and take the helmet...(Ephesians 6:10)
The helmet of the hope of our salvation comes from the confidence that we live together with Christ if we are awake or asleep. Like Lazarus whom Jesus said was asleep, do we truly die if we believe? But we are of the day, the light, so whether asleep or awake we live with Christ. Paul writes, "according to my expectation and hope because I will not be at all ashamed, rather with all boldness now as always Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain."(Philippians 1:20-21)
regarding your former way of life, you were taught to put away your old self, the one corrupted and deceived according to its desires, that now renewed in the spirit of your minds. (Ephesians 4:22-23)
The helmet has a lot to do with the mind, how we think and reason. The old man thinks according to the desires of the flesh, whereas the new man, the spiritual man thinks accordingly to that above, where he has been raised and seated with Christ Jesus. But we see a process of transformation that renews the mind, so that we have the spiritual mind, the mind of Christ. Saying I have the mind of Christ is true of my spirit, but unless my mind is renewed I still have a carnal mind, I am still a child. Do the scriptures support this concept? that Christians can have carnal minds?
And I, brothers, I am not able to speak to you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as children in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:1)
We see important concepts of growth in the scriptures. And though we can say our spiritual man has the mind of Christ, we must grow up in the knowledge of Jesus, into the full measure of the stature of His image, into adulthood, to have such a mind. Assurance of salvation is very important to a child, he is being rooted and grounded in faith and love, having the testimony of spirit and blood. A child knows the Father and that his sins are forgiven. At a higher level of maturity in growth, we put on the helmet of a renewed mind. Without such a mind, you can not discern God's will nor can we be obedient to it.
Brothers do not become children in your thinking, rather of evil be infants, now in your thinking be adults. (1 Corinthians 14:20)
It is the opposite, as children, we are more carnal in thinking but as we become adults our thinking or doing evil becomes innocent. The carnal is hostile towards God and can not subject itself to the laws of God which are spiritual. Paul writes of these principles and that sin dwells in our flesh with evil being near us. (Romans 7:17-20) Peter writes the carnal, fleshly desires wage war against our soul. (1 Peter 2:11) Thus he writes the goal of faith, is the salvation of our soul. (1 Peter 1:9) This implies a growth process whereby I put off the old and put on the new man, renewed in the spirit of my mind, the one renewed in knowledge after its creator.
It is spiritual warfare, as evil takes advantage of the weakness of the flesh, the carnal mind, to bring us into captivity to sin in the flesh. Putting on the helmet plays an important role in this warfare against his schemes. The cares of this world are one way the devil attacks the mind. If we focus on earthly things and let thoughts enter our minds so as to become anxious and fearful, we have not put on the helmet and are leaving ourselves exposed to the devil's attacks. Our thinking this way can become habitual and harmful. The devil can even attack us with worrisome dreams, fearful and anxious thoughts, so when he does put on the helmet, along with the full armor of God.
therefore take up the full armor of God so that you have the power to stand in the evil day, having worked out the whole, stand. (Ephesians 6:13)
When you put on the armor there is a working out, bringing into effect, the Greek word meaning to work out; to effect, produce, bring out as a result; to work, practice, realize in practice.* You bring it into effect so that you can stand. Think of it as practice, you do not put armor on a soldier and send him into battle, no, you realize in practice. You will fight accordingly, like you train. No reading the word of God, no increase in faith, no victory. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Put on the helmet. Think about God's promises, cast your cares upon him, for he cares for you. Do not worry about tomorrow it has its own troubles. Look at the sparrows, he cares for them, how much more does he care for you. Think about the many blessings we have in Christ. (Ephesians 1)
Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9)
In the suffering we develop the mind of Christ, who suffered, thus we participate, have fellowship in his suffering. It is not a meaningless thing, but it draws us near to God, to trust in him, as we are being conformed to his death, also we are conformed to his life, being raised in newness of life. "For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."(Romans 8:36) Oh to have the mindset that rejoices in suffering. Put on the helmet.