and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, Ephesians 6:17

The Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit complete the armour of God (thoughts on its other pieces can be found here).

The Helmet of Salvation protects our mindset in three ways. It

1. Reminds us always to be humble.
2. Deepens our appreciation of God.
3. Strengthens our resolve, enabling us to stand confidently when experiencing Satanic attack.

Being humble

The scriptures make it very clear; we are sinners saved by his magnificent grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Reminding ourselves constantly of his fact is essential. It will cultivate a humble mindset that attributes all things to our Great God and thus enable us to stand against Satan’s craftiness. Being humble is easy when we recognise what we once were: enemies of God (Rom 5:10), unrighteous (Rom 3:10-12) and sinners (Rom 5:8). Reminding ourselves of what we once were and what God has done, and continues to do, for us helps us to appreciate what we are now, and how it is entirely based on God’s love.

Deepening our Appreciation of God

What we now are is truly remarkable. We are now children of God, not His enemies (Rom 8:15, 1 John 3:1).  We are now declared righteous (2 Cor 5:21), having been forgiven for our sins. We are no longer condemned (Joh 3:18, Rom 8:1) but destined for eternal life! Knowing these wonderful truths helps us understand that God loves us more than our hearts understand. His love is beyond human comprehension and expression. Therefore, we can be assured that no matter how terrible Satan’s attack is, we stand confidently knowing that God is for us!

Strengthening our resolve

Knowing these things enables us to be confident, no matter how terribly we are attacked. Consider David, who demonstrated unshakeable resolve many times over, crying out to God in anguish for deliverance and yet simultaneously expressing the “Peace of God”, (see for example, how Psalm 13 starts and ends).  Ultimately, the Helmet of Salvation means that though we may be feeling afflicted in every way, we know we won’t be crushed; we may feel perplexed, but we know we won’t be driven to utter despair; we may even be persecuted, but know that God will never forsake us; we could be struck down, but know we will be never destroyed! 2Co 4:8-9

The Sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God) is perfect for deterring Satan’s close-quarter attacks. It complements the shield of faith that protects us from the fiery arrows that target us from a distance.  The sword in this case does not represent every verse in the bible, but rather those passages of scripture that perfectly counter Satan’s attacks (consider for example, how our Lord used certain passages to defeat Satan in the wilderness, Luke 4:1-13). We do not understand the scriptures like our Lord does, but we do have the Holy Spirit to guide us. Therefore, we can be confident that no matter what form Satan’s attacks take, we have the sharpest sword (Heb 4:12) in our hand that is guided by the same Spirit who raised our Saviour from the dead. Our challenge and responsibility is to read it and study it – a good soldier prepares for battle by familiarising themselves with their weapon.