WEBVTT 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.240 starting in verse 10, and I'll read through verse 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:18.679 17, which will be our text for exposition this 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:24.500 evening. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:28.300 the strength of His might. Put on the full armor 00:00:28.300 --> 00:00:30.800 of God so that you will be able to stand firm 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:34.159 against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:37.460 is not against flesh and blood, but against the 00:00:37.460 --> 00:00:40.549 rulers, against the powers, against the world 00:00:40.549 --> 00:00:43.810 forces of this darkness, against the spiritual 00:00:43.810 --> 00:00:47.170 forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 00:00:47.869 --> 00:00:53.189 Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that 00:00:53.189 --> 00:00:56.850 you will be able to resist in the evil day and, 00:00:56.969 --> 00:01:01.130 having done everything, to stand firm. Stand 00:01:01.130 --> 00:01:05.189 firm, therefore, having girded your loins with 00:01:05.189 --> 00:01:09.150 truth. and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:12.790 and having shod your feet with the preparation 00:01:12.790 --> 00:01:18.329 of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking 00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:21.670 up the shield of faith, with which you will be 00:01:21.670 --> 00:01:25.790 able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of 00:01:25.790 --> 00:01:30.989 the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, 00:01:31.310 --> 00:01:34.810 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word 00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:39.930 of God. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, 00:01:39.989 --> 00:01:44.569 we come to you this Lord's Day. We thank you 00:01:44.569 --> 00:01:49.969 for the opportunity to come and worship and fellowship. 00:01:50.730 --> 00:01:53.810 Father, we ask tonight that you would use your 00:01:53.810 --> 00:01:57.590 word in our hearts and in our minds. Each one 00:01:57.590 --> 00:02:02.189 of us present desperately needs the truth of 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:05.989 the Scriptures. Each one of us needs to be reminded 00:02:05.989 --> 00:02:10.050 of the great salvation that Jesus Christ has 00:02:10.050 --> 00:02:13.789 accomplished. The work that you have done, Lord. 00:02:13.889 --> 00:02:19.349 The work that is effective and cannot fail. Lord, 00:02:19.409 --> 00:02:23.330 bless our time in your word. We ask these things 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:29.949 in Jesus' name. Amen. As we continue in this 00:02:29.949 --> 00:02:35.960 study, just by way of review. In chapter 6 of 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:39.479 Ephesians, Paul is presenting the Christian life 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:46.819 as one of ongoing and continual warfare. He's 00:02:46.819 --> 00:02:51.419 presenting the Christian life as a battle. And 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:55.699 he presents the opposition, which is demonic 00:02:55.699 --> 00:03:01.280 forces. He presents their hierarchy. He presents 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:06.659 some of their methodology. But he also goes in 00:03:06.659 --> 00:03:13.599 depth into how the believer stands against such 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:19.340 opponents. Spiritual forces. How does the Christian 00:03:19.340 --> 00:03:24.599 stand against and stand firm in the Christian 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:30.919 life against unseen spiritual forces? spiritual 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:36.560 foes, and spiritual opposition, which is stronger 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:43.719 and more powerful than anyone in this room. How 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:49.180 can the Christian possibly do this? Paul tells 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:52.740 us that we have to be strong in the Lord and 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:57.960 in the strength of His might. And then the rest 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:03.740 of this passage, tells us and teaches that God 00:04:03.740 --> 00:04:11.180 has vested his power into these pieces of armor. 