Our Spiritual Warfare(7) - The Helmet of Salvation

Return with me now please to Paul's letter to the Philippians, sorry to the Ephesians, I'm getting ahead of myself.

It's Ephesians chapter 6.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

Tonight we're going to look at verse 17, the first part of verse 17.

As you can see verse 17 mentions two parts of the armour that we've been going through over the past number of weeks.

So verse 17 mentions the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

We're just going to confine our thoughts tonight to the first of these, this helmet of salvation.

We've been looking at the various parts of the armour as we've gone through them.

We've noticed at times that there's a specific connection between some of them.

And that's the case spiritually, of course, as well, even more so than it was in the case of the Roman soldier, who's used here as a picture or analogy of a spiritual armour.

And we'll see that that's the same tonight as we come to the helmet of salvation.

It has a specific connection with the word of God, with the gospel.

Verse 15, shoes for your feet, having on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, but also what is mentioned, the belt of truth in verse 14.

Because the belt of truth in many ways, as we saw it going round the waist of the Roman soldier and keeping things in place,

it's always the case that spiritually we come back to the belt of truth because it's foundational to our progress and to our security.

So as we look at verse 17 tonight, obviously, it has to do with the helmet of the Roman soldier, which protected the head, one of the most important parts of the body.

Obviously, if the head was damaged, then the whole person was really out of action and would not be able to carry out their duties as required.

So let's look at this helmet in the spiritual sense of it.

And first of all, try and work out what exactly it means.

It's called the helmet of salvation.

Is it salvation in its entirety?

What does the word salvation actually indicate there?

And I think there's a clue to this in the passage we read in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5,

1 Thessalonians 5 · chapter mention

and especially the words of verse 8 there.

You recall as we read through that, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

So it's narrowing it down there to the hope of salvation.

In other words, it's not salvation in the broadest sense.

It's salvation in a more narrow, specific sense.

And I think we can take that into chapter 6 of Ephesians as well, because the Thessalonian passage gives us an insight into the working of Paul's mind in regard to this.

Now, the context, as you recall, in Thessalonians is one of Paul encouraging them to encourage one another.

They were looking forward to the coming of Christ.

Some actually were a bit concerned or even confused about how that would be in terms of in relation to those who had passed on from this life.

And you recall in chapter 4 that he deals with that specific problem, that the Lord will come with the sound of the trumpet of God.

The dead in Christ will rise first.

We then who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the air to meet the Lord in the air.

We will always be with the Lord.

Therefore, encourage one another with these words.

And then in chapter 5, as we read, verse 11, therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing.

So it's very much to do with the context or the purpose of Paul of encouraging these Thessalonians,

encouraging this young church as they wrestled with theological problems,

but also like the Ephesians as they wrestled against spiritual darkness and against decline,

even amongst some of the people who had come to follow the Lord.

And the context of encouraging one another there in 1 Thessalonians is set in the context of Christ's return,

set in the context of looking forward in hope to the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ as promised by himself

and by the teachings of God's word when he left this world to return to glory.

So salvation in this context really has that narrower focus.

And indeed, you'll find that in other contexts as well.

1 Peter, for example, begins his epistle by reflecting on how the resurrection of Jesus Christ brought them all to a living hope.

God had done this by the resurrection of Christ to a living hope.

To you who are called, he said, you who are kept by the power of God through faith

unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Now he's talking there of, Peter is talking there of salvation ready to be revealed.

And he knows very well that salvation has already been revealed.

So he's talking again more narrowly, more focused on salvation in the sense of what is going to appear at the coming of Christ.

What is going to be made known then, that is not necessarily as clear now, but certainly hasn't yet been realized,

hasn't been accomplished in the sense of it hasn't taken place.

And here you can import that into your thinking in Ephesians here and verse 17.

Take the helmet of salvation.

And if you think in that narrower focus as the hope of salvation, as the helmet covered the head physically,

So the hope of salvation is something that looks forward to the future in hope,

but also is such an important and integral aspect of the Christian's life.

