Put on salvation as your helmet . . .
Ephesians 6:17
We will spend another day looking at the concepts which need unpacking in this verse in the context of the armour of God. Clothe yourself in salvation. Put on salvation to cover your mind. Clothe your mind in the assurance and peace that God’s plan of salvation gives to you. Remember the shoes represent the Gospel of Peace. I like the way the NLT puts it – “put on the peace the comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.”
Yes, there is a sense in which God’s power and peace surround us when we are involved in sharing the Good News (the Gospel). But let’s face it, everything about God’s plan for salvation has “benefit” stamped all over it. The end result of the Gospel is peace. Paul writes in Romans 5:1 “therefore since we are have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace . . . “. That’s God’s righteousness. God Himself makes us right with Him through Christ and because of that peace comes. It is an inherent by-product of salvation. Truth leads us to faith in Christ which results in His righteousness which results in salvation and in all of the process and at the end point or pinnacle we know God’s peace. Everything about the Gospel spells peace. Jesus said “Come to me . . . and you will find rest for you souls.” The kind of ultimate rest or peace the human soul craves is only found in God. Have no anxiety about anything but instead pray about everything and your mind will be clothed in the peace that passes understanding. You know where I am getting these passages from you – or you should do. If you don’t, find them. What incredible promises! This is why this Gospel of God, this good news is indeed Good News. Peace comes from the Good News. The peace and rest of God comes upon you as a result of your partnership in the Gospel. You partner and He works within you. Wow what a deal. It’s true – He is after all the Prince of Peace.
This is a theme which runs through the Bible. The ultimate rest of God, the peace and rest of the human spirit is found only when we are clothed by Him. We return to man’s place of origin, the intended sabbath rest of the Garden of Eden. But we only find that sabbath rest of the people of God when we come into it on His terms – see Hebrews 3. When we cover our minds with God’s salvation we can rest in the assurance not only of our salvation but of the certainty of its fruit as well. We have His Holy Spirit now as a down payment of that which is to come: a guarantee of our promised inheritance. Does that sound familiar? It ought to. It comes from the first chapter of Ephesians. All of this fits together. No wonder the Gospel is characterized by peace. Its outcome is peace and rest for the people of God. All through faith. Rest in Him to accomplish it and He will do it for you. Just trust Him to do it. That’s why you wear the breastplate of His righteousness which makes all this possible by faith. Paul, John and other writers of the New Testament are only picking up on what the likes of Isaiah and others in the Old Testament wrote about. In quietness and rest is your strength. Rest in Him and trust Him to save you. It is the essence of the Gospel.
I personally love that verse in Isaiah
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! .
Isaiah 26:3
Read down to verse 7. Notice the flow.
- Isa 26:4 Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. . .
- Isa 26:7 But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and You smooth out the path ahead of them.
The full intent of Isaiah 26:3 is found in the meaning of “thoughts”. Perfect peace is not found when we occasionally think of God. The word for thoughts is the word יצר [yêtser] which signifies imagination, mind, impulse, thought. As the King James Version has it “who mind is stayed on thee”. This is not talking about the occasional thought that goes Godward. It is talking about the mind which when at rest and wandering without conscious focused thought always returns to God. It has been trained by practice. You will find perfect peace when even the uncontrolled impulses or fleeting thoughts in your mind turn to Him. Everything about the Gospel is designed to give you peace. Now that is worth putting on.
It goes without saying but I had better say it anyway: Notice how much the mind is involved in all of these key pieces of armour. The belt, the breastplate, the shield and the helmet (and even the shoes) all involve the mind to one degree or another. It all a matter of renewing your mind. Straight after saying “have no anxiety, but pray about everything” Paul says “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting [it] into practice . . . then the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:6-9)
Are you getting the message; go do it.
Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
Regina Brett
Your part is prayer and focused thoughts. God’s part? Peace and protection.
Max Lucado
No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace.
Anon
God give me the peace to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Anon
God give me the peace to accept the people I cannot change, and courage to change the one I can and the wisdom to know it’s ME.
Sidney Mohede