The Helmet of Salvation: Hope in Spiritual Warfare
Summary
In Ephesians 6:17, Paul instructs believers to "take the helmet of salvation." This metaphorical armor piece is crucial for the spiritual battle Christians face. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that Christians are engaged in a mighty spiritual warfare against the devil's schemes, not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. To withstand these attacks, believers must be strong in the Lord and put on the full armor of God. The helmet of salvation, in particular, is vital as it protects the mind, the seat of understanding and thought.
The Roman soldier's helmet, made of leather and metal, served both as protection and ornamentation. Spiritually, the helmet represents the hope of salvation, a concept that extends beyond the present assurance of being saved. It encompasses the future promise of ultimate redemption and glorification. This hope is not merely about current salvation but is a forward-looking assurance of the final victory and eternal life with Christ.
The devil often attacks by sowing seeds of doubt and discouragement, making believers feel weary and hopeless about the entire Christian journey. This is not just about questioning specific doctrines but about the overall strategy and purpose of the Christian life. The enemy aims to make believers feel that their struggles are in vain, that the fight is too long and arduous, and that there is no progress.
However, the hope of salvation provides the strength to persevere. It is the assurance that, despite current trials and tribulations, there is a glorious future awaiting believers. This hope is rooted in the promises of God, who has predestined, called, justified, and will ultimately glorify His people. The helmet of salvation is the confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and that He will never let us go.
Key Takeaways:
- The helmet of salvation is essential for protecting the mind against the devil's attacks, focusing on the hope of future glory rather than present circumstances. [03:33]
- Spiritual warfare requires understanding the broader strategy of faith, not just the tactics. The hope of salvation is the assurance of ultimate victory and eternal life. [09:47]
- The devil's strategy often involves discouragement and weariness, making believers question the value of their struggles. The hope of salvation counters this by focusing on the promised future. [12:22]
- The hope of salvation is not just about present assurance but includes the future promise of glorification and eternal life with Christ. This hope sustains believers through trials. [24:14]
- The certainty of God's promises and the assurance of future glory provide the strength to endure present trials, knowing that nothing can separate us from God's love. [44:06]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Introduction to Ephesians 6:17
[01:00] - The Spiritual Battle
[02:10] - The Armor of God
[03:33] - The Helmet of Salvation
[05:08] - Roman Soldier's Helmet
[06:40] - Protecting the Mind
[09:47] - Strategy vs. Tactics
[12:22] - Weariness in Well-Doing
[14:48] - The Epistle to the Hebrews
[17:27] - Discouragement and Hope
[24:14] - The Hope of Salvation
[28:30] - Assurance of Future Glory
[33:23] - Scriptural Exhortations
[38:29] - The Tenses of Salvation
[44:06] - The Certainty of God's Promises
[49:34] - Conclusion and Encouragement
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 6:17 - "Take the helmet of salvation."
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 - "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation."
3. Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Observation Questions:
1. What does the helmet of salvation represent in the context of spiritual warfare according to Ephesians 6:17? [03:33]
2. How does the Roman soldier's helmet serve as a metaphor for the hope of salvation? [05:08]
3. What are the spiritual forces that believers are battling against, as described in the sermon? [01:18]
4. How does the sermon describe the devil's strategy in attacking believers' minds? [12:22]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the hope of salvation provide strength to persevere through trials, according to the sermon? [24:14]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the devil uses discouragement and weariness to attack believers? [12:22]
3. How does the assurance of future glory help believers endure present trials, as discussed in the sermon? [44:06]
4. What role does the certainty of God's promises play in the believer's spiritual battle, according to the sermon? [44:06]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt weary or discouraged in your faith journey. How can the hope of salvation help you in similar situations in the future? [12:22]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of focusing on the hope of future glory rather than present circumstances. How can you shift your focus from current struggles to the promises of God this week? [03:33]
3. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel the devil is sowing seeds of doubt. What steps can you take to protect your mind with the helmet of salvation? [12:22]
4. How can you remind yourself daily of the assurance that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus? [44:06]
5. Consider the broader strategy of your faith journey. How can you ensure that you are not just focusing on tactics but also on the overall purpose and hope of your Christian life? [09:47]
6. The sermon mentions the importance of being strong in the Lord. What practical steps can you take to strengthen your relationship with God this week? [01:35]
7. How can you encourage someone else who might be feeling weary or discouraged in their faith journey, using the hope of salvation as a source of strength? [12:22]