The Christian looking forward in hope is itself an antidote to discouragement,

an antidote, as we saw there in 1 Thessalonians 5,

to the discouragement that is so easily comes and drifts into our lives.

So if you think about the helmet in the ordinary sense, in the natural sense of protecting the head,

I think we can say that spiritually the helmet is there to protect the mind.

The mind, as it works through the issues that God has revealed, comes to certain conclusions.

God has given us the spirit of a sound mind.

He's opened our mind.

He's given us the kind of mind that wants to learn more and more of the truth of God,

learn more from the word of God.

And as that is the case, so it is something which nourishes your hope as you look towards the future,

among other things.

Of course, it does more than that, but we're focusing on the hope of salvation

as it's represented by this helmet, this helmet of the Roman soldier.

And the Christian mind, as it thinks ahead, is a mind that is able to think clearly

because you have the benefit of God's word clearly stating

that the things that are hoped for are already secure.

They're not things that are waiting to be worked through and brought to realization or accomplishment.

The fact that Jesus has gone to glory and is at the right hand of God the Father,

the fact that he has accomplished redemption on earth,

the fact that the spirit of God has come as promised,

and that Christ the Son and the Father are present through that spirit in the hearts of God's people,

that itself is something that is already the case.

And the word of God brings it to us so often that that has already been accomplished.

So hope in this sense, as you put on the helmet of hope,

as you exercise hope every day in Christ,

you're not dealing with something that's uncertain,

something that is still somehow unclear.

Sometimes we use the word hope, of course, and we mentioned this more than once.

We use the word hope in the ordinary, everyday sense of hope,

like hoping for the best or hoping something will actually come to take place,

or whatever it may be.

We're hoping it might be realized.

We're hoping it will come to pass.

We have no confidence that can say for sure it will.

But here, in the word that God has given us,

this belt of truth that's fastened on,

it's something that comes through the workings of your mind

to focus upon those certainties on which your hope is based,

on which your hope rests.

Because you're not here tonight as Christians,

exercising the mind that God has given you,

and somehow doubtful about things that are foundational for your hope.

Christ has died.

Christ has risen from the dead.

Christ is at the right hand of glory.

And all the way through the scripture, especially Paul's epistles,

you'll find him referring to these great facts,

facts accomplished already as the very ground of our hopes,

the very ground of the Christian hope,

that salvation that's certain,

that God has said is already accomplished,

that will remain to be,

that remains to be finally crowned at the appearance of Christ.

Well, what he's saying is,

in order to face the issues of the day,

and especially to face the enemy,

to face the spiritual darkness that we all wrestle against,

as we saw at the beginning of this passage,

take the helmet of salvation,

take the hope of salvation,

take that hope that penetrates forward into the future,

not as an unknown future,

though there are many events in the course of life

that will remain unknown.

But these are not unknowns.

These are the actual verities,

the truths,

the certainties of what God has already done,

and of what God in his word has promised,

will yet be fulfilled.

So that's something about the spiritual helmet.

We're focusing it down,

following 1 Thessalonians 5,

to the hope of salvation,

to the final stage of salvation,

with the coming of Christ.

And Paul is there,

and also here in Ephesians,

drawing the minds of the Ephesians

to that particular issue.

So that it's looking forward to projecting into the future.

So which temptation especially is addressed

by this particular emphasis on the hope of salvation

or the helmet of salvation?

Well, the second point,

and we looked at the spiritual helmet briefly,

is to look at how we need to keep up the fight,

to keep up our resistance,

and indeed our attack of the enemy as well,

whatever forms we find the enemy actually coming to assault us.

And the particular temptation,

I think, that's in mind here

for the use of the helmet of salvation

or the hope of salvation,

is the temptation to lose heart.

The temptation to recede,

the temptation to go back,

the temptation just to, if not almost give up,

then certainly progress towards that.

The temptation to become disillusioned

with the Christian life.

The temptation to be disillusioned

even with Jesus himself

when things are not going so well

in our lives generally.

The temptation even towards thinking,

is there any point to this at all?

