Shabbat Schmooze Devotional: Mitznefet
Mitznefet (Hebrew: מִצְנֶפֶת) is a helmet covering that the Israeli Defense Forces have used since 1994. It was adopted in the 1990’s by the military during the South Lebanon conflict. It is the same Hebrew word for the turban the High Priest wore during second temple times. The word literally means to wrap.
The main purpose of the covering is to break the distinctive outline of a helmeted human head, while also preventing light reflection off the wearer’s helmet. This makes it easier for the soldier to camouflage when necessary, but also provides shade to cancel any glare from brightly shining sun so they can see what’s up ahead. The wrap has two sides to it, one that blends into the dessert surroundings and the other that blends into forest surroundings.
Since Israel’s rebirth in 1948, they have been under a constant state of attack and out of necessity are always seeking to improve their military defense systems. The Mitznefet has become one very effective piece of “armor” they use. If you’re a believer, you’re in a constant state of war too, with an enemy that seeks to destroy. But, we have been given spiritual armor, and when properly used, is also extremely effective.
In Ephesians 6:10-13 we’re told, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The spiritual helmet of salvation Paul was talking about in this passage is the mind of Messiah. The mind is where the enemy seeks to entrench us with habits of thinking that form a stronghold. It may start with a lie like, “No one cares about your situation” or “This will never change”. From that one lie, the enemy continues to try to demoralize us with despair, discouragement and disillusionment.
It’s interesting to note that the helmet of salvation in Ephesians is one of the last pieces of armor to put on. Why is it last if the strongholds of the mind are the first place the enemy attacks us? In Hebrew thought, there is no separateness to these parts-our soul is made up of the mind, will and emotions. There is an important lesson we can learn from it.
The first piece of armor listed is the belt of truth, which is to be buckled around our waist. The waist is symbolic of the soul or the seat of our emotions. When we put on the belt of truth first, we are checking in with our emotions (which often don’t line up with the truth) and telling them what is actually true. We do that through knowing the word of God. Next, we’re told to put the breastplate of righteousness over our hearts, the place we’re told to guard in scripture (“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23). Then, we can stand firmly in the peace of God and take that peace wherever we go. The final part of the Ephesians passage tells us to take up our shield of faith to protect us from any fiery darts of attack, put on the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the spirit (the word of God).
We’re in a war, and warfare means there will be battle wounds. Sometimes, those come from the enemy and sometimes they come from collateral damage, an accidental injury by another soldier or a person who’s position or viewpoint either knowingly or unknowingly doesn’t align with the truth. That is the nature of war.
If we don’t start our daily defense with checking our emotions, Satan will continue to use our minds as his beachhead-the place where he keeps a stronghold. If we deal with our emotions, particularly where we’ve been wounded, we can get beyond them to pick up the other pieces of spiritual armor we need to win the battle. Then, we can “put on” the helmet of salvation that protects our minds, and like the mitznefet that helps the soldiers to see what’s up ahead, we will be able to see more clearly too.
So, this weekend, be encouraged to spend some time in the Psalms, remembering that God understands and knows your emotions, and he wants to bless you so can be confident in the battle. That’s a truth we all need to wrap our minds around in these difficult times!
