More Than My Favorite Hat

Do you have a favorite hat? For me, I have a go-to hat that seems to fit perfect and completes certain looks, especially when I haven’t shaved my head. But, as I thought about this blog, I realized, while I’m not a huge hat person, it seems I need them. This is because hats are a big fashion item as they range from high end style to our favorite sport team. It’s big business as they are a part of our wardrobe, fashion and identity.

I’ve come across strangers on the street that had a hat of my favorite sport team, and when I acknowledged the team, it was an instant bond with them to a common thing. Hats make a statement of who we like, what we feel and our personal swag. In some ways, they tell a lot about us and as fashion expands, hats will expand too.

But what does hats have to do with God? A lot actually. Did you know, God has a hat for us to wear daily?

His hat is powerful as it specifically protects our minds regarding our thought life and the images that barrage their way into our minds. This is massive because the average person has between 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. Of these thoughts, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive. The truth is, we all have a battle in our minds on a daily basis and as the severity of that battle varies, we all are in a battle.

Everyone faces wrong thoughts about ourselves, others, God, life and more. This is because the mind is the target of our enemy the devil, to plant lies and images that imprison us. His intent is to deceive, which then gives him an open door into our hearts. Because of this, we must understand why God’s hat is more than my favorite hat, it’s a weapon we use in Jesus, so our minds are filled with truth and peace.

The bible calls this hat, the helmet of salvation. It’s a part of the armor we wear in Christ to be protected daily. This piece of the armor is vital as it covers the head, which covers our brain and we all know how important our brain is for our quality of life.

Ephesians 6:17 says,
“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Notice Paul said, put on salvation as your helmet. We must put it on, or else we’re not using it. God’s not going to make us wear it, we have to put it on. So, how do we put it on?

This is so important because whether we want it or not, the battle is coming to our minds daily so we must engage in the battle to win. But, we need to have the right equipment so we overcome and win.

Here are a few things we can do to put on the helmet of salvation on a daily basis.

One thing is, prayer and fasting. Right now, we’re doing our annual 21 days of prayer and fasting that we do in January. This is a great way to declutter our minds, set our hearts on God and refocus our thoughts onto him. This is important because, distractions are a big way the enemy can overwhelm our minds and deceive us; therefore, when we pray and fast, those distractions are removed and our minds are aligned with Jesus. This is where we have peace and truth as the dominant position in our minds.

Another thing we can do is, read or listen to the bible daily. God’s word is truth, so when we fill ourselves with it, we can decode the lies of the enemy and believe his truth instead. Having God’s word in our heart is monumental; however, it’s a daily thing we must do. We must remember, when we know the truth, the truth shall set us free. I encourage you today, read or listen to the word of God on a daily basis. If this is a challenge for you, get a bible plan so you have a track to follow. Don’t to give this up to chance because the chance will come and go. Yet, when we make time, the time will also be there for it.

The last thing I want to share is, speak bible verses out loud. There’s something about quoting God’s truth over our lives that is powerful and life changing. When we speak his word over us, it goes into our hearts and it triggers our minds to think on what he said. This combination of our hearts and minds being stimulated is massive for the victory in our thoughts. I encourage you to find a least two or three verses that really speak to you. Then begin to memorize them, to then speak them out loud during the day. This is big and it’s easy to do.

This is why this is more than my favorite hat, it’s a helmet that keeps us safe and empowers God’s truth to reign free in our thoughts and images.

If we don’t, the lies and wrong images we get, will dictate what we believe and then how we live. Therefore, we can’t afford to not wear this helmet. We must put it on so that we win the battle and we must put it on so we live through his truth.

How are you doing with the battle in your mind?

I know it’s intense at times and I know it’s not easy either, so determine to put on the helmet of salvation. Join us as we pray and fast from January 5th – 25th. Read or listen the bible every day and begin to speak out loud verses that ignite within you.

It’s time we all take the battle to the enemy. It’s time we get on the offensive and declare who God is and who we are through him. It’s time we stop settling for the scraps of distress, fear, and torment in our minds. We can have peace. We can have truth and we can have joy. It’s time to move forward and take these steps for this battle we all face.

Remember, this is more than my favorite hat, it’s the helmet of God’s salvation.

You can do this and I believe in you.

Have a great week and happy fasting,
PD