Remember how in Ephesians chapter,

sorry, in Hebrews chapter 12,

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

you find that there's an exhortation there

to look to Jesus,

the author and finisher of our faith.

And in Hebrews 12 and verse 3,

the writer there is actually looking

in a similar situation

to what you have here in Ephesians.

Remember that Hebrews is very much

an epistle given towards

those who are tempted to

give up following Christ,

giving up the profession

they've made of faith in Christ.

And then he says,

it was through 11,

as you know, chapter 11,

that great cloud of witnesses,

as he calls it,

in verse 1 of chapter 12,

let us lay aside every weight

and the sin which clings so closely.

Let us run with endurance,

the word which means perseverance.

Let's not give up the struggle.

Let's not give up the fight.

He's saying,

the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame

and is seated at the right hand

of the throne of God.

In other words,

we are exhorted

when the temptation comes

to slacken in the race

or to withdraw from the race,

as Hebrews 12 puts it.

We are encouraged to look to Jesus.

And why are we looking to Jesus?

Because he's not only the savior

in the sense of being foundational

to our faith,

to our Christian life.

He's also our supreme example

of perseverance,

of pressing on,

of not giving up,

of not giving up on the fight.

That's why he said there,

he endured the cross

for the joy that was set before him.

In other words,

the saint Jesus

was looking ahead of himself

as he lived in this world,

looking ahead even beyond the cross,

looking at the reality of the cross

and all of that would entail for himself.

But for the joy that was set before him,

for that which was promised him

beyond this world,

beyond the resurrection,

beyond exaltation,

beyond the cross,

he endured the cross

for the joy that was set before him.

In other words,

you could say

there's a sense in which

there's certainly an affinity

with the hope

that Christians,

that is people have

in looking beyond the current life,

the current circumstances,

the current situation,

to the fulfillment of the promises

at the coming

of Jesus Christ himself.

And when that takes place

and that aspect of salvation

is then actually realized

and fulfilled,

then the promises will be

enjoyed by his people.

So that letter of Hebrews,

the letter of exhortation,

is a letter that is

very much in line with Ephesians here

in terms of encouraging us

to actually not give up.

Remember,

all the way through Hebrews,

you've got references to Israel,

references to the Old Testament

and Israel in the progress

that they made through

the Old Testament

in the desert.

And so often in Hebrews,

they are an example

of not persevering.

They are an example

of giving up.

An example of not actually

pushing through

and persevering

into the land of promise.

And that's why the writer

is saying,

we have them as our example

so that we don't follow

the same sort of path

they followed

because they all fell

in the wilderness,

is the writer's word for it.

And apart from two,

they did not enter

into the land

that God had promised them.

And so,

we actually have

the helmet of salvation,

the hope of salvation,

the wilderness hardships

that Israel experienced.

And this is the contact point

with ourselves.

the wilderness hardships

that they experienced

actually gave the devil

an entry point.

An entry point towards

just them giving up

the struggles.

An entry point towards

them going back.

They wanted back to Egypt.

Remember how soon

after leaving Egypt,

they were saying to Moses,

why have you brought us out here

to die in this wilderness?

We wish we were back

in Egypt with the food

that we enjoyed in Eden.

There's nothing in Egypt.

There's nothing here

for us in this wilderness.

And that's what the devil

is actually always setting out

to tempt you towards

thinking and concluding

along those lines.

That somehow or other,

the struggles of the Christian life

are not really worth it

after all.

So as you take up

this helmet,

you use it,

first of all,

against what we can call

spiritual pacifism.

You know that a pacifist

in the ordinary sense

is somebody who,

because of their strong

views against war,

they exercise

the liberty of not actually

taking up the opportunity

of engaging with an enemy

in a time of war.

There were pacifists.

There were people

who are pacifists

in every generation.

That was their liberty

that they had

to live like that,

to have that conclusion.

And so they withdrew

from active engagement

in times of war

in army or navy

or air force or whatever.

