starting in verse 10, and I'll read through verse
17, which will be our text for exposition this
evening. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
the strength of His might. Put on the full armor
of God so that you will be able to stand firm
against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against the world
forces of this darkness, against the spiritual
forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that
you will be able to resist in the evil day and,
having done everything, to stand firm. Stand
firm, therefore, having girded your loins with
truth. and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation
of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking
up the shield of faith, with which you will be
able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of
the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father,
we come to you this Lord's Day. We thank you
for the opportunity to come and worship and fellowship.
Father, we ask tonight that you would use your
word in our hearts and in our minds. Each one
of us present desperately needs the truth of
the Scriptures. Each one of us needs to be reminded
of the great salvation that Jesus Christ has
accomplished. The work that you have done, Lord.
The work that is effective and cannot fail. Lord,
bless our time in your word. We ask these things
in Jesus' name. Amen. As we continue in this
study, just by way of review. In chapter 6 of
Ephesians, Paul is presenting the Christian life
as one of ongoing and continual warfare. He's
presenting the Christian life as a battle. And
he presents the opposition, which is demonic
forces. He presents their hierarchy. He presents
some of their methodology. But he also goes in
depth into how the believer stands against such
opponents. Spiritual forces. How does the Christian
stand against and stand firm in the Christian
life against unseen spiritual forces? spiritual
foes, and spiritual opposition, which is stronger
and more powerful than anyone in this room. How
can the Christian possibly do this? Paul tells
us that we have to be strong in the Lord and
in the strength of His might. And then the rest
of this passage, tells us and teaches that God
has vested his power into these pieces of armor.
So we have considered each of the pieces leading
up to the helmet of salvation. Tonight we're
going to consider this helmet that the Christian
must put on. It's relating or correlating to
the Christian's mind. So the first thing we have
to consider is the helmet that the Christian
absolutely must put on. Something that is vitally
important for the Christian life. Just as the
soldier's helmet would protect their head, the
helmet of salvation, protects the Christian's
mind. We underestimate, I think, and we don't
give enough thought and weight to the reality
of our minds as the people of God. Temptation
comes and goes in our lives. It's not always
constantly crushing us. There's other struggles
and difficulties. that come and go that are not
present with us, but we always have our thoughts.
They are always present with us. Now, when I
say mind, I distinguish between our brain and
our mind. I believe that the mind, from a Christian
perspective, is seated upon the soul. It's a
spiritual faculty. Oftentimes in the Bible, the
mind is the heart, the epicenter of morality
and life in the Christian. But the brain is a
physical faculty that exists in us as part of
us being physically physical beings. So I distinguish
between those two things. The Bible tells us
that we need to guard our minds. We need to protect
our minds. And we do that by putting on the helmet
of salvation. So if we want to know how to put
on the helmet and what the helmet is, then we
have to ask, what is salvation? Because the helmet
is salvation according to Paul. This requires
us to look through the book of Ephesians and
to consider this briefly. I'm not going to read
all these references, but I will reference them
if you want to go back and look them up at a
later time. So what is salvation? Specifically,
according to the book of Ephesians. Because Ephesians
presents a comprehensive, big view. of salvation
that God has accomplished. Salvation in the book
of Ephesians originates and is according to God's
eternal purposes. We see this in chapter 1 verses
3 -5. Listen to some of these verses. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ just as He chose
us in Him. before the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy and blameless. It's speaking
of God's choice of the believer. All of salvation,
not just a part or a piece of God's saving work
in Christ, originates from God's eternal purposes.
It is sovereign. It is free grace. That God has
poured out upon his people. In the book of Ephesians,
salvation is accomplished through Jesus Christ.
We read this in verse 7. In him we have redemption
through his blood. The forgiveness of our trespasses
according to the riches of his grace. It's through
Christ's blood. Jesus Christ has accomplished.
And carried out salvation. And the Spirit of
God applies salvation to the believer. It's done.
The Lord Jesus didn't leave any stone unturned
when it comes to redemption, brothers and sisters.
He's finished everything. It's not speaking in
potentialities or possibilities. It speaks of
the finished work of the Lord Jesus. It's accomplished.
Salvation in the book of Ephesians is entirely
of grace. It is all of grace. We read this in
chapter 2, verse 8. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is the gift. Of God. Not as a result of works.
So that no one may boast. All of salvation. All
of redemption. Is all of grace. None of it. Is
earned or merited. The focus. Is on God. And
what he has freely given. And freely accomplished.
On behalf of sinners. Salvation decisively delivers
sinners from spiritual death and gives them spiritual
life. He brings men and women and young people
out of spiritual death and gives them spiritual
life. We read this, and we can see this in chapter
2, where we read that we were dead in trespasses
and sins. Absolute spiritual death and inability.
