Eph. 6:10-18 Many of our battles and temptations take place or originate in our minds. Some thoughts can seem overwhelming and lead us to make bad choices. Thank God, he did not leave us defenseless.
Eph. 1:7, 13, 14 These verses reveal our initial salvation experience. If we believe the good news of how the Lord Jesus suffered & died on the cross and rose again the third day to rescue us from the judgment and wrath of God against our sins, God forgives us of our sins, and his Holy Spirit lives in us to empower us to do God’s will.
We have access to every spiritual blessing Jesus purchased for us. But we must “put on” the whole armor of God in our daily walk to stand against the schemes of the devil. How do we put on the helmet of salvation?
I. Pray to God Eph. 6:18
We put on the armor to stand in prayer. Prayer does not inform God of our needs. Prayer invites God into our needs. God is our peace, our strength, stability, and victory. God is with us, and he will see us through.
The verb form of salvation means to save, deliver and heal. The helmet of salvation is to rescue, free, & heal our mind. In our mind, we can bring past failures, regrets, and hurts, into the present. We can anticipate future failures and losses and bring them into the present. It’s too much for our mind to handle. We can think there is no hope.
Jesus had a crown of thorns shoved into his head. Thorns are part of the curse. Even the place where Jesus was crucified was called The Place of a Skull. Jesus took the curse of every sin upon himself. He can relate to what we face because he experienced it for everyone. Heb. 4:15, 16 Jesus sympathizes with us, and he can help us in our need.
II. Speak God’s word Eph. 6:17
When we speak the word of God in faith, it is the sword of the Spirit. The truth of God’s word is life-giving, comforting, and strengthening. Rom. 15:4 When we feel hopeless, God’s word gives us hope, confident expectation of good.
Ps. 42:11 When the psalmist was discouraged, the enemy taunted him, and he felt forsaken by God, he spoke to his soul to hope in God, and confessed God as his help and Savior. Replace negative thoughts with godly thoughts.
III. Thank God Eph. 5:18-21
Giving thanks to God is both an expression of our faith and an exercise of our faith in God and his word. Thanking God is essential to maintaining a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered lifestyle. Let’s thank God for saving us, that he is with us. Thank him for victory. Thank him for giving us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
The context of Ephesians is godly fellowship. In Christ, we are members of God’s family. The devil wants to isolate us. We stand together in victory. Stay close to the Lord and godly believers.
When ungodly thoughts attack your mind this week, will you pray?
What word will you speak?
What will you thank God for in those moments?