Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you!
In Ephesians 6:10-20 says...
My Brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of HIS might. Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD of GOD; praying always with all supplication in the SPIRIT, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
The next armor piece is SALVATION. The scripture says that we should take up the helmet of salvation. What does that mean? Just as a physical helmet protects us against the fatal blows to the head, JESUS CHRIST is our salvation protecting us through HIS blood shed on the cross for the remission of sin, protecting us from the fatal blow of eternal death.
Our mind is the battlefield in which satan tries to drop his bomb's of lie's and self destruction. The enemy has the power to plant ideas, suggestionss and thoughts into our minds, but we have freewill and a choice, to do what GOD says to do, or follow through with the temptation.
Obedience in actively applying the scripture to our lives is essential to giving the helmet power. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 say's... For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, (of the flesh) but mighty in GOD for pulling down stronghold's, casting down argument's and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of GOD, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of CHRIST, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. Start putting into practice immediatly, taking the tempting thought captive to the obedience of CHRIST and the enemy will lose his power and flee. If you've been set free in CHRIST from alcoholism or drug addiction and the thought to go get high or get drunk comes out of no where, it is the enemy. Say out loud, "IN THE NAME OF JESUS, be gone from me satan and take your corruptive suggestions with you", and then get in the WORD and read. Be mindful that you need to be specific about saying "IN THE NAME OF JESUS". I have heard some say "I plead the blood over it" or "I pray the blood over it". That is not biblical. The BIBLE says to say "IN THE NAME OF JESUS". Pleading the blood over something is useless. The power of "THE BLOOD" was for salvation only. The power in prayer or speaking out in authority over the enemy is in JESUS HIMSELF. HE did not stay in that bloody state, HE was resurrected and is ALIVE living in us with power and might. WOW! Are you excited? I know I am! PRAISE GOD!
The enemy will try to hit you with the blow "you need to be busy doing work for the LORD or HE will not find favor with you and you will not enter heaven". Ephesians 2:8-9 say's For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of GOD, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Salvation is a free gift and can not be earned, but after you begin a relationship with CHRIST, works for HIM will come naturally. "Works" come after salvation is recieved, not because of it.
Satan also uses the blow "you better be good or you will lose your salvation". Do not believe it! One can not lose salvation, once you're saved, you are always saved. There are brother's and sister's who believe this lie. John 10:28,29 says... "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of MY hand. MY FATHER, who has given them to ME, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of MY FATHER's hand. I and my FATHER are ONE." Romans 8:35-39 say's... Who shall separate us from the love of CHRIST? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For YOUR sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more then conquerors through HIM who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of GOD which is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD. Once you are saved, it is forever!
There are people who consider themselves to be "ex- christian". There is no such thing. Once you are the FATHER's, you are HIS. These people did not back slide, they never slid forward in the first place. The Bible tells us that we work along side unsaved people in the Church and to beware. These people say they are saved, but they are not, they are just going through the motions. Then something triggers them to leave the Church and GOD, and thus another so-called backslider. We find in Mark 4:3-9... "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" JESUS explains in Mark 4:20... " But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred." The good soil hearer is the only one who "ACCEPTED it", while the others heard the WORD, even stayed around for a bit, but never really "ACCEPTED it".
When you begin to explore the BIBLE and GOD's eternal truth's you will be able to develop the faith needed to keep the helmet protecting you. JESUS died once for our sins, past, present and future. The enemy of course wants to decieve us into thinking that we are not truly saved and what JESUS did has no power, but being in THE WORD, you will know the truth and the HELMET OF SALVATION will protect you.
GOD Bless You!