GEARING UP FOR WAR - The Helmet of Salvation
October 9, 2022
Ephesians 6:10-17
Introduction:
My son Tyler was deployed to Iraq during some of the toughest days during Operation Desert Freedom…
SHOW PIC OF TYLER
He was in the country for almost 18 months and did just under a shade of 4,000 missions. Some of those missions involved house clearing, but his job was as a gunner in a fighting vehicle. He had it blown out from under him once while on a mission…He spent the majority of his time in Baghdad…He was quartered in Sadaam Hussain’s palace for a while. He was right in the middle of the war zone…and he was doing one of the most dangerous jobs any soldier can do.
In his vehicle there is a driver, a navigator (usually the Sergeant) and a gunner.
As a gunner his head and shoulders were exposed through the top of the vehicle. He had to have a line of sight so he could engage the enemy. There is a shield, and as you can see by the picture he wears a helmet made out of Kevlar and other protective materials…on one mission he had a bullet go through his clipboard and ricochet off his helmet…It saved his life.
When the Apostle Paul lists each piece of the Armor of God, he’s using a vivid illustration for protection and preparation. Each piece protects vital areas the enemy will shoot at…each piece is designed by God and given from God to help us when Satan implements his evil schemes…when his dark forces shoot at us…They are designed to keep us standing…to keep us in the fight.
And the Helmet of Salvation is absolutely vital for spiritual warfare and our spiritual welfare!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 Paul expands on this piece of gear. He tells them and us “Let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and THE HOPE OF SALVATION AS A HELMET.”
Paul has seen tons of Roman soldiers…some pretty close up as he is arrested and put in jail…Their helmets are made of iron, bronze, or brass depending on their unit, rank, region or time.
SHOW PIC OF HELMET
Centurions’ helmets consisted of a bowl that protected the top of the head, a brow guard that protected the face, cheek plates that protected the side of the face. Most officers and some divisions wore plumes on top to make them seem taller and more intimidating to the enemy.
Why was the helmet so vital? Because most battles took place in close combat. The helmet was covered with oil so that glancing blows from swords and axes would deflect. If you’re not wearing your helmet when one of these blows come, it’s going to be a very bad day.
Paul makes it personal when it comes to God’s armor…He uses the words…“Put on” the full armor of God…“Buckle” the belt of truth…“Fit” your feet with readiness…“Take up” the shield of faith… “Take” the helmet of salvation.
In other words…God’s provided you with it…pick it up..put it on…Take it!!!
I. THE HELMET OF SALVATION ONLY PROTECTS US IF WE TAKE IT
This helmet does no good at all if your commander offers it to you but you reject it and leave it in the barracks!
[Here’s what I mean…Last Sunday I had 42 grand kids at my house for lunch (OK it just seemed like 42 but I had a bunch…As we (and I mean by we…mostly Kari) get the lunch feast assembled, the kids head out to play…it is cold so I say… “Put your jackets on…they’re right there on the couch!”
Moments later I look outside and in the 25 degree weather is Kanaan, “the Shuggie,” running around with just a T-shirt. Pawpaw told him where the coat was…Pappaw told him it’s cold…Pappaw told him to “Put it on.” He chose not to…he was too busy…in a hurry…didn’t want it to slow him down…who made that choice…Shuggie or Pappaw?]
Many treat the helmet of salvation like Kanaan treated his coat…“I know it’s there…I really don’t believe it’s that cold outside…It’ll slow me down…if I need it I can come back and get it.”
God’s Word says Hell is real…Jesus Himself describes it in this way…“A furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:42) He says it’s “an eternal fire prepared for those who have rejected Him and for the Devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)
Jesus was the greatest theologian about Hell that’s ever walked this earth.
His message…is horrible, it's forever, it's designed to punish the Evil One and his army, it’s a place of sadness and pain that will make you grit your teeth.
And it’s the reason I’ve come…“Accept me…believe in me…give me your life…put on the gift of salvation I’ve provided for you at the cross…and when you do this, my righteousness and salvation will protect you from all this.
Not just when you die…but at the moment you “put on this helmet of hope.”
