Section One: The Spiritual Characteristics of a Godly Life.
Our current theme: Characteristic Four: Being A Warrior.
Our reading for today: 1st John 5: 11-15 (MsgB)
This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in His Son. So, whoever has the Son, has life; whoever rejects the Son, rejects life. My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to His will, sure that He’s listening. And if we’re confident that He’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.
So let’s review, class…
The man or woman who is determined to follow Christ in this world, serving the Kingdom as a warrior of God’s advancing love, must be fully aware of how he or she is dressed. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church (6: 10-18), we find the following pieces of armor that keep us protected from head to toe…
The Belt of Truth. Bound tightly around our mid-section, it’s God’s Truth that sets us free!
The Breastplate of Righteousness. Protecting our heart and lungs from severe puncture, it’s the Righteousness purchased for us by Christ that keeps us alive.
The Shoes of Peace. When we slip on our feet the Shalom of God, we can march into hell, knowing the peace of Christ transcends all things.
The Shield of Faith. Holding up this Shield of Faith can protect us from whatever fiery darts might come our way.
We now come to the fifth piece of equipment that must be firmly in place, if we dare to enter this world with devils filled. Paul calls it…
The Helmet of Salvation.
In truth, while our heart, our lungs, our mid-section, and our feet are vital to living this life; it’s important to remember that it’s our mind where the real battle resides. Have you ever taken note, for example, of how difficult it is to make even the easiest of life’s decisions when your head is either in pain or it is full of hundreds and hundreds of distractions?
As one author puts it, the real battlefield in this life is in the mind. Thus Paul reminds us that we need to put on The Helmet of Salvation, lest we forget those vital things that are so important to living the full life of a disciple of Christ. In John’s first letter, we find the apostle reminding his readers of what this thing called Christianity is all about…
My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion.
You see, the Devil knows that all he has to do is place a small seed of nagging doubt in our minds, and bingo, the human existence in Christ is suddenly up for grabs. Thus the New Testament writers are constantly reminding those who follow Jesus to actively guard their minds, lest the enemy come in and spread his seeds of doubt in a field of untended soil.
The Helmet of Salvation is just that. It’s protective gear placed over the head that keeps its owner protected from the constant barrage of attacks that come our way on a daily basis. Let’s face it. Life is hard. And much like a football player who is working to help his team score the winning touchdown, we followers of Christ must wear our protective headgear on every play, lest we take a damaging blow to the head which can put us on the bench for the remainder of the game!
So don’t be a fool and go out there without your head protected. Put on that Helmet of Salvation, and be sure that your chin-guard is strapped down tight. This life in Christ is more than a game of touch football. It’s the Super Bowl, and quite honestly, our enemy doesn’t play fair. He’ll do everything in his power to get inside your head and play with your mind.
Be wise. Be diligent. Be-ware.
My prayer: Father God, I quickly confess that it’s my mind where the real battle lies. Your Word tells me to take every thought captive (2nd Corinthians 10: 5) so that my enemy can’t have the access he desires. Holy Spirit, I thank You for The Helmet of Salvation that provides a protective covering for me. I choose to place Your protection over my mind and thoughts today. For Your name’s sake. Amen.
My questions to ponder: Am I going through life believing I’m invincible? Am I taking the necessary precautions that God has provided for me so that my mind be protected from both the seeds of doubt planted by the enemy, and inward thoughts of pride and self-centeredness conceived by my own flesh? What will “taking captive all thoughts” look like in my life today?
So what is God speaking to you today as we attempt to live the Christ-centered life?
Over a thirty-six week period, you and I will take a deeper look into twelve key characteristics of a godly life. In other words, we’ll take A Journey into Christian Discipleship. In order to keep all the blog sessions organized, we suggest you bookmark our Journey home page for ease of use. ENJOY!
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