The helmet strap
A friend of ours chased after a girl on a scooter. She gestured at her to pull over. Surprised, the girl came to a stop, probably wondering why the woman was doing this. Half angrily our friend told her to fasten the strap of her helmet under her chin immediately.
Just the previous day someone had cut in front of our friend’s son. As he flew through the air, his helmet fell off and his head hit the vehicle. The car was a write-off and he is paralysed. Only after many months of hard work he could start standing up. His life changed forever just because the helmet did not protect him.
In the spiritual war the helmet is just as important. It must fit our heads well and the strap under our chin must be fastened. If the helmet falls off in a struggle with the enemy, it will change our lives forever.
You must put on the spiritual helmet: 17 Take the helmet of salvation … Your mind must be ready for war.
Many strong sports teams often lose against a much weaker team. Why does this happen? Because their minds weren’t in it. Maybe the stronger team thought they can’t lose or they thought it would be an easy game. You can easily make a mistake in not being prepared mentally, and before you know it victory is turned into failure.
In the same way a soldier preparing for war must prepare his mind for the fight. A soldier who believes he cannot win will probably not win. A soldier without hope who does not believe that the war can be won will not even pitch up for the fight and give up in advance.
We must make sure that our heads are ready for the fight. We must be prepared. We do this by believing that we have been saved. The war has been won. These attacks are simply the last-ditch attempts of one who has been vanquished. When Jesus died on the cross, he won the war against evil.
The helmet does not protect us against wrong thoughts. If our mind is filled with the wrong thoughts, there is a good chance that we will end up in the wrong places. However, when we fill our minds with hope and the knowledge of salvation, it leaves no space for the wrong thoughts that can take us in the wrong direction.
Let’s make sure that the strap on our helmet is fastened. Let’s hold on tight to the knowledge that we have been saved from eternal death by Jesus’ death on the cross. Let’s praise and thank God, because that leaves no space for the lies and tricks of the devil. Then we will win every fight. Then we will have a joyful and full life.
Reflection
Has your strap been fastened?
Are your face and head protected?
Are you living like that?
Prayer
Lord, I realize once again that it is a dangerous world out there and that we have to be prepared against the attacks from evil. Thank you that You make it so easy for us. Thank you that we can hope and trust and know that You have won already. Amen
