The Helmet of Salvation

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of [the hope of] salvation (G4992 – hope of salvation), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation (G4991). For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

What does the helmet represent (based on 1 Thes 5:8). Hope of Salvation.

What is hope?
Definition: Pleasureful anticipation or expectation.

What is Salvation?
(G4991 – deliverance from the molestation of enemies. Future salvation).

This helmet of hope is there to protect us from the bombardment our mind faces each day living in the fallen world. The world try to convince us of—that Jesus Christ is not real...that God does not exist. That living by His Faith can't be true. We are bombarded every day against our belief in Him. Our mind faces attacks from everywhere to try & convince us it is not all true. This helmet, because we have a hopeful expectation, protects us against that unbelief.

Salvation comes through Christ. We read this already in 1 Thessalonians 5:9:

1 Thessalonians 5:8-10
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation (G4991). For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Who has God given the ability to receive Salvation? Some people or all people? Some churches (Calvanistic) believe that God only selected a few "chosen" people for salvation. What is the Will of God?:

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

So when does salvation enter into our life?

Romans 10:9-10
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

This righteousness is a gift to all people through what Christ did. Having been reconciled to the Father, we have all been gifted righteousness (right standing with God)--manifesting upon us when we believe:

Romans 3:21-24
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

But not everyone accepts this. Why?

What happens in your Spirit when you believe & accept Jesus Christ?

Here are some of what happens:

We are Born-Again in the Spirit:

John 3:3-7
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Made us Holy & Blessed us with all Spiritual Gifts:

Ephesians 1:1-3
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 1:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Sealed by the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 1:13-14
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

What does sealed mean? Like a letter / like a jar of preserves.

Who's responsibility is it to maintain our salvation?

1 Peter 1:5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Do some churches or some people also try & tell us that we can lose our salvation? Can anyone share personally where they have encountered that before—either a church they used to attend or a friend or family?

Does this mean we don't have a choice to deny Him after we've accepted Salvation?

Hebrews 10:26
For if we Sin (the sin of unbelief) wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for Sin, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Hebrews 6:1-6
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

So how are we to walk our life in the Lord?

Colossians 2:6-7
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

First, how did we accept Him? By believing. How are we to walk with Him? The same way—through belief. Thanking Him for everything He did for us!

It's not hard to believe. It just sometimes feels hard to put aside what we believed before: we believed it was acceptable that God was angry with me, or that it was just "normal" to be sick, or to be poor, or to be defeated, or to be fearful. What hurts & what we feel is the letting go of everything that we believed that was not aligned with what God holds true for us. This is renewing the mind.

Ephesians 4:22-24
that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.