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:16.079 So we have considered each of the pieces leading 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:20.379 up to the helmet of salvation. Tonight we're 00:04:20.379 --> 00:04:25.259 going to consider this helmet that the Christian 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:30.459 must put on. It's relating or correlating to 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:34.360 the Christian's mind. So the first thing we have 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.120 to consider is the helmet that the Christian 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:42.660 absolutely must put on. Something that is vitally 00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:50.420 important for the Christian life. Just as the 00:04:50.420 --> 00:04:56.060 soldier's helmet would protect their head, the 00:04:56.060 --> 00:05:00.329 helmet of salvation, protects the Christian's 00:05:00.329 --> 00:05:05.689 mind. We underestimate, I think, and we don't 00:05:05.689 --> 00:05:09.310 give enough thought and weight to the reality 00:05:09.310 --> 00:05:16.149 of our minds as the people of God. Temptation 00:05:16.149 --> 00:05:22.209 comes and goes in our lives. It's not always 00:05:22.209 --> 00:05:26.790 constantly crushing us. There's other struggles 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:29.560 and difficulties. that come and go that are not 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:34.360 present with us, but we always have our thoughts. 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:40.060 They are always present with us. Now, when I 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:46.139 say mind, I distinguish between our brain and 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:50.540 our mind. I believe that the mind, from a Christian 00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:56.149 perspective, is seated upon the soul. It's a 00:05:56.149 --> 00:06:00.170 spiritual faculty. Oftentimes in the Bible, the 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:04.310 mind is the heart, the epicenter of morality 00:06:04.310 --> 00:06:09.129 and life in the Christian. But the brain is a 00:06:09.129 --> 00:06:15.389 physical faculty that exists in us as part of 00:06:15.389 --> 00:06:19.949 us being physically physical beings. So I distinguish 00:06:19.949 --> 00:06:26.120 between those two things. The Bible tells us 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:32.399 that we need to guard our minds. We need to protect 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:38.079 our minds. And we do that by putting on the helmet 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:42.819 of salvation. So if we want to know how to put 00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:44.720 on the helmet and what the helmet is, then we 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:49.139 have to ask, what is salvation? Because the helmet 00:06:49.139 --> 00:06:54.060 is salvation according to Paul. This requires 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:56.379 us to look through the book of Ephesians and 00:06:56.379 --> 00:07:00.399 to consider this briefly. I'm not going to read 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:05.139 all these references, but I will reference them 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:07.319 if you want to go back and look them up at a 00:07:07.319 --> 00:07:11.779 later time. So what is salvation? Specifically, 00:07:11.819 --> 00:07:16.800 according to the book of Ephesians. Because Ephesians 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:22.959 presents a comprehensive, big view. of salvation 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:26.800 that God has accomplished. Salvation in the book 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:31.399 of Ephesians originates and is according to God's 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:37.279 eternal purposes. We see this in chapter 1 verses 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:41.040 3 -5. Listen to some of these verses. Blessed 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.259 be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:07:43.259 --> 00:07:45.920 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:49.519 in the heavenly places in Christ just as He chose 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:53.019 us in Him. before the foundation of the world, 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:57.000 that we would be holy and blameless. It's speaking 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:03.000 of God's choice of the believer. All of salvation, 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:09.019 not just a part or a piece of God's saving work 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:13.720 in Christ, originates from God's eternal purposes. 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:20.740 It is sovereign. It is free grace. That God has 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:25.639 poured out upon his people. In the book of Ephesians, 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:29.420 salvation is accomplished through Jesus Christ. 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:34.179 We read this in verse 7. In him we have redemption 00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:39.000 through his blood. The forgiveness of our trespasses 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:42.320 according to the riches of his grace. It's through 00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:47.259 Christ's blood. Jesus Christ has accomplished. 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:53.580 And carried out salvation. And the Spirit of 00:08:53.580 --> 00:09:00.919 God applies salvation to the believer. It's done. 00:09:02.139 --> 00:09:06.679 The Lord Jesus didn't leave any stone unturned 00:09:06.679 --> 00:09:09.299 when it comes to redemption, brothers and sisters. 