The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God has given us spiritual armor with which to defend ourselves as well as spiritual weapons with which to fight back with. The fifth piece of armor is The Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17a)
We need the helmet of salvation because Satan wants to stop the spread of the gospel. God’s goal is that everyone hears and accepts the good news that there is peace with him through the forgiveness of sins that Jesus alone can offer. Satan’s goal is that no one will hear the good news and that if they happen to hear it, they reject it. This being the case, Satan is going to work overtime to keep you confused concerning what it means to be saved. If he can keep you confused about what it means to be saved, you will doubt your own salvation and be much less likely to share the good news with others.
Someone once taught me a great preaching tip. They said “If there’s a mist in the pulpit, there’s a fog in the pew.” What they meant was that if I’m confused even a little about what I’m talking about, then everyone I’m trying to teach will be doubly confused! I think there’s some application for all of us in that quote.
Before you can go effectively sharing the good news with others, you’ve got to make sure you first have a solid grasp of the message yourself. So let me help you by sharing the gospel in a nutshell. It’s actually very easy. THERE’S PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS. That’s it. Before our sins are forgiven the Bible says we are God’s enemies. Our sin separates us from Him. Prior to our sins being forgiven we are both alienated from God and enemies of God. But when we ask Jesus to forgive our sins, God no longer treats us as enemies, wanting to punish us for our sins. He lets the punishment that Jesus took on the cross be our punishment for our sins. Because of what Jesus did on the cross we are good with God and we go from foe to friend. So if you ever have an opportunity to share the good news – the good news is that THERE IS PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS. That’s it. Depending on how much time you have with the person you’re speaking with will determine how much you elaborate on what this means. But if time is short, you can share the good news in only seven words: THERE IS PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS. It’s that simple. When you have a clear understanding of the good news you are wearing the helmet of salvation.