Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
1 June 2014
Ephesians 6:13-18
THE BONNET OF SALVATION
Shield of Faith speaks:
• Daily faith/God causes us to trust Him all seasons of life
• Times/good, “Righteous shall live by faith” Rom. 1:17
• Times/bad, “Righteous shall live by faith.”
• Even when “fiery darts” devil/raining down all around us
• “shield of faith” protects us/allows us stay/fight/glory/God
• allows us to “stand, and having done all to stand
• We become an impossible target for the devil to hit.
Piece/armor/attention today/Bonnet Of Salvation
• Bible says, “And take the helmet of salvation.”
• days when men wore armor into battle
• Referred to their “helmet” as a “bonnet”
• Let’s examine/piece/armor/consider/importance/our daily lives.
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V. V. 17a THE BONNET OF SALVATION
Helmet worn/ancient soldier was utmost importance
• Made of thick leather covered by plates of metal
• or solid metal/beaten into the shape/human head
• Ancient helmets/metal extensions covered the cheeks
• Designed to protect the face.
Purpose/helmet is obvious--designed to protect/head
• ancient times many armies employed cavalry
• soldiers mounted on horseback most carried a broadsword
• This sword different from/sword mentioned v 17
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Broadsword/two-handed sword
• Three/four feet in length/double-edged blade
• sword was swung by mounted soldiers in an effort
• split the skulls/enemy, or to decapitate them
• helmet helped to deflect the blow of the broadsword
• Thus, it protected the foot soldier from injury.
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Text says spiritual “helmet” we/wear/spiritual battles is the “helmet of salvation.”
• Indicates Satan’s blows are aimed at our minds
• intent on destroying our sense of security
• Our assurance in Jesus Christ.
If the devil can strike a blow against us that causes us to become discouraged and filled with doubt
• He will have little trouble sidelining us/taking us out/battle
• Like the ancient broadsword
• sword wielded by our enemy the devil is a two-edged sword
• One of those edges is discouragement-one is doubt.
Let’s look at The Bonnet Of Salvation, and learn how this piece of the armor can protect us from both discouragement and doubt.
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I. THIS HELMET PROTECTS AGAINST DISCOURAGEMENT
If we not protected, devil will use sword of discouragement to defeat us in our walk with the Lord.
• Cause us to look at our sins/failures/problems in our lives/health issues/any other negative situation we face in life.
• When he gets our attention off the Lord
• on the negative issues we face in life
• He knows we will begin to doubt the Heavenly Father’s love and care for us.
• This has the effect of causing us to be discouraged.
Even those who have been in the battle along time, and have enjoyed much spiritual success, can find themselves the victims of discouragement and disillusionment.
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Consider/prophet Elijah
• Not many/enjoyed great spiritual victories like Elijah.
• Praying fire down from Heaven
• slaying/450 prophets of Baal after 3 ½ years
• Outrunning/chariot of King Ahab/from Mt. Carmel--Samaria.
• What a day!
Next day/came word/Queen Jezebel
• Angry at Elijah
“Jezebel sent/messenger to Elijah/say 1 Kings 19:2…
• Elijah hears this and runs for his life.
• Travels/Beersheba/under broom tree/prays to die
• 1 Kings 19:4
• so discouraged he was ready to quit on God
• Resign from his office as prophet, and go out into eternity.
God showed up/wilderness/rebuked the prophet.
• God asked him:1 Kings 19:9….
• Elijah’s reply indicated/state/his heart. 1 Kings 19:10.
God assures Elijah in a “still, small voice” that there are still 7,000 in Israel that have remained faithful and that have not bowed to Baal, 1 Kings 19:18.
• Elijah learned/spiritual victory does not insulate us against discouragement.
• “Satan has many tools, but that discouragement is the handle that fits them all.”
• There is much truth in that
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You may have been saved for years, but if the devil can get you discouraged in your walk with the Lord, he can get you out of the battle.
• If he can get you focused on your problems
• on the failures in your life
• on the shortcomings of others
• or on any negative thing at all
• he can overwhelm your defenses
• Cause you to doubt the Lord’s goodness.
We don’t think about it like this, but it’s true:
When we allow problems, pain, people, to make us discouraged to the point where we quit on God, the devil has won that battle.
• He has caused us to doubt the goodness and grace of God.
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Book of Job reveals a precious saint/God who’s helmet/place.
• Satan unleashed the fury of Hell against Job
• Still Job refused to doubt the goodness of God.
• Job didn’t understand why his children had to die
• why his health had to be taken away
• why everything/worked his whole life to amass was los
• amid/pain/problems, Job continued to trust the Lord
Job 13:15, he says, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”
• Job’s helmet deflected every blow of the enemy and protected his fragile spirit from injury.
