A walk through the garden

Put on salvation as your helmet. (Ephesians 6:17)

Ever have an argument between your head and your heart? Ever know in your heart that something is real, only to have your mind tell you it’s not? Ever questioned a fact because of a feeling? Then you understand why Paul encourages us to “put on salvation” as a “helmet” (Ephesians 6:17).

Paul is warning us to guard our mind against thoughts of doubt and confusion. He is encouraging us to shield our head from Satan’s onslaught of arrows bringing uncertainty and disbelief. He is telling us to keep our thoughts in line with what our heart already knows to be true.

As we saw yesterday Eve forgot this simple lesson when approached by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. “Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?” the sleazy snake asked her. Eve explained that there was only one tree that God told them not to eat from, and the serpent persisted in trying to confuse her. “‘You won’t die!’ the serpent hissed. ‘God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil’” (see Genesis 3:1-4). Eve fell for his lies and ate the fruit. And so began humanity’s great fall from grace.

Did Eve really believe that she would become like God? How was she so easily duped into believing something so absurd? Her greatest sin was letting her head win the argument with her heart. She already knew who the Creator was, and she was well aware that she wasn’t on the same par; yet somehow she allowed Satan to confuse her. It only took a second, and it only took a little doubt, but the result was deadly and she forgot what comes from God is good, and all else isn’t.

The enemy hasn’t changed his methods much. Mostly because he hasn’t needed to. People still fall for the oldest trick in the book. “Did God really say that? Surely you won’t die if you take just a little bite.” Our heart knows better, but his words sound so convincing. We allow ourselves to be taken in by confusion and doubt. A little bite, a little lie, a little gossip or a little porn, surely you won’t die.

The helmet of salvation does more than keep our mind shielded from doubt. It keeps us centred on what’s really true. It reminds us of the grace that brought us into God’s garden in the first place. It covers our head with eternal thoughts of the one we serve, not self-serving ones. It is our greatest weapon against Satan’s oldest tricks.

What lies has Satan whispered into your ears? What does it mean to you to put on the helmet of salvation?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.