Well, there's a kind of

spiritual pacifism as well

that the devil,

these powers that are mentioned there,

the schemes of the devil,

wrestling not against flesh and blood,

but against these present darkness,

the spiritual forces of evil,

need the spiritual helmet.

You need this hope of salvation

because he wants to persuade you

that because life is so difficult

as a Christian,

is it really worth going on?

There's a pacifism

that really wants you to conclude

that it's all right

being a Christian

in an ordinary sense,

but if only we could take

the struggles

out of the Christian life.

And really,

that's what the devil

wants to persuade you of,

that the struggles

of the Christian life

really have no meaning

or no purpose

or little purpose

or little value.

Whereas when you go

through the likes of Ephesians

and Paul's other letters

in the New Testament

and the writings

of the psalmist

in the Old Testament,

as well as the prophecies

of some of the prophets

and the struggles

they had to endure,

it becomes obvious

pretty quickly.

Not only are there struggles

in the Christian life,

but there are beneficial struggles.

There are struggles

which fit into God's program

of their redemption,

of their sanctification,

especially.

And that spiritual pacifism

is something

that the devil

will seek to make

very attractive to you.

And you know,

there's a form of it

which maybe doesn't go

as far as withdrawing

altogether,

but there's a form of it

that we're very familiar with,

of a kind of Christianity

that just goes through

the motions,

as it were,

or a nominalism,

belonging to a church

and saying,

yes, I'm a Christian,

but no real engagement

with any of the spiritual

enemies of the gospel,

no real engagement

positively for Christ

in this world

by way of witnessing for him,

by way of confessing him openly.

There's a kind of

spiritual withdrawal

in that sense,

that pacifism.

Well, here is the apostle saying,

take up this helmet

of the hope of salvation.

And because of the wonderful

certainties

of what are set out

at the return of Christ

for you,

encourage one another,

strengthen one another,

be involved

in the way of

giving each other

the support

and the encouragement

towards that final return

of Christ

that all of us need.

Every single Christian

needs,

at some point,

encouragement

from other Christians.

That's one of the reasons

we actually value

the wonderful privilege

of belonging

to the body of Christ,

of belonging

to that church

of Christ on earth.

So it's an antidote

against a spiritual pacifism,

but it's also

an antidote

at what you can call

defeatism.

I mentioned some of that

just in a few moments ago.

When you see

the state of things

in the world,

when you see

the extent

to which

what we'll call

the world

has rebelled

against God

and rebels

against the gospel

and rebels

against the law

of God

and rebels

against the testimonies

of history

in the church,

when you actually

take a view

of the church

itself

in the widest

possible sense,

well,

the devil will suggest

to you,

is there really

any point

to being a Christian?

Is there any point

to belonging

to a church?

Look at the state

of the world.

It's not made

any difference

in your lifetime.

Why should you

actually go on

with these struggles?

It's not made

any difference.

Things are going on

just as they were.

People aren't at all

interested in Christ.

When you think

of the struggles

that people have

for the gospel,

struggles with regard

to standing

for the rights

of Jesus,

the devil will come.

Well, the gospel

is just not going

to win anyway,

so what's the point?

Forget about evangelism.

Forget about your own

personal advancement

and holiness

of life.

Forget about your

own perseverance

and looking onwards

in hope,

because when you

focus on the present,

as the devil will

suggest to you,

that's really all

that matters.

Just as 2 Peter

would say,

those who are facing,

those the church

was facing then

were facing the idea

of, well,

where is the promise

of his coming?

Everything remains

just as it was.

There's a kind

of pointlessness

suggested and thrown

at you.

when you think

of what it is

to be a Christian

and the struggles

of the Christian life.

Of course,

what he's telling us

here,

and you find it

abundantly throughout

Paul's writings,

is that you counter

that with taking

an account

of eternity.

This is not all

about the present life.

The present life

is important

to the Christian.

The present life

is important

to the church.

The present life

is important

in many respects.

But what the devil

wants you to look

at is the present

life exclusively

and not actually

take account

of the importance

and the enormity

and the way

in which eternity

looms for the Christian

as the crowning

of their salvation.