But we read this in verses 4 -5. But God, being
rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us, even when we were dead in
our transgressions, made us alive together. With
Christ. So he brings men and women out of death
and into spiritual life. He makes them alive
together with Christ. Salvation unites us with
Jesus Christ. Over and over and over throughout
the book of Ephesians we read, In Him. In Him.
In Him. With Christ. With Christ. We read in
verse 7 of chapter 1, In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses
according to the riches of His grace. In Him.
It's speaking of the reality that when God saves
a person, He brings them into a saving union
with Jesus Christ. And everything that he has
accomplished is ours in Christ. Everything. That
is how every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places are the believers. Because it is in Christ
that they are theirs. Because they have been
brought into a union. That is an unbreakable
bond. That is an unbreakable union between Christ
and His people. But we also see in the book of
Ephesians that salvation creates a new corporate
people and it creates new individual Christians.
If we were to look at Ephesians chapter 2, verses
14 through 16, we would see that God... creates
a whole new people out of Jew and Gentile. They're
made one new man. But we read in chapter 4 that
it's not just a new corporate body. He makes
individuals new. He changes something essentially
about the people that he saves. So it's not that
God just saves individuals in this conceptual
idea, but if a person takes part in the salvation
that God has made, He actually makes them new.
He changes them. He gives them a new ruling principle
within them. We read specifically in chapter
4, verse 24, this. and put on the new self, which
in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness
and holiness of the truth. We've been created
and made new. We've been regenerated by the power
of God. So Christians are literally new creatures
in Christ. Corruption isn't eradicated or done
away with. We still have indwelling sin. But
we are new creatures in Christ. And this last
one is very important. In the book of Ephesians,
salvation is sealed and guaranteed. A down payment
is given that proves that salvation is sealed
and guaranteed for the believer. God will accomplish
and bring about every single redemptive promise
He's made to His people. He guarantees heaven.
He guarantees eternity. He guarantees the full
and final fulfillment of all His promises by
giving us the Holy Spirit. We read this in chapter
1, verse 13. In Him you also, after listening
to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
having also believed, you are sealed in him with
the Holy Spirit, who was given as a pledge of
our inheritance with a view to the redemption
of God's own possession, to the praise of his
glory. Salvation is not just promise, brothers
and sisters. Salvation is guaranteed. Salvation
is sealed in your life by the power and the presence
and the reality of the Spirit of God dwelling
within the believer. So these are all the things
in the book of Ephesians that Paul represents
and teaches us that salvation is. Now, notice
a few things about Paul's presentation of salvation.
All of it is a work of God. If you read through
the book of Ephesians, and you walk through those
things that I just walked you through, there
is absolutely nothing man -centered about any
of it. It is all of God. It is all from God.
It is all accomplished by God. And it is all
for God in His glory. And this is one of the
things that's important for our study tonight
as we consider the helmet of salvation and protecting
our minds. This salvation will not fail. It cannot
fail. Because God is the one who has accomplished
it and there's something at stake. What is it
that is at stake? With regards to the accomplishment.
The effectiveness. And the completion and the
fulfillment. Of redemption. God's glory. We read.
In chapter 1. Verse 12. To the end. Speaking
of salvation. To the end. That we who are the
first to hope in Christ. Would be to the praise.
Of his. Why does God save men and women? For
their good, yes, absolutely. But preeminently
and supremely, God saves sinners. He accomplishes
redemption. Why? For his namesake. For his own
glory. Will he let his glory be diminished? Will
he let his glory be taken away from? Will he
let his namesake not be exalted in the failure
or the incompletion of salvation? No. He will
give himself glory and he will save his people
to the uttermost because of the work of the Lord
Jesus. Salvation is something that the devil
cannot Salvation is something that the devil
cannot stop. It is something that he cannot change.
It is finished. It is a work of God that will
be fully and completely applied and brought to
full and final realization. And the devil cannot
do anything about that. That's important. So
why do we need to put this helmet on? Why do
we need to constantly be appropriating by faith
this great salvation that God has accomplished
on behalf of sinners for his name? Well, we see
because of the natural condition of our minds.
In chapter 2 of Ephesians, again constraining
ourselves to the book of Ephesians, there's other
things we could say from the New Testament and
the rest of the Bible, but we're really focusing
on Ephesians. Listen to this in verses 1 -3.
Of chapter 2. And you are dead in your trespasses
and sins. In which you formerly walked according
to the course of this world. According to the
prince of the power of the air. Of the spirit
that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them. We too all formerly lived in the
lusts of our flesh. Indulging the desires of
the flesh. and of the mind. And we're by nature
children of wrath, even as the rest. What is
the natural condition of our minds? Well, by
nature, we are sinners. We are children of wrath.
