Friday, November 4, 2016

Don't Forget Your Helmet!

I remember every word to "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. I also remember most all the words to every Chicago song, Bon Jovi song, and Rick Springfield song from the 1980's and 1990's. Yup. All that amazing music is stuck in my head. I don't listen to this music now, but it's still stuck in my brain. It even pops out of my mouth every now and then when something reminds me of days gone by. I can't erase it. It is permanently branded in my mind.

God brought this realization to me about what was in my mind as I read in Ephesians 6:17. This verse indicates that we are to wear salvation like a helmet. You see, a helmet is worn by a warrior or soldier for protection of the head, and ultimately protection of your mind. I'm supposed to protect my mind as a Christian soldier, but obviously based on what is in my mind I haven't always done just that. And not only are we to protect our minds, we are to protect them with salvation.

Salvation comes for us by knowing and believing that Jesus died for our sins. It's not about how good we can be because we are simply not good people. And, once we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are secure. We can not lose our salvation. God wants us to protect our minds with salvation - with the very thought of us being secure in Him. This, my friends, is so important in a broken world.

If Satan can influence your mind and get you to think about negative things, he will disable your ability to be an effective Christian soldier. If the father of lies can get you to think of how bad your own sins are and not how much grace God has extended you, well, he will then be able to destroy your happiness and feelings of security. And, if your mind is full of worldly things, then Satan will have a leg up on stealing your inheritance of peace and joy. Make no mistake. He wants to take you out of influence in this world for God's glory. He wants to control your mind.

You know what else I remember from my younger life? I remember Psalm 23 and Psalm 100 because my 4th grade teacher followed God's plan for what we should put in our minds. I remember them by heart. (King James version if you're interested.) She read these scriptures to her class every day. So for almost a year, during a time when I was not saved, she poured these scriptures into my head. I believe these scriptures laid the groundwork for my life today.

What are you putting in your head? What are you allowing your children to put into their heads? What if we put on salvation as a helmet, and we taught the next generation to do the same?

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." ~ Romans 12:2

Jesus - THANK YOU for giving us minds to think, and that we can transform the way we think by studying Your Word and knowing You more. You are simply incredible and Your love for us amazes me. Help me to put Your Word in my head more than worldly information. In the precious name of Jesus I pray ~ AMEN.

For a deeper study:

  • Determine what God is trying to teach you today.
  • Look up scriptures based on what you are seeking to learn and memorize them.