And in a sense,

everything of this

present life,

however important

it may be

in its own right,

but everything

really moves forward

towards that crowning

moment of the coming

of Christ.

That's really what

the helmet of salvation

is about,

the hope of salvation.

Where the devil

would encourage you,

just focus on the present

and where he would say,

well, look at all

the differences of opinion

that are about the future,

anyone about the coming

of Christ.

Not all Christians

believe the same thing,

so that's another way

that he can get

into your mind

and say,

you know,

just don't be too serious

about it.

Be a Christian,

certainly,

just in a nominal sense,

that'll do,

that'll be enough.

Well, this is the hope

of salvation

to counteract that.

Where God

started the work,

as we saw in Philippians

some time ago,

just across the page

in your Bible,

I am sure of this,

that he who began

a good working,

you will bring it

to completion

at the day

of Jesus Christ.

At the day

of Jesus Christ.

Take up

the helmet

of salvation.

And just like you

find with

the sword

of the spirit

and with

the shoes

of the gospel

and all the other

parts of the armor,

they are actually

there ready to hand

to be used

on a daily basis.

You need

the helmet

of salvation

because your warfare

is a daily warfare.

You are facing

this enemy

every single

day of your life.

I know that

I'm saying

these things

to people

who already

know that.

But think of

how often

in the New Testament

itself you find

the likes of Peter

and of Paul

reminding Christians,

reminding myself,

reminding yourself.

And reminding

just means

going back

to the basic things,

to the foundational

things,

to the building

blocks of our

redemption.

Because the devil

will, again,

these powers

of darkness,

schemes,

the wiles,

the way

in which

temptation

is shaped

so as to

draw you in

and take

your attention

and suck you

into its

workings.

It's there

counteracted

so often

by the apostle

by bringing

before us

the importance

of eternity

and bringing

before us

how God

will not

stop short

of finishing

the work

that he has

begun.

When you go

back to

Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8,

that great

chapter,

we could have

read that one

tonight.

It's very much

in line with

some of the

thoughts in

this chapter

in Ephesians

as well.

But Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8,

and remember

Romans chapter 8

Romans 8 · chapter mention

is certainly

a very strongly

theological

chapter.

It's got some

of the most

wonderful

theology,

both of

our foundational

salvation in

Christ and

the work of

the Spirit

of God

in us,

but it's

also got some

of the most

wonderful

teaching on

sanctification,

on God

actually working

in his people,

bringing them

onwards towards

the time when

they will

finally be like

Jesus in the

image of God's

Son, what they

are predestined

to.

So yes,

there's all

that wonderful

theology in

chapter 8 of

Romans, but

it's a chapter

for encouragement.

It's not there

just to be

studied by

theologians.

It's not just

there for those

who are skilled

in following

out theological

arguments.

It's there for

you and it's

there for me.

It's there for

every Christian

because it's a

chapter to do

with Christian

encouragement,

which is why

Paul winds up

that chapter

if you like.

You can put it

that way from

verse 31,

especially what

then shall we

say to these

things?

He's saying,

here's the

theology,

here's the

wonderful teaching,

here's the

doctrine,

here are the

things that are

foundational to

our belief,

to our faith,

to our salvation.

So what's our

reaction?

What are we

going to say?

Why is that

there for us?

What are we to

make of this?

What shall we

then say to

these things?

If God is for

us, who can

be against

us?

He who did

not spare his

own son but

gave him up for

us all, how

will he not

also with him

graciously give

us all things?

You notice the

with him is

important.

How will he

not also with

him, with the

son, with

Jesus, united

to Christ, give

us all things?

And then he

says, who

shall lay any

charge against

God's elect?

You see, that's

the same context,

the same atmosphere,

if you like, as

Ephesians 6, in

the armor of

God.

Charge is brought

against God's

elect.

That's the devil's

business.

That's his

purpose.

That's what he's

busy at.

That's what his

scheming is about.

Who shall lay

any charge or

bring any charge

against God's

elect?

It is God who

justifies.

So who is to

condemn?

