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I. HELMET OF SALVATION.
A. Isaiah speaks of a time when there was no one that stood up for righteousness and true judgment.
ISA 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that [there was] no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
ISA 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance [for] clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
ISA 59:18 According to [their] deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.
ISA 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
B. To the Thessalonians Paul wrote,
1TH 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
II. WHEN WE BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT HELMETS WE ARE OBVIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING OUR MINDS.
A. One of the places that Satan is continually attacking in this spiritual warfare is our minds.
1. He seeks to plant evil thoughts.
2. We are exposed on every side by advertisements that are designed to attract our attention by scantily clad women.
a. The billboards.
b. The newspapers.
c. Especially T.V.
3. Most people during commercials channel surf, it is so easy with the remote.
4. It is amazing how much filth you come across as you look at the fare that is being offered on T.V.
B. People today do not have a chance of survival unless they have their minds protected against the onslaught of the enemies attacks.
C. Paul warned, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap, if we sow to the flesh, we of the flesh shall reap corruption, but if we sow to the spirit, the we of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.
1. Think of how much people sow to the flesh today.
2. As Paul speaks of the corrupt condition of the society that holds the truth of God in unrighteousness, who though they knew God did not glorify Him as God; who changed the glory of an incorruptible God; who worshipped and served the creature more than the creator; who did not want to retain God in their minds.
3. How that God gave them up to uncleanness, that they might dishonor their own bodies; God gave them up to vile affections and gave them over to reprobate minds.
4. They thus began to engage in vile practices such as fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; their unprotected minds were full of envy murder, debate, deceit, malignity. They became backbiters, haters of God, deceitful, proud, bragging about their evil practices, inventors of evil things, without natural affection, unrepentant, unmerciful.
5. Though they knew such things would bring the judgment of God, they not only did them, but took pleasure in those that did.
6. Do you take pleasure in movies that portray adultery, or fornication. Those that are filled with murders and violence, then you are among those that Paul was describing here.
D. If we leave our minds unprotected, Satan will fill them with all kinds of filth that will defile us.
E. Satan also attacks our minds with discouragement. He makes us feel that there is no use trying to go on, that the Christian life is just too difficult.
1. When our younger daughter was just six, because she followed the others by many years, she was especially dear to us.
a. Her older sister was like a second mother to her, but her older brothers resented the attention she got, and really gave her a bad time, especially after I gave her a jacket of many colors.
b. One day when we came home from a short trip to the store we found a note on the kitchen table from her which said, "It is no use, I have ran away."
2. Sometimes Satan makes us feel that it is no use.
F. I am afraid that ofttimes people in listening to an evangelist think that if they will just come to Jesus all of their troubles will end. The truth is that it is often the beginning of troubles.
1. A man who used to testify weekly of going down the road and meeting the devil and having to battle with him but thank God the Lord gave him the victory.
2. Another man in the church hearing the variations of the same testimony week after week finally went up to him and said, "I can't understand how that every week you seem to meet the devil as you are going down the road. I have been going down life's road for many years, and I haven't met the devil yet." The man responded, "Maybe you are going in the same direction."
3. It is true that Satan does not hassle much those who are in his camp already.
4. But they that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, is a promise that we do not like to claim, yet is none the less true.
III. WHAT IS THIS HELMET OF SALVATION THAT PROTECTS US FROM HIS ATTACKS AGAINST OUR MINDS?
A. Paul calls it the helmet of salvation.
B. In Hebrews it is called the helmet of the hope of salvation.
1. Salvation is in three tenses,
a. I have been saved from the penalty of my sin. Justification.
b. I am being saved from the power of sin. Sanctification.
c. I shall be saved from the presence of sin. Glorification.
2. The helmet of salvation I believe is all three aspects of my salvation, but more specifically to the third aspect, which is the hope of my salvation.
C. In
1Th 5:8 Paul there speaks of the helmet of the hope of our salvation.
D. We need to keep the hope of the glorious future with our Lord in view.
E. When we lose sight of the eternal, Satan can do all kinds of things with our minds.
1. The classic example of this is found in
Psalm 73 a psalm of Asaph.
2. With the helmet off, Satan began to attack his mind.
a. He looked around and saw the prosperity of the wicked and became envious of them.
b. They were horribly blasphemous and vile, they spoke contemptuously of God.
c. Yet it seemed that they had no trouble, far more, everyone seemed to seek to do them favors, and they had more than their hearts could desire.
3. He came to the conclusion that Satan was trying to bring him to. "It doesn't pay to serve God, to be good, to try to do the right thing."
4. He was almost destroyed, he was slipping, it was too painful for him to try to think about it.
5. Then he went into the sanctuary of God and put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. He saw their end, compared with his.
6. Their life compared with his brought him to despair, but their eternity compared with his brought him rejoicing.
7. Don't ever lose sight of the eternal.
a. Living in sin may offer temporal advantages, but you must consider the eternal consequences.
b. Living a life of righteousness may bring hardship and suffering. But again consider the eternal consequences.
8. The book of Hebrews tells us about Moses.
HEB 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
HEB 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
HEB 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
a. Because he had respect unto the recompense of reward, that is the whole key.
b. He had the helmet of the hope of salvation.
9. David in
Psalm 42:5 said, "Why are you cast down O my soul? Why are you disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." Again in verse 11 he said again, "Why are you cast down O my soul: and why are you disquieted within me: Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God."
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
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