11/6/21 by Larry Barker
How is your attitude? Would you describe yourself right now as full of hope and excitement or are you full of despair and discouragement? Maybe you are allowing all of your activity to rob you of your ability to worship? Think about Mary and Martha! What are you focused, meditating, and thinking on the most? Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.” This is especially important in these times as things are growing progressively dimmer!
Are you focused on the Hope of your Salvation? What happens to you when this thought is your first thought at all times? Jesus is who gives you the keen awareness that you have been delivered from the bondage of sin. Jesus gives you deep gratitude for your deliverance from sin and your ability to live a pure and God-pleasing life. If you have recently found yourself griping too much it probably means that you are not praising Him enough. The hope of your salvation gives you a deep understanding that sin can destroy your health, your relationships, and fulfilling your purpose. You must remain focused on your Savior.
This laser beam of intentional concentration will also give you deep compassion for other people who need a Savior! It gives you a deep desire for others to experience what you have experienced in Christ! You are quicker to witness, give thanks, offer praise for your Savior, and intercede for others. This is the real battleground around which the enemy fights his strongest, dirtiest, bloodiest, and most important battles. Think on this: Jesus is Savior and His work in us is salvation. There is tremendous benefit in thinking about His loving-kindness and how He died on a cross so that you might live free of sin and inherit an eternal home.
Reality check number one is that no one can govern or monitor your thinking but you. You control and govern what you will allow your mind to dwell on. You have the power to dismiss thoughts and you have the power to entertain thoughts. Paul makes it clear that we are to pursue having the mind of Christ. His attitude. If you allow the wrong thinking to control you before long it becomes a stronghold in your life and will end up describing your attitude toward life. Tony Evans says, “If it becomes a stronghold it is because you either do not know the truth or are not making use of the truth you know.”
Reality check number two is that you can have victory even in your mind and in your thinking. Easier said than done but Paul would not have made the challenge if it were not possible through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds. What is the most important thought to remain focused upon? Jesus is Lord and He is your Savior. Salvation does not only refer to a person’s initial acceptance of Christ but also to God’s ongoing rescuing & delivering power. This is why you are instructed by the Savior to pray daily, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Reality check number three is that how you think usually determines how you function. The helmet protects the head where the brain is the control center for all we do. You must protect your thought life by trusting God to save, rescue, and deliver you from the onslaught of messages that you encounter every day. God desires to save you from all doubt and deliver you from the enemy’s lies. This onslaught is meant to rob you of your joy, peace, security, and confidence. II Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.”
The next reality check is that the helmet of salvation is what will protect you from discouragement. The enemy tempts you to give up when you do not see the results you desired. You prayed but God did not answer the prayer the way you had hoped. You poured your life into a ministry and yet it did not grow and flourish. You discipled someone countless hours but they did not continue on the path you believed they should. The temptation is to lose heart. You begin to wonder if you have labored in vain as the enemy whispers into your ear that you are a failure. Remember, he is a liar and God has called you to be faithful.
The last reality check, for now, is that if the enemy can discourage you he will then deter you. Discouragement comes from you looking at your failures, sins, unresolved problems, poor health, or anything else negative in your life that causes you to lose your confidence in the loving care of your heavenly Father. You begin to doubt His promises, His goodness, and His dependability. Do not forget that you are in a race you cannot lose and a fight where you are guaranteed victory. The helmet of salvation gives us confidence and assurance that our present struggles will not last forever! Reality check, in Christ you are on the winning team.