gate, Eye gate, Mouth gate, and Ear gate. Our head is attached to the eyes, mouth, and ears.
Our eyes provide sight, our ears, hearing, and our mouth is for eating. The helmet is used to protect all of these things. In the spiritual sense, our sight, ears, and "food" could possibly decieve us or lead us astray. That is why certainty of our salvation should protect our head. The helmet is not salvation itself: it is the assurance of it.
After our helmet comes our sword, which I will not explore like I did the helmet. This post is about salvation. Maybe Saturday I will come back and talk about the sword. Anyways, directly following the word (our sword), Paul begins talking about prayer. Prayer and the word go hand in hand. They are both very importand disceplines of the spiritual life. We are instructed to pray for all fellow Christians. Paul particularly wanted the Ephesian church to pray for him. He was in prison. This gets back to what we were talking about earlier relating to knowing that God ultimately is in control.
Paul was utterly consumed with one thing, and one thing only: the gospel. That was the big deal to Paul. The gospel is all that matters when everything is said and done. Paul has a specific request to br prayed over. He desires that God would give him words to preach the gospel. Notice verse 20. Paul says he is "an ambassador in chains." The book of Ephesians was written while Paul was in jail. He was not floating along on cloud nine in some vacation home. He was a prisoner because he had spoken up against emporer worship and said "This is what we live for! This is what I die for! I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ!" Amen, huh? We are glorify God, and "declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among the people"!
Paul knew the power of the helmet of salvation.
Do you?
~Nella
Some of us understand this better than others. Paul certainly was surrendered to God's perfect will for his life. There was no trial so big that God was not bigger.
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.-- Ephesians 6:17-20
This passage is taken from a bigger chapter which talks about how we are to defend ourselves in spiritual warfare. Salvation is likened to a helmet, which protects the head. I always thought this was interesting. Our head is made up of several smaller parts. In The Holy War, the allegory we have been discussing, Bunyan imagines the city of Mansoul as having four gates: Feel gate, Eye gate, Mouth gate, and Ear gate. Our head is attached to the eyes, mouth, and ears.
Our eyes provide sight, our ears, hearing, and our mouth is for eating. The helmet is used to protect all of these things. In the spiritual sense, our sight, ears, and "food" could possibly decieve us or lead us astray. That is why certainty of our salvation should protect our head. The helmet is not salvation itself: it is the assurance of it.
After our helmet comes our sword, which I will not explore like I did the helmet. This post is about salvation. Maybe Saturday I will come back and talk about the sword. Anyways, directly following the word (our sword), Paul begins talking about prayer. Prayer and the word go hand in hand. They are both very importand disceplines of the spiritual life. We are instructed to pray for all fellow Christians. Paul particularly wanted the Ephesian church to pray for him. He was in prison. This gets back to what we were talking about earlier relating to knowing that God ultimately is in control.
Paul was utterly consumed with one thing, and one thing only: the gospel. That was the big deal to Paul. The gospel is all that matters when everything is said and done. Paul has a specific request to br prayed over. He desires that God would give him words to preach the gospel. Notice verse 20. Paul says he is "an ambassador in chains." The book of Ephesians was written while Paul was in jail. He was not floating along on cloud nine in some vacation home. He was a prisoner because he had spoken up against emporer worship and said "This is what we live for! This is what I die for! I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ!" Amen, huh? We are glorify God, and "declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among the people"!
Paul knew the power of the helmet of salvation.
Do you?
~Nella
posted by Nella Camille at 9:31 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home