Spiritual Warfare (SW-13)
Ephesians 6:17
The Helmet of Salvation
This morning I want to talk with you about one of the most profound and necessary pieces of armor - the Helmet of Salvation and I want to invited you to listen very carefully because I believe this message holds the key that some of you have been needing, been waiting for, been getting ready to receive. It is God’s answer to the question you have been asking. The better you understand the helmet of salvation from the Word of God and apply it practically to your life the more effective you will be in everything you do. Allow me to say that again if you will - I don’t want any of you to miss it. The better you understand the helmet of salvation from the Word of God and apply it practically to your life the more effective you will be in everything you do.
Please open your Bibles with me to the book of Ephesians, and the sixth chapter. The title of out series is simply but profoundly Spiritual Warfare. The day you gave your life to God you got enlisted in the greatest battle mankind has ever engaged in. We are not simply a nation at war, we are a military section in a war - and we fight this war daily on many fronts and in many ways. The Armor of God is designed specifically by God and if you put it on God guarantees your victory. His Word promises that is you put it on you will stand. At the end of the day, others may fall. At the end of the day, other may fail. But you will be standing. As a matter of fact - this armor is the only way for you to stand.
Ephesians 6:13-18 - Read - Pray
There is a whole lot more to the ‘helmet of salvation’ than first meets the eye - or that one may even assume at first blush.
Let’s pick it up in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on ... the hope of salvation as a helmet."
The Helmet of Salvation is essentially connected to the biblical concept of hope - and if you misunderstand ‘hope’ you will probably misunderstand the point of the helmet. Our modern concept of hope means holding out for a mere possibility, an unlikely chances, an improbable outcome. That is the opposite to biblical hope. Biblical hope is a deep conviction, a certain knowledge, a solid expectation of what is coming. It is knowing the outcome that has not yet occurred. It would be like watching a taped recording or a game that you know the results of. You know you won - you have just not seen it yet. That is the concept of biblical hope.
‘The hope of salvation as a helmet’ or the ‘helmet of salvation’ is not about getting saved. Paul is speaking here to folks that are already saved. Remember, in chapter 1, they are already chosen before the foundation of the world that they should be blameless before Him. They are already blessed in the heavenly realm with every blessing in Christ Jesus. The helmet of salvation is not about getting saved, rather it is about ‘living’ saved. It is not about kneeling at the foot of the cross, it is about taking up your cross and following Jesus.
So what is the helmet of salvation? It is the strength and protection that comes from believing, thinking and acting out of the richness of your salvation.
Right Knowing (truth)
–
Right Thinking (wisdom)
–
Right Living (obedience)
In other words, the helmet of salvation is not about getting saved, but about ‘knowing,’ ‘thinking’ and ‘living’ saved. It is about the strength and protection that comes when you allow . . .
the mind of Christ to be your thinking,
the call of Christ to be your walking,
the truth of Christ to be your seeing,
the purpose of Christ to be your living,
the destiny of Christ to be your drawing.
You see my friend, once the truth enters your mind, touches your heart, affects your life and walk, and is manifest in your actions, it becomes your nature. The helmet of salvation deals with your nature, you character, your doctrine; what you believe and who you are.
The helmet of salvation is about right thinking, God thinking, salvation thinking about my past, my present and my future.
It is thinking God thoughts about who I am, what I do and where I am headed.
It is getting the divine perspective on my troubles, my trials and my temptations.
It is seeing myself through the eyes of God in relation to my sin, my sorrows and my sicknesses.
There is no victory outside of thinking the way God thinks. The degree of failure in your and my life is directly correlated to the degree to which our thinking is different to the thinking of God.
When we are governed by truth, we walk in victory and in freedom.
Now watch - I think this is one of the biggest challenges we face. There is no point in having salvation thinking without salvation living.
There is a difference between wearing a helmet and simply owning one.
The truth has not accomplished its purpose at the point of my agreement with it and my surrendering to it. Truth accomplishes its work when I walk in the power of its freedom, anointing and purpose.
Right knowledge opens the door to God’s purpose for your life - but it will do you know good unless you are walking in it.
The challenge is that we so readily let go of God thinking when we are exposed to facts or feelings that challenge them.
So I know I ought to tithe, but I start to feeling I will not get my other expenses paid if I do not. I know the Bible says God made the world in 6 days but somebody starts to fill my head with facts about evolution or the age of the earth of some other modern theory. I know God has given me this spouse, but I start to feel like I no longer love them. I know it is wrong to do a certain thing, but I start to feel that God will understand because of my situation.
What happened? I readily gave up on God thinking. You see my friend, facts and feelings will sometimes misinterpret truth if you are not careful.
And watch this - wrong thinking always leads to wrong living.
That is why it is critical that we take the helmet of salvation!
Living with the Freedom of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the power of God that heals you from the sins and failures of the past.
There is incredible power and anointing on forgiveness. David - "till I confessed my sin it raged in my bones."
Living with the Victory of Faith
We do not have to defeat the devil
Great Faith = Great Victory
By Faith Moses
Living with the Power of Anointing
Hebrews 1:9 "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has set You above Your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy."
The anointing is the power of God released into your life.
The anointing releases power and activates your faith.
Living with the Thinking of Christ
You can have the thinking about Christ but not the thinking of Christ.
Living with the View of Eternity
Stephen as he was stoned - "I see the heavens opened, and the Son Christ
Each moment is eternal
Authority is accessed through faith
It is also helpful to point out that our spiritual authority is accessed by faith. There is a lot to be learned from the story told in Mark 9:17-29 about how faith allows us to access our authority. When the disciples came across an unusually strong demon that wouldn’t budge (verse 18), Jesus made it clear that they lacked faith by calling them faithless (verse 19). He also made it clear that some demons are so strong that a higher than usual level of faith is required to cast them out (verses 28 and 29), and that we can gain that higher level of faith through prayer and fasting (verse 29).
Matthew 17:20, "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
* * * * *