Devotional
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Quotes
Though they are Christians and indeed in a sense because they are Christians they will find themselves engaged in a mighty battle in a mighty warfare they're confronted he tells them by the wiles of the devil they are wrestling not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places. [00:01:06]
The helmet is essentially every part of the body has to be protected and has to be covered and as this is true in the natural sense in ordinary warfare it is equally true when you come to the spiritual application now I would remind you as we look at Snoopy's that that is the principle of interpretation cap the Apostle is taking up a familiar picture something with which all people living in the Roman Empire at that time were very familiar with. [00:04:08]
He is here drawing attention to the hit to the mind the brain the understanding the thinking of the Christian we've already dealt with the feelings and the sensibilities the emotions the desires and so on and how the enemy tends to attack us at that point and at those various points but now we've got a direct our attention to this particular aspect where we are engaged with the consideration of the the mind and the understanding this intellectual part if you like our own position as Christians. [00:06:47]
The enemy sometimes deals with us at this level even tries as it were to defeat us in the whole matter of the entire battle the whole strategy of the entire campaign how does he do this well this is the matter which is dealt with so often in the scriptures and as we've already seen in our hymns this morning in our hymn it's this whole problem from weariness or of tiredness the kind of condition into which the Christian gets at times that he feels like giving up the whole thing. [00:10:13]
Now you see the difference between that and what I'm called the tactics Christian people are sometimes in difficulties in Indian trouble about particular doctrines particular aspects of the faith there's no question of going out of the whole of Christianity but these are just in trouble and these local methods and they we are told how they're put right but here is something bigger and in a sense even more serious it's that one tends to become weary and tired hopeless about the whole campaign itself. [00:10:39]
The devil will succeed in persuading us to become so preoccupied with the details of life that we forget the whole thing it's one of the greatest difficulties in life we are so concerned about the trees that we miss the wood we are so immersed in the local tactics that we forget the great campaign the world is too much with us we are so aware of the heat and the burden of the day that we forget who we are we forget what we are destined for. [00:20:08]
What does salvation mean in this connection and yet I think it's very important that we should have the right interpretation and I'm particularly sorry at this point that I have to disagree with the great Charles Hodge Hodge tells us that salvation here means our awareness of the fact that we are saved that we are Christians he says it means the present enjoyment of our salvation that is what he says is meant by the helmet of salvation but I want to try to show you that that's inadequate. [00:23:11]
I would interpret this as meaning not so much the realization of our salvation at the present time but the hope of salvation now what does that mean well it means I think again you see the way to interpret Scripture is to look at scripture scripture interprets Scripture the same thing is taught everywhere do you remember how the Apostle Ian writing to the Romans in chapter 13 uses expressions like these he says love worketh no ill to his neighbor therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. [00:24:34]
The Christian is a man who has been saved that's justification by faith he is no longer under the law we saw that under the breastplate of righteousness the Christian is already saved in the sense that he'll never come to condemnation he's delivered from the law he is delivered from the Dominion of set he's already free in that sense he has been saved but then the Christian is a man who is being saved he is not perfect there is work going on in him the present tense of salvation is this continuous process. [00:39:38]
There is a day coming when the Christian shall be absolutely perfect now then you bear that in mind you'll see the meaning of this word salvation obviously in this connection it means the hope of salvation so you can put the thin seas like this the best is justification the present is sanctification the future is glorification redemption glorification the ultimate the final the accident what does he mean than by putting on the helmet of salvation it means this get this idea clearly in your mind. [00:40:25]
We are going to be like that we are going to be absolutely perfect free from sin free from all vestiges of evil without spot or wrinkle or any such thing we shall be glorified we shall be like Christ we shall see him as he hasn't been like him our body shall be changed will be completely glorified save the entirely body soul and spirit with nothing lacking that's the and putting on the helmet of salvation means realizing that that is coming. [00:41:48]
He'll keep us well isn't the poll saying what shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us that's the helmet of salvation when you see the enemy coming in droves and all these power and my quote on your helmet of salvation if God be for us who can be against us you've already defeated it for I am persuaded but though we are led a sheep to the slaughter day after day and everything's against us I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come. [00:44:01]
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