Wear the Helmet
“...and take the helmet of salvation..”
Years ago, I brought one of our sons to the pediatrician for his physical, and the doctor was working through the typical evaluation. She came to the question, “Do you wear a bicycle helmet?” and my son answered honestly, “Yes...but my mom doesn’t.” Busted.
I’d say at least my heart was in the right place, prioritizing my child, and that I should get a pass for that. Doesn’t my heart justify carelessness with my head?
But without the head, nothing could be taken to heart. There would be no communicating, hearing, considering, or understanding. We’d have no control center signaling to the rest of our body. No information could be processed, passed through our nerves, or fleshed out in action without the head.
As much as I might question whether a yearly physical is the context to ask if we’re following state law for riding bikes…I would agree that the heart of the matter is the head.
It’s where salvation starts. Paul explained salvation back in Ephesians 1:13, telling the people that the first step in receiving it, was through hearing. It wasn’t just music to their ears that they could interpret as they preferred or however they felt in their heart; the message was constructed of intentional words. Words in every language have definitions, which, when properly arranged, come together to form a body of knowledge. They heard the word of truth. Truth, opposite of false, was the origin of the word they heard. The helmet of salvation keeps objective truth at the controls, weighing thoughts against the question, “Is what I’m hearing true?”
Paul further clarifies that the true message was the gospel of their salvation. It’s the gospel, defined by the good news of new life available through Jesus, which gives salvation. Salvation isn’t grounded in any other person, in a subjective experience, or in a religious high, but in this particular message. Salvation through the gospel is both knowledge of Jesus and new life in Him. Because of our salvation, whatever we rely on or define ourselves by, must be asked: “Does this center me on Jesus?”
Believing in the gospel, moves us beyond the first step of admitting it’s true, to actually banking our lives on it. Upon embracing His life personally, The promised Holy Spirit seals us in Christ, forever uniting us to Jesus until we join Him in person. His presence with us begins a trajectory of freedom from sin’s control and guarantees our promised future. The helmet of salvation discerns between the path that leads to death and the one that leads to life, by asking, “Will this take me in a Spirit-led direction?”
Whatever sits at our control center, sends signals that orient our lives. So heads up; this is no bike ride in the park.
Our minds need renewing. Romans 12:2
Our minds need guarding. Philippians 4:6-9
Our minds are focused somewhere. Colossians 3:1-3
Our minds will be governed. Romans 8:6
Our minds need the helmet. Ephesians 6:17
