Armor of God: Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians #53)

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Ephesians 6:17

This helmet is not physical just as nothing else in this armor is physical. If you trust Jesus Christ you can still suffer head injuries. God said we wrestle not against flesh and after describing spiritual warfare and the spiritual armor at our disposal, we now move to the head. Not your physical head, but your mind.

The mind is a battlefield that the devil will occupy if he can.

Salvation, the promise of the redemption of the body, a certain future in new heaven and new earth without sin, without trouble, or any curse has an affect on the mind. This hope is a protection against all kinds of thoughts; 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Guard your mind from overwhelming sorrow

Hope of salvation is a helmet that guards against overwhelming sorrow.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
- Comfort of knowing – But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep… (vs 13)
  - God wants you to know what happens after the death of this body.
  - If you have a saved, mom, dad, friend, brother, sister, son, daughter who has died, you haven’t lost them. You know exactly where they are. And they are more alive today than they ever were here in a body of sin.
  - Some say, “No one can know what happens.” God just said, I would not have you ignorant…
  - Death had the final word until Jesus Christ.
    - Everything people did they did in relation to death.
    - Death was king. There was no escaping death. Whether you were good, bad, didn’t matter.
    - The Jesus Christ came and died and rose again. Death was no longer king. Now life would be offered in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can offer it.
- Certainty of comfort – …by the word of the Lord… alive and remain… (vs 15)
- Comfort of being caught away – …so shall we ever be with the Lord (vs 18)… forever and ever and ever and ever….
  - I’m not taking cancer with me
  - I’m not taking pain with me
  - I’m not taking a cursed body with me
  - I’m not taking a broken heart with me
- Comforting words – …comfort one another with these words… (vs 18)
  - Sometimes we try to comfort each other with hope down here. It will work out. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Fact is whatever “it” is doesn’t need to work out because my comfort isn’t in that.
  - Someone may say, “You’re going to beat this cancer!” Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. Those aren’t the words of comfort. THESE are the words of comfort. Cancer can have this body. I’m not going to need it one day.
So the helmet of salvation meets sorrow with the absolute assurance of a future hope and sorrow doesn’t stand a chance.

Guard your mind from quitting on God

Hope of salvation is a helmet that guards against a Christian wanting to quit.
1 Corinthians 15:30-32, 54-58
- Paul asked some reasonable questions like why is he putting his life in jeopardy if there wasn’t anything beyond the grave.
- He makes the point about the resurrection being illustrated in nature. Then says we haven’t seen yet the full extent of obedience, so don’t quit, be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
- The investment is well worth it.
2 Timothy 1:8-12

Guard your mind from becoming too attracted to this world

Hope of salvation is a helmet that guards against thoughts of this world becoming too attractive.
Philosophy of eat, drink, fornicate, play for tomorrow we die.
Hebrews 10:34
1 Peter 1:13-16 And this is another time the Holy Spirit has called the worldly perspective on life “ignorant”
- Attraction to the world will make you dirty.
- 1 Peter 4:1-3
- 1 John 3:1-3

Guard your mind from distractions from your purpose

Hope of salvation is a helmet that gives clarity to your purpose here and guards against doublemindedness.
Philippians 1:20-24 Notice the total victory in Christ.
2 Timothy 4:6-8

Guard your mind from certain fears

Hope of salvation is a helmet that alleviates certain unreasonable fears.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

Guard your mind from becoming cold toward others

Salvation testimony of drunk whose wife was always nice and compassionate to him. Knowing if he never gets saved, this is the best it will ever get for him. Now that’s a thought that generates pity for a lost soul.
1 Peter 2:11-12
Matthew 5:12-16 …great is your reward in heaven…