Armor of God: Helmet of Salvation

     Take the helmet of salvation
       ~ Ephesians 6:17


  Salvation is not a one-time thing. You can’t pray a prayer and just move on. Paul says we must continue to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). Salvation is on-going. Where repentance is like getting off the highway, turning around, and driving the other direction, salvation is the entire process of getting onto the right path and continuing on that path – it means following Christ.
  Jesus told a parable about a king who had a wedding feast for his son. He invited many but they made excuses for not coming, so the king invited everyone from the streets. A man came in without wearing wedding clothes, so the king had him tied hand and foot and thrown outside. The king invited the man, but he did not want to change. God invites everyone to live in His kingdom, but not everyone is chosen.
  In Acts, Luke tells of a time the apostles preached in a city and many believed and were baptized including a sorcerer named Simon. When Peter and John came later, they found that even though Simon believed and was baptized, his heart was still not right before God. Simon was no longer defined by sin but by what Jesus had done in his life. He needed to stop acting and thinking as a sinner and begin thinking and acting as Christ.
  Salvation is not one single prayer or one altar call; it’s a life-long commitment to following God. You can’t earn salvation, but you also can’t be the same person you were before God entered your heart and still follow Christ.
  Are you defined by your sin, or are you defined by the transformation Christ has made in you? Have you been living your life however you want hoping a prayer from years ago was enough? Are you ready for Christ to daily transform you and bring you closer to Him?

Read further:
Ephesians 6; Philippians 2:12; Matthew 22:1-14; Acts 8:9-25

Armor of God

      Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
     power. Put on the full armor of God so that you
     can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
     For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
     but against the rulers, against the authorities,
     against the powers of this dark world and against
     the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
     realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God,
     so that when the day of evil comes, you may be
     able to stand your ground, and after you have
     done everything, to stand.
       ~ Ephesians 6:10-13


The enemy is very real and very capable. “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:7)
God is also real. He is more powerful and more able. You have already lost the battle if you try to master sin on your own. That is why you must “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Eph 6:10). You can’t stand by your power because the battle is spiritual, not physical. Trust the Master of all – spiritual and physical – to protect you so that you may be able to stand.
Are you feeling the burden of trying to stand on your own? What can you do in your life to stand closer to the Lord?



This is the first in a series about the Armor of God. Check back for more.

Read Ephesians 6