trbccoffeebreak

“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. … And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:13, 17

Time for an embarrassing confession. (You can laugh out loud, roll your eyes, or totally identify. And, whatever your eschatological take, I only share this to help make a spiritual point from this Biblical text.) A few weeks back I was waiting for a friend’s arrival for tea at 6 am on a Friday. My hubby was out of town, so I prepared our hot beverages in anticipation of the visit with my sister in Christ. But she didn’t show. After about 15 minutes, I started texting…no response. So, I texted her husband to see if she overslept…no response (and I know he’s up early as well). Did my mind go to, “Oh, it’s a Friday, maybe everyone is moving slowly this morning. No biggie”?

Uh, nope. Where did my mind go? Well, (here’s the embarrassing part) my thoughts leaped right to a panicked conclusion: The rapture has happened, and I am still here! My heart started racing, I started calling out to the Lord…and I texted another sweet sister, who I know heads out to work at o’dark-thirty. Guess what? No response. Full-on anxiety attack ensues—and I, dear friend, do NOT panic or worry easily. “Could it be?” I wondered. “Could I really have missed being called Home?” I ran through all the reasons for soul security: My radically changed life from Day 1 of surrender, my obedience through the years, the supernatural forgiveness I’ve extended, the fruit-bearing journey of sanctification I’ve been on for 25 years…what have I missed? How could it be? I lamented, “I’m just a big faker—I’ve been fooling myself.”

Well, my friends all texted back within minutes. Eternal-hell crisis averted. But then I landed on the truth, thinking, “Oh, Satan, you little piece of skubalon! Your tricky lies and threatening condemnation got me there for a bit—I’m sure you and your minions had a good laugh! But you know what, loser? I have the last laugh, because Jesus wins, and you’re gonna suffer for eternity!” Praise the Lord!

I share this early-morning saga with you as a mutual reminder of the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 6:10-17. Paul urges us to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” And then he gives us the tools to achieve this stance. There are a ton of commentaries and sermons on the armor of God, so (per my story above) let’s focus on verse 17a: the helmet of salvation. See, Paul isn’t just talking about the fact that our salvation, in and of itself, helps us stand against the schemes of the devil—it is the assurance of our salvation! The enemy will do his level best to discourage us through doubt, fear, and condemnation—to hiss in our ears lies like, “Are you kidding me? How can you be saved? Look at how you talked to that customer service rep yesterday!” Or “Don’t forget about all that sinning you used to do!” Or “You don’t read your Bible daily or pray very often—if you were saved, you’d do a lot better!” All lies!!! Lying is Satan’s first language, and he is very proficient.

Friend, every day we must put on the helmet of salvation—the assurance that once we surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior, accepting the Great Exchange that takes us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1-10), that the “It is finished” means just that. Our sins (past, present, and future) are paid in full. When that transformative transaction was made, it was a one-and-done. No matter what our walk toward Heaven looks like (our sanctification process)—and it will be very different for all of us—we are in fact walking Home. And reminding ourselves of this Truth is a key element to defeating the enemy’s tactics in our life.

The full armor is vital because our enemy is wicked and powerful. And if we don’t protect our minds with the holy helmet of salvation assurance, we leave ourselves wide open for attack. Guarding our thoughts sets the foundation for a victorious battle (1 Thessalonians 5:8; Philippians 4:4-9). Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and reserved for us (1 Peter 1:3-9). So, whether you envision a cowboy hat, baseball cap, beret, or beanie, cover your head with the confident hope of your salvation. And get ready for the fight.

“Lord, may I be prepared daily for the battles of this world with the armor You’ve provided, starting with joy—and assurance—of my salvation.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith (encouraged by grace)
TRBC Women’s Life