We are born with a sin nature. That sin nature
influences and corrupts and mars and affects
and influences every other aspect of our humanity.
And that includes what? Our minds. Our minds
are inclined by nature, by birth, to sin. We
need to protect our minds as believers. The Christian
mind, or man's mind in general, we should say,
is not neutral. It is bent a certain way. And
it is not towards that which is good and that
which is holy. Man in his natural condition is
bent towards wickedness, towards immorality,
towards transgression, towards rebellion, towards
lawlessness, towards any kind or any number of
things. And the mind is an essential part of
that. We see this, I think, often in our culture,
don't we? The mind, the thinking of a person,
leads to all kinds of wickedness in their lives
or in society or in culture. So because of the
natural condition of our minds, they need to
be protected. But also because of the ongoing
danger of sin and threat to the mind. It's not
just the original corruption that we possess,
even as believers, but it's because of the ongoing
danger and threat. That sin is to the mind. In
chapter 4. Verse 17 and 18. We read this. So
this I say. And affirm together with the Lord.
That you walk no longer. Just as the Gentiles
also walk. And listen. In the futility of their
mind. Being darkened in their understanding.
Excluded from the life of God. Because of the
ignorance. that is in them because of the hardness
of their hearts. Sin works through the mind.
The mind, brothers and sisters, is a gateway
for all kinds of immorality in our hearts, in
our hands, and in our very lives. The mind needs
protected. It's in the mind that we find distorted
thinking that leads to unsound living. It's in
the mind that we find perverted thoughts that
lead to perverted actions. It's in the mind that
we find twisted realities that lead to twisted
behavior. The mind is where deception takes root.
The mind is where error is anchored first before
it goes anywhere else in our lives. The mind
needs protected because it is very, very vulnerable.
Sin works through our minds. And we see this
stark contrast with verse 24 of chapter 4 in
Ephesians. He's talking about the futility and
the ignorance and the darkening of their understanding,
the Gentile's mind, the unregenerate, unconverted
man, woman, or person. And that is starkly contrasted
with Ephesians 4 .23, which says this, And that
you, being renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and put on the new self, which in the likeness
of God has been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth. Why does the Christian
need to continually be renewing their mind through
the Word of God, through truth, through the Scriptures,
because our corruption remains and our minds
are still vulnerable to being affected. So we
need to be renewing our mind in the truth. We
need, in a sense, to strengthen the regenerate
part of us. by the Spirit of God as He works
through the means that God has appointed. We
need to be growing. We need to be increasing
in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
We need to be renewing and being strengthened
so that the corruption that is within us isn't
growing and strengthening. Our minds are vulnerable.
But we also see that the mind is the target of
deception in the book of Ephesians. We read in
chapter 4, verse 14, that Paul writes this. As
a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed
here and there by waves and carried about by
every wind of doctrine. by the trickery or schemes
of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming.
Now, we've pointed out before that that sounds
an awful lot like the craftiness and the scheming
of the devil. And that's because it is. The devil
works through false doctrine. And what's the
result of... A person believing incorrectly about
their salvation. What comes of a person who believes
erroneous truth concerning the person of Jesus
Christ? Instability in their life. Up and down.
Like the waves. They're constantly rocking. There's
no settling. In their heart or their life. It
creates confusion. And chaos in a person's life
to a degree. Because that is what demonic wisdom
is. It brings division and chaos and confusion
and disagreement. And division according to the
book of James. That's earthly wisdom. The devil
aims at the Christian's mind. Because he knows
that if he can get their minds, then he can slither
his way into the rest of their lives. We have
to put on the helmet. Why? Because the mind is
the target of spiritual warfare. Possibly even
the prime target of spiritual warfare. the gate,
the door to the heart? Where is the gate and
the door to the hands and the feet? Where is
the gate and the door to the life of a person?
The mind, brothers and sisters. The devil knows
that if he can get to a person's mind, he can
get to their heart. And if he can get to their
heart, he can get to their hands. If he can get
to their person, their life, he can get to their
whole being. And influence them and direct them.
But where does it start? In the mind. What are
his tactics? Deceit. Lies. Falsehood. Accusations.
Doubt. Perversion and twisting of the truth.
Subtle inconsistencies with the truth. All kinds
of things. In the first place he aims is the
mind. Do you consider your mind to be important
with regards to your Christianity? Do you think
that it is important that you guard your mind?
It is, brothers and sisters. It's vitally important.
For your Christian life. For your living. For
your comfort. For your assurance. For your usefulness.
