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by Charlie Wolcott

There is one piece of the Armor of God that we all want to wear but we do not understand what it means or what it entails most of the time: the Helmet of Salvation. I often do not need to describe what a helmet does. It protects the head from impact and injury in sports and in combat. The head contains the brain and it is the head that contains the housing of all five of our senses. It represents our minds and our physical body.

So what is the Helmet of Salvation and what does it do? Salvation literally means to be delivered, to be rescued. From what? Quite a lot actually. Sin bears the penalty of death as per Romans 6:23. So we are being rescued from the penalty of sin, which is death and ultimately hell. We are also being rescued from sin itself. We are not just being rescued from the results of sin down the road, we are being rescued from the grip of sin now. Jesus took the blow that was intended for us and he paid the price that had to be paid. He died because sin had to be paid in full. God could not be considered good or just if he did not punish sin. Jesus died so the justice of God could be fulfilled and so that God could punish the sin without destroying the sinner. And when Jesus rose from the dead, sin, death, hell, Satan and all his minions, were defeated foes. Paul boasts this in 1 Corinthians 15:55. But Paul, just a few verses earlier, tells us that the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. We have to remember that though Jesus defeated evil at the cross and with his Resurrection, it is not destroyed yet. And that is why we still have to fight these battles.

Now Salvation means a lot more than just being freed from the penalty of sin or the problem of sin. A lot more. Eric Ludy puts on a spectacular presentation about what The Gospel means. It’s not just about deliverance from sin and death. This short video gives a glimpse of what the Christian life should be about. Let me explain that.

Salvation means a change of identity. We are no longer citizens of the Kingdom of Me, or more accurately, the Kingdom of Sin. As Christians, we are now citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We have a change of nature. We are dead to sin. We no longer have that sinful nature. Our new nature is geared and directed towards Christ.

But this new identity is not all fluffy and cushy. It puts a target on our backs. In medieval days, all the knights of France wore the same type of armor and the helmets covered the entire face, preventing the knights from being able to readily recognize each other by eye contact. So to distinguish one lord’s knights from another, the knights would wear the colors of their lord on their helmet. In the Civil War, the first Battle of Bull Run had a major problem. The Confederates and the Union soldiers wore the same colors. Different uniforms, but it was the same colors. It ended up being a total disaster on both sides. That was when the Confederacy changed their colors to the blue and grey we are now so familiar with.

Which Lord’s colors do you wear? Do you wear the colors that identify you as someone who serves yourself? Or do you wear the colors that identify you as someone who serves the King of all Kings? Too many of us want to be called under the name of Jesus Christ but we don’t want to wear his colors. I addressed that issue in my post, Christian in Name Only. Why? Because when we wear the colors of the King, everyone, especially the enemy, knows who we are and they know we are a threat. So they are going to fight. In many other countries, it is one thing to declare yourself to be a believer in Christ. It is something else to be publicly baptized. In China and many Middle East nations, if you are baptized, you become a marked person. What greater honor could we have? To be known by the world and by the governments of the world as a follower of Jesus Christ? If you were to be put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I know on my on-line activity on Facebook and my blogs and such, I would be found guilty. Can I say the same in my in-person interactions?

In the sport of fencing, the #1 rule we must emphasize is to never cross blades unless you have put on the “mask” (which is the helmet). This is for safety as we do wield metal blades. The back of the head in fencing is exposed and I’ve been hit back there. That hurts. In fact, just the act of turning the back of your head to your opponent draws a minor penalty.

The same is true in the spiritual battles. We love to pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which I will address next week, and charge into battle. But we are not allowed to carry this holy weapon of God unless we are one of his citizens. There are many that come out from us that call themselves by the name of Christ, but they do not wear the Colors of the King. Or worse, there are some who will falsify carrying the colors of the king.

The fencing mask, before every competition, must pass inspection. The wire mesh must pass a 40 kg punch test so that a force of up to 40 kg will not penetrate the mask. And if it passes, it gets a stamp of approval. In competition, if we do not have this stamp, our opponent gets an automatic free ‘touch’. Worse, if we falsify it, we are ejected from the tournament with a potential ban from competing for a year. And the same is true spiritually. Some of us are trying to participate in what God is doing and have not been “approved” by swearing fealty to the Lord of Lords. And some people are what Jesus describes as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They boast the name of Christ, and the boast his colors, but they carry falsified ‘inspection marks’. And the King will separate the authentic from the frauds.

Wear the Helmet of Salvation. Bear the colors of the King. Let yourself be known as a citizen of God’s Kingdom. It will mean you have a target. But that is what the Armor is for - to protect yourself. And next week, learn about the piece of Armor that lets you fight back: the Sword of the Spirit.