Where is there

condemnation for

these people who

are in Christ

Jesus?

Paul is saying,

there can't be.

There's just no

possibility.

It's an impossibility

that the devil is

true about your

condemnation when

you're united to

Christ.

Because he says,

Jesus Christ is the

one who died, more

than that, who was

raised, who is at

the right hand of

God, who indeed is

interceding for us.

Who shall separate

us from the love of

Christ?

Shall tribulation, or

distress, or

persecution, or

famine, or

nakedness, or

danger, or

sword, all of

which are things

that the devil has

access to, to

bring you to be

discouraged, to

bring you to take

steps back?

No, he says, in

all these things, we

are more than

conquerors through

him who loved us.

For I am sure that

neither death, nor

life, nor angels,

nor rulers, nor

things present, nor

things to come, nor

powers, nor height,

nor depth, nor

anything else in all

creation, will be

able to separate

us from the love

of God in Christ

Jesus, our Lord.

You see how

wonderfully

practical Paul is

in applying his

theology.

That's what is

there for you and

for me, too.

And as you go to

Ephesians 6, and

go through these

parts of the

armor, and you

come to what we're

looking at tonight,

this helmet of

salvation, the hope

of salvation, it's

really saying to you,

think of your future.

Think of what's

already secure.

Think of what's

there waiting for

you to enjoy in

eternity.

Think of all that

for your present

life, so that you

be encouraged in

it, so that you

don't slacken, so

that you don't

give up, but

rather that you

persevere.

I mentioned

2 Peter a few

moments ago, and

you'll find similar

emphasis there as he

deals with what was

in his own day,

some critical times

as well, and you

recall there in 2

2 Peter 3 · chapter mention

Peter chapter 3, how

he is facing the

idea that there

is actually just no

such thing as the

return of Christ,

where he's saying

in chapter 3 there,

he said, I'm

stirring up your

sincere mind by way

of reminder that

you should remember

the predictions of

the holy prophets

and the commandment

of the Lord, knowing

first of all that

scoffers will come in

the last days, and

the last days are

from the time that

Christ came and

went back to glory

until he returns,

these are the last

days.

And he's saying in

chapter 3 here of

2 Peter, they will

say, following their

own sinful desires,

they will say, where

is the promise of

his coming?

For ever since the

fathers fell asleep,

all things continue

as they were from

the beginning of

creation.

And so all the

way through, he

then goes to deal

with the Lord, not

slack, concerning his

promises being

fulfilled, and how

he's patient towards

us, and how one day

with the Lord is like

a thousand years, a

thousand years like

one day.

Therefore he said,

beloved, since you are

waiting for these

things, be diligent to

be found by him

without spot or

blemish and at

peace, and count the

patience of our Lord

as salvation, just as

our beloved brother

Paul also wrote to

you, according to the

wisdom given to him.

Know you therefore,

know you therefore

beloved, in verse 17,

knowing this beforehand,

take care that you

are not carried

away with the

error of lawless

people and lose

your own

stability.

What is the

antidote to being

carried away and

losing your

stability?

What's the

antidote to

slackening off or

just giving up or

saying what's the

point?

It is this, but

grow in the grace

and knowledge of

our Lord and

Savior Jesus

Christ.

To him be glory

both now and to

the day of

eternity.

In other words,

you can say,

speaking into

Ephesians 6 as

well, that the

antidote to the

temptation to go

back or to give

up is to grow.

Spiritual growth

is the only

adequate response

or answer to the

temptation of the

devil to go up.

to give up.

And instead of

succumbing to

that temptation,

what we are

encouraged to do

by God himself

through his word

is to say in

return, not only

am I not going

to give up,

but I'm

determined to go

on growing in

my Christian life,

in my relationship

with the Lord,

in my relationship

with my fellow

Christians.

I'm determined

not to give up,

but instead to

actually take all

the encouragement

I can from

being with my

brothers and

sisters in

Christ, so that

together we will

grow in the

grace and in the

knowledge of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless

these thoughts on

his word to us.

now we're going to

conclude.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.