For your power in life. For your faithfulness.
For you being a father. Or for you being a mother.
Or a son or a daughter. For you being a church
member. If you just let the devil have his way
with your thinking. And you believe all kinds
of things. All of those things are going to be
jacked up. Our minds need to be protected. And
how do we do that? By putting on the helmet of
salvation. Now how do we put it on? Let me give
you a few simple ways. Preeminently, it is by
knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly. Not
being muddled. on what the gospel of your salvation
is. Do you know the doctrine of justification?
Do you know the doctrine of sin and man? Do you
understand and know, are you growing in your
understanding of your doctrine of Christ and
who He is and what He has accomplished? Are you
seeking to grow in your understanding of your
doctrine of God? The work of redemption? The
doctrine of the atonement? These are all vital
and important doctrines. Do you know why? Because
as you understand them, you are guarded and protected
more and more from the arrows and darts of the
devil. If you understand. that your justification
is by faith alone, and that it is Christ's righteousness,
then you will understand. I will never lose my
good standing in the sight of God because it's
based on what Christ has done. If you understand
that the Christian life is not about performance
or works or earning your salvation. Oh, brothers
and sisters, the comfort. That you can enjoy
in your life. But in particular. I think it's
also. By using salvation. As a means of protection.
In times of need in the Christian life. A helmet.
Is not meant. Simply to be pretty. A helmet.
Is meant to be a defense. To be a protection.
To defend against something. So all of that salvation
that we spoke of earlier. The God centered salvation.
The big God salvation that we spoke of. Brothers
and sisters. You need to appropriate it to your
heart. and your mind constantly as you face struggles
and difficulties in life. When you are wrestling
with doubt, when you are wrestling with assurance
in your life, when you are wrestling with what
is true and what is not true, can you not say,
my salvation has come from God. He has accomplished
it. I didn't do it. I didn't do anything. All
I brought to the table was my sin. It's all of
grace. No matter what, it is finished. Does that
not encourage and strengthen the heart and grace?
When you know that you are chosen before the
foundation of the world to be holy and blameless
in Him, Does that not create humility in you
because you know it wasn't based on your goodness?
When you understand that you are a wretched sinner
and that God chose you anyways based on His good
purposes, does that not well up gratitude and
worship and adoration in your heart? Use salvation
by faith. And apply it to the maladies and heartaches
and struggles of your life. To lift your heart
up. To fight against temptation. When sin is
being dangled in front of you. Look to the blood
of Christ. Did not my Savior die for my sin?
Did not the Son of God take on flesh and dwell
among us? Did He not obey that I might live as
a righteous and godly man to bring Him honor
and glory? Not so that I could spat in His face
and enjoy and revel in the sin which He died
for. Does that not help in the face of temptation?
Does the fact that God is not good that God is
good, and He has demonstrated and proven His
goodness in giving His Son, does that not encourage
you in trial and suffering? When the devil wants
you to be downcast and to think that God has
cast you to the side and he doesn't care about
you, Christ died for me. When your heart wants
to condemn you time and time again because the
devil is aiming his arrows at you, there is therefore
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. Brothers and sisters, put on the helmet.
Put on salvation by faith in your life. Wake
up and put on salvation. Get your clothes on
and put on salvation. I will face the day. I'm
putting on my salvation. Go to lunch. Put on
salvation. When you face your husband or your
wife or your children, put on salvation. When
you go to bed at night, put on salvation. Recall
the gospel and the many grand and glorious blessings
that are yours in Christ. but also renew your
mind to the word of God. All of this requires
and necessitates that we get ourselves into the
word. How do we grow in our understanding of
the gospel? How do we grow in our understanding
of the atonement and the work of Christ, the
person of Christ? By going to the Word, brothers
and sisters. By digging in to that gold mine.
By mining its depths and getting out those nuggets
that are so helpful for our souls that are worth
more than anything else. Renew your mind. Pray
in faith and ask the Spirit of God to help you
as you read the Word. And finally, put on the
helmet of salvation by living out the gospel
in your life. Test, try, and prove the truths
of the gospel to be true by experience. Don't
just read in the scriptures about these things.
Live these realities. Live as Paul lived. Mortifying
sin. Pursuing godliness. Honor God. Live unto
His glory. Test, try, and prove the realities
and truths of Scripture by experience in your
life. There is a helmet that the Christian must
put on. I hope and pray that every single believer
will put on that helmet in times of distress.
And understand also why you need to put that
helmet on. Your mind is vulnerable. Every single
believer in here needs to protect and guard their
minds. But also, Remember how you put it on.
By knowing the gospel clearly, using it for protection,
renewing your mind, and living out those truths
in your life.