The Belt of Truth - the Truth of Jesus holds it all together.
Breastplate of Righteousness - living a Righteous life will protect our heart.
Readiness of the Gospel of Peace - not a physical piece of armor...but just as vital. Know the story.
Today we will look at the Shield of Faith and the Helmet of Salvation. In the movies Captain America has an amazing shield made of a fictitious metal called vibranium. It's capable of repelling bullets, energy weapons, and all sorts of devastating stuff.
Our shield is so much cooler.
The Shield of Faith
"...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
The shield. An ancient weapon known throughout most of history. Some were small, some large but all had the same purpose. To prevent weapons of the enemy from getting to you. Shields would take the brunt of the initial attacks. Be it stones, arrows, swords, or spears...the shield, if made well would deflect these things. Epesians 6 says that it will extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
How cool is that?! Not only does it stop them, it puts out the fire!
Fire consumes.
When used as a weapon fire is devastating. But when you pick up the shield of Faith, the flames are quenched. What did we already establish our faith in? Jesus. Our trust in him as our Savior, our King, our God. It is our faith in Him the creates this shield, this barrier protection. Something God has consistently told us He is.
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
Another thing about the shield, it has to go in front of you or it is useless. So, our Faith in Jesus should go before us, otherwise we are vulnerable to attack. Keep your Faith before you, keep Jesus as your goal, and He will protect you. A shield of faith...think about it.
Now for the helmet. It can be as practical as a motorcycle helmet or as intense as a Spartan soldier's. Simple or elaborate. The goal is the same. Protect the head. Some are iconic like Thor and Loki's. Kids all over can spot Loki based on his golden horned helmet, or Thor with his silver wings. Once again, our helmet, way better.
Helmet of Salvation
"...Take the helmet of salvation..."
The helmet protects our head. And what is inside out head?
Our mind.
So Salvation is what protects our mind...if we keep it on. When we think, remember what Jesus did. Hebrews 2: 3-4 says:
"...This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord(Jesus), was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will."When our minds start to wander. When we think of the nasty response. When we think of yelling and swearing...remember Salvation. Remember Jesus. Even when he was dying on the cross for us, bearing all our sin...he forgave us. All wrongs have been righted in his death. All blood owed has been paid. All the things we feel we are justified to have...have already been given.
"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation..."
Not only should we guard our thoughts from evil, but allow it to Trust and not Fear. God has already won. The only things we can loose (if we cling to him) are our earthly possessions, and our earthly body. The helmet protects more than just our skull, brain and faces. The knowledge of Salvation guards our thoughts. Keep it on! In this, our thoughts will be different. People will notice this and we will be recognized as followers of Jesus. It will be obvious. The same way a kid can spot their favorite helmeted hero.
Tomorrow, the Weapons.
grace, peace + hope
-Jesse
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