The Helmet of Salvation

Have you ever sinned? I know that I have. In fact, Scripture teaches us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin separates humanity from God (Isaiah 59:2) because evil cannot dwell with God (Psalm 5:4). The price that we should have to pay for our sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is exactly what Satan wants for us. As our enemy, Satan’s number one goal is to destroy us (1 Peter 5:6). Satan wants nothing more than for us to continue, live, and die in our sin.

As we take up the whole armor of God and wage war against our enemy (Ephesians 6:10-20), this is why it is so important for us to “take the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17; cf. Isaiah 59:17). God has provided a way for us to be saved from our sins: the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ. As Peter says in Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul says, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Hebrews 5:9, speaking of Jesus, the Hebrew writer states, “And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” We can escape Satan’s grip. We can be free from the consequences of our own sinful decisions. We can change the course of where we will spend eternity only when we receive the salvation that Jesus offers. Jesus is the source of eternal salvation only for those who obey Him.

What has Jesus commanded for us to do in order to receive His salvation? Instead of appealing to what a particular preacher might teach or what a popular religious group might say, let’s appeal only to the words of the Bible. We must first hear the word of God. As God so powerfully stated at Jesus’ transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Whenever we listen to Jesus speak through His word, we are told that we must believe in Him. Faith comes through hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17). We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). We must repent of our sins because God “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Repenting of our sins means turning away from our sins. We can choose to either repent or perish (Luke 13:3, 5); there is no other option. We must confess Jesus before others; as Jesus says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32; cf. Romans 10:9-10). We must be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). When we are baptized, we are placed in Christ (Galatians 3:27) and are united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4). We must be baptized in order to be saved (Mark 16:16; John 3:5); in fact, baptism is the point at which God gives us the amazing gift of salvation (1 Peter 3:21; Titus 3:5).

Have you put on the helmet of salvation? Have you received salvation through Jesus by obeying what He has commanded in His word? We cannot defeat Satan if we are not willing to receive God’s salvation the way that He has instructed: hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and being baptized. If you feel the need to discuss this topic further or if you do not agree with what has been presented here, please contact us. We would love to study the word of God with you.

-Tyler Alverson