Secure Your Helmet

“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:17-18 NKJV

In an almost unbelievable story titled “Owl caught on camera stealing hat from runner near Woodinville, WA,” published by Fox 13 Seattle over the weekend, the writer reported that “An owl in Woodinville has been swooping at unsuspecting visitors on the Paradise Valley Conservation area trails.” And one local resident says he captured video of one of the prime suspects in the act.

When Nathan Kuchta goes running on the Paradise Valley Conservation Trail, he often wears a cap. "This is the only running hat I have," said Kuchta. To a phantom menace that stalks the woods, the practical piece of running gear is more like bait. This feathered avenger of the forest was captured on video, swooping in on Nathan's head as if it were making a kill. "I did not hear it at all. It was absolutely silent," he said…. 

This wasn't his first run-in with an owl on the trails in the nature area. He said he was on or near a portion of the Lloyd Trail when he was first attacked a week prior. "The first time I ended up in the urgent care because it put some talons in the top of the head," said Nathan. During that encounter, he noted he was not wearing his hat. That hat spared him from scratches a week later when an owl made another swoop…

With a potentially wise old owl on the prowl, Nathan has a word to the wise; perhaps it’s best to wear a hat, or even a hard hat on the Paradise Valley trail for now. He says it protected his head from the owl's talons.

Spiritually speaking, wearing a hard hat at all times is also wise and best since we have an unseen enemy who’s always on the prowl. But not just any hard hat. As part of the spiritual armor of God (and remember that we are to put on ALL of it EVERY day), we are told to “take” or put on “the helmet of salvation.” The instructions don’t stop there though. In addition to the helmet of salvation, we are told to “take” or pick up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

To understand why this is so important, we need to first understand that our battle is not “against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” This enemy can’t be seen with our physical eyes or fought with physical weapons. This is a spiritual battle and therefore must be fought spiritually. 

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:14-16

That being said, you and I, as believers, must wage war like a good soldier does. Which starts with putting on all of our armor in the same way a Roman soldier would—beginning with the belt of truth, and then adding the breastplate of righteousness, followed by the shoes which are the gospel of peace, and then taking on the shield of faith. But a soldier’s armor isn’t complete until they put on their helmet and take up their weapon. You see, when a Roman. soldier suited up for battle, the helmet was the last piece of armor to go on. It was the final act of readiness in preparation for combat. And it was vital for survival as it protected the brain—which is the command station for the rest of the body. If the head was badly damaged, the rest of the armor would be of little use.

In the same way, the helmet of salvation protects our spiritual brains, better known as our thoughts. And you can be sure our enemy would love to sink his talons into our brains! Something he does by tempting us to question God’s Word, our worth, God’s plan for our lives, God’s faithfulness, His ability to provide, and so on. The enemy loves to disturb our thoughts and ruthlessly and unceasingly wages war against our minds. Which means we must wear this helmet at all times so we have the confident assurance of our salvation that’s our impenetrable defense against anything the enemy throws at us. After all, if our salvation is safe with God, our souls are safe as well. And if we can trust that God will give us eternal life, we can trust that God will lead us through our worldly life.

To sum it up, as we prepare for Satan’s attacks (which is what it means to be alert with all perseverance) which are constant, we must grab that helmet and buckle it on tightly and securely, making sure there are no “in roads” to our minds. And we must keep it on!

And since salvation isn’t limited to a one-time act, our wearing of the helmet can’t be either. God’s salvation is an ongoing process and an eternal state that we, His children, enjoy in the present. Which is why we need daily protection and deliverance from our sinful nature and Satan’s schemes.

Furthermore, as we wear the helmet of salvation every day, our minds become more insulated against the suggestions, desires, temptations, and traps the enemy lays for us. The helmet guards our minds from excessive worldly influence and helps us to think on things that honor Christ so other thoughts don’t creep in. See why it’s so important to wear it?

So let’s never forget that we are to “put on the whole armor of God” each and every day that we may be able to stand against the wiles, schemes, plots, and attacks of the devil my friend. And let us be sure to pick up “the sword of the Spirit” and “to pray at all times in the Spirit.” God has given us everything we need to fight the battle--but it’s up to us to put on the armor and to fight with the sword and supplication for ourselves and for all the saints. Are you ready to fight?

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the tools to fight the spiritual battles waging war on our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. Help us to undertand that this battle is not for the weak. The devil wants to destroy us and we must be studied up, armored up, and prayed up at all times so we don’t become a casualty. Give us an unquenchable desire for the Word and to do your will Lord that we might come out of the battle victorious. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!