Jesus’ mission statement is “I have come to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
God’s desire is that no one go to Hell…It’s why He demonstrated His love for us in this way…“while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans) “At just the right time…while we were still powerless Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6-8)
God doesn’t demand we fix up our lives and become good people before He’ll give us salvation…God’s Word says, “I’ve done this for you while you were still my enemies…I’ve given my Son while you still hated me…I love you now…I want you to be mine right now…and then because of my Son you will be righteous…your life and salvation begins at the cross.
2 Peter 3:8-13 tells us about why Jesus hasn’t returned yet…And how God feels about salvation for all His creation.
2 PETER 3:8-13
There will be a Judgement Day…God’s Word promises it’s coming. A day of redemption for God’s people and His creation and a day of destruction and fire for those who are ungodly. (vs. 7)
This hasn’t happened yet because God is hesitant or slow about doing what He’s promised. It hasn’t happened yet because God wants everyone to be saved through repentance. He desires everyone to put on the helmet He’s provided.
For those of us who are in Christ…it is the hope of salvation’s future inheritance… Heaven and a new earth” that shapes our decisions here and now. In the midst of pain, loneliness, hurt and even death “we look forward” in faith we have an assurance of what we hope for and a conviction of what we cannot yet see (Hebrews 11:1).
You see the Helmet of Salvation protects us here in the battle zone of this fallen world but…
II. THE HELMET OF SALVATION HELPS US FOCUS ON THE ULTIMATE VICTORY
C.S. Lewis said, “Those who focus on the world to come get the most done in the world we live in right now.”
Hope is always focused on a future event. Hope is different than wishing…because with hope there is a firm expectation that what you hope for will really happen…here’s what I mean:
“I wish Publisher’s Clearing House would show up on my front porch with a lifetime check for me and one of my relatives…I don’t have a real expectation that that will happen…I wish it would, but I don’t hold my hopes up.”
“But I hope to get to go to Western Kentucky in November to be with some of my best friends. It's my time of reconnecting with the beauty of God's creation and it's a time I get to see and be with people I love a lot."
Those who have been saved by Christ have covered their minds with this hope…it’s a very real expectation that one day we will see Jesus face to face. We hope for a reunion with those we love who have gone before us who love Jesus…we believe right now is temporary…and Heaven is eternal.
It’s why Paul wrote to Titus and said this:
TITUS 2:11-14
Fred Craddock tells the story of a time that he was on vacation. He and his wife had found a quiet little restaurant where they looked forward to a private meal, just the two of them. While they were waiting for their meal they noticed a distinguished looking white haired man moving from table to table, visiting guests. Craddock whispered to his wife, “I hope he doesn’t come over here!” He didn’t want the man to intrude upon their privacy. But that’s exactly what the man did. “Where you folks from,” the man asked. “Oklahoma,” said Fred. “Splendid state, I hear. Although I’ve never been there. What do you do for a living?” “I teach homiletics,” said Fred hoping that this would scare the man off. “Oh, so you teach preachers, do you! Well, have I got a story for you!” And with that he pulled up a chair and sat down. Dr. Craddock said he groaned inwardly thinking to himself, “Oh no! Here it comes, another preacher story. It seems like everyone has one.” At that point the man stuck out his hand and said, I’m Ben Hooper. I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn’t married when I was born so I had a hard time. When I started school my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and during lunch time because the taunts of my playmates cut so deeply. What was worse was going downtown on Saturday afternoon and feeling every eye burning a hole through me. They were all wondering just who my real father was. When I was about 12 years old a new preacher came to our church. He preached hell fire and brimstone. He scared me and fascinated me all at the same time. I would always slip into church late and leave early so no one would see me. I feared that if anyone saw me they would ask what a boy like me was doing in their church. One day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in the church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see the preacher looking down on me. He said, ‘Well young man, I see a resemblance in you. You look a lot like…Why you’re the son of…the son of…’ I cringed and figured here it comes. And then he said, “Why you’re a son of God!” And slapping me on my bottom he added, “Now go out and collect your inheritance.”
At that point the white haired gentleman looked across the table at Fred Craddock and said, “That was the most important single sentence ever said to me.” And with that Ben Hooper bid his goodbyes and moved on to another table. Suddenly, said Fred Craddock, he remembered how on two occasions the people of Tennessee had elected an illegitimately born man to be their governor, the man named Ben Hooper.
When we wear the helmet of Salvation provided by a Father that loves us before we were even born…we can know without a doubt “We are the Child of God.”