00:09:10.299 --> 00:09:14.100 He's finished everything. It's not speaking in 00:09:14.100 --> 00:09:20.080 potentialities or possibilities. It speaks of 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:25.279 the finished work of the Lord Jesus. It's accomplished. 00:09:26.220 --> 00:09:29.620 Salvation in the book of Ephesians is entirely 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:38.340 of grace. It is all of grace. We read this in 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:41.460 chapter 2, verse 8. For by grace you have been 00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:44.679 saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. 00:09:44.980 --> 00:09:48.639 It is the gift. Of God. Not as a result of works. 00:09:48.860 --> 00:09:54.879 So that no one may boast. All of salvation. All 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:02.240 of redemption. Is all of grace. None of it. Is 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:08.159 earned or merited. The focus. Is on God. And 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:10.820 what he has freely given. And freely accomplished. 00:10:11.460 --> 00:10:20.480 On behalf of sinners. Salvation decisively delivers 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:26.059 sinners from spiritual death and gives them spiritual 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:30.200 life. He brings men and women and young people 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:35.440 out of spiritual death and gives them spiritual 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:39.399 life. We read this, and we can see this in chapter 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.700 2, where we read that we were dead in trespasses 00:10:43.700 --> 00:10:50.659 and sins. Absolute spiritual death and inability. 00:10:51.639 --> 00:11:02.899 But we read this in verses 4 -5. But God, being 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:06.419 rich in mercy, because of His great love with 00:11:06.419 --> 00:11:09.559 which He loved us, even when we were dead in 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:14.379 our transgressions, made us alive together. With 00:11:14.379 --> 00:11:19.159 Christ. So he brings men and women out of death 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:24.100 and into spiritual life. He makes them alive 00:11:24.100 --> 00:11:32.279 together with Christ. Salvation unites us with 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:36.659 Jesus Christ. Over and over and over throughout 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:42.320 the book of Ephesians we read, In Him. In Him. 00:11:43.210 --> 00:11:48.590 In Him. With Christ. With Christ. We read in 00:11:48.590 --> 00:11:53.210 verse 7 of chapter 1, In Him we have redemption 00:11:53.210 --> 00:11:56.409 through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses 00:11:56.409 --> 00:12:02.269 according to the riches of His grace. In Him. 00:12:03.529 --> 00:12:07.909 It's speaking of the reality that when God saves 00:12:07.909 --> 00:12:11.809 a person, He brings them into a saving union 00:12:11.809 --> 00:12:16.750 with Jesus Christ. And everything that he has 00:12:16.750 --> 00:12:24.129 accomplished is ours in Christ. Everything. That 00:12:24.129 --> 00:12:26.690 is how every spiritual blessing in the heavenly 00:12:26.690 --> 00:12:31.009 places are the believers. Because it is in Christ 00:12:31.009 --> 00:12:33.110 that they are theirs. Because they have been 00:12:33.110 --> 00:12:36.149 brought into a union. That is an unbreakable 00:12:36.149 --> 00:12:42.519 bond. That is an unbreakable union between Christ 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:47.440 and His people. But we also see in the book of 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.539 Ephesians that salvation creates a new corporate 00:12:50.539 --> 00:12:56.080 people and it creates new individual Christians. 00:12:56.860 --> 00:13:01.139 If we were to look at Ephesians chapter 2, verses 00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:06.649 14 through 16, we would see that God... creates 00:13:06.649 --> 00:13:12.370 a whole new people out of Jew and Gentile. They're 00:13:12.370 --> 00:13:20.190 made one new man. But we read in chapter 4 that 00:13:20.190 --> 00:13:24.350 it's not just a new corporate body. He makes 00:13:24.350 --> 00:13:28.750 individuals new. He changes something essentially 00:13:28.750 --> 00:13:34.730 about the people that he saves. So it's not that 00:13:34.730 --> 00:13:37.629 God just saves individuals in this conceptual 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:41.889 idea, but if a person takes part in the salvation 00:13:41.889 --> 00:13:45.309 that God has made, He actually makes them new. 00:13:46.269 --> 00:13:51.529 He changes them. He gives them a new ruling principle 00:13:51.529 --> 00:13:59.470 within them. We read specifically in chapter 00:13:59.470 --> 00:14:06.960 4, verse 24, this. and put on the new self, which 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:10.120 in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:16.340 and holiness