======================================Another who wore “helmet of salvation” great benefit/Jeremiah.
• When/Lord called Jeremiah
• Told him he would be rejected, persecuted, and attacked
Jeremiah said this, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.” Jer. 15:16.
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Be sure “the helmet of salvation” is in place
• Refuse to allow Satan to focus your attention on the events of life, or by the actions of people.
If he can get your eyes off the Lord and on the difficulties of life, you will be easy prey for his slashing broadsword. Asaph - Ps 73.
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Easy/discouraged:
• everything in life goes against you
• answers to your prayers are delayed
• Your preaching, teaching/witnessing seem/ineffective.
Discouragement/our default setting most of the time
Satan knows this and he exploits this weakness in our lives.
• When we are discouraged by the events of life
• Never forget our Father always has our situation well in hand.
• He can be trusted to do what/right, all the time, Rom. 8:28
• Gal.6:9…
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II. THIS HELMET PROTECTS AGAINST DOUBT
• Other edge of Satan’s broadsword is doubt.
• When we come to doubt our salvation
• or when we come to doubt the Word of God
• We are easily defeated by the enemy.
When/come to doubt God’s faithfulness, we are easily discouraged.
• When/come to doubt the Word of God
• we have/very foundations for our hope in the Lord undermined
• We have no ground upon which to stand.
If Satan can convince you that you are not really saved, or that somehow, you have lost your salvation, you will be devastated spiritually.
• Such doubt paralyzes the believer
• Makes them unproductive and miserable…
• Nothing more quickly sidelines the child of God than having their peace and security in Jesus stripped away.
John 14:27…“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
• When we forget this truth
• We are easy prey for the enemy.
• If Satan has been beating you with that sword
• Let me remind you that
• if you are in Jesus, you are secure in Jesus.
Listen…John 6:37-40
John 10:28-29
Romans 8:38-39
Phil 1:6
1 Peter 1:3-5
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Paul says “take the helmet of salvation,” not referring/being saved.
• Speaking to people who are already saved
• means “stand” full assurance/salvation we possess in/Lord
• We are hold on to the truth that, if we are saved
• Lord has redeemed us/He has promised “everlasting life”
That knowledge will allow us to deflect the broadsword of doubt when the devil tries to attack us in the arena of our salvation.
When Satan comes against you, and he will, stand your ground in the Lord, knowing that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
• He bought you with His precious blood, 1 Pet. 1:18-19.
• You are His, 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
• He will not abandon you, Heb. 13:5; Isa. 43:2.
• He will give you grace sufficient for the attacks that come against you, 2 Cor. 12:9.
• He will keep you through the battles of life, and He will deliver you safely home to glory when this life is over. 2 Tim. 1:12. Here is the key: be sure you are saved!
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• Be sure:
• you have more than just a church membership
• You are trusting nothing but Jesus for salvation
• you are resting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ\
• You are “born again.
• You are believing the Gospel.
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Cor. 13:5
• The implication here is simple
• Don’t take what you think you have for granted.
• Don’t just assume you are saved because you have checked off a box or two on the Baptist salvation checklist.
There are several things that we need to examine to be sure where we stand with the Lord.
Look at:
• Your life and see how you are living.
• Your priorities
• What you love, what you do, and what you live for.
• What you are trusting for salvation.
• Back and carefully examine your salvation experience.
What happened in that moment you are trusting as the moment when you were saved?
Was there an awareness of your lost, sinful condition before the Lord?
• In other words, was there conviction of sin, John 13:7-11
• Was there a change in your life, 2 Cor. 5:17?
I am not trying to make anyone doubt their salvation today
• Simply/get you to examine your salvation experience
• To be sure you are saved.
• do not want you to go to Hell trusting a false profession
I fear that sometimes, we blame our doubts on the devil, when all the time it is the Lord Who is trying to show us that we need to be born again.
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Conc: So, are you saved? Are you sure? Are you secure in your salvation?
• How about discouragement?
• Do you know anything about that?
• I do, and it can be devastating.
• The Lord is able to keep us even when we are discouraged.
• If you are discouraged today
• you need to bring that discouragement to the Lord.
• He will help you with that.
What about doubt?
Has the devil been hacking at you with the broadsword of doubt?
Why don’t you come before the Lord today and ask Him to help you to “take the helmet of salvation?”
• He can settle your spirit, and give you peace today.
He can enable you to stand against everything the devil throws at you.
• You do not have to be defeated by the devil.
• You can withstand the withering assaults of discouragement and doubt.
• Bring those things to God and get some help.
If you are settled in Him today, why not praise Him for His grace in your life?
Listen to His voice and do what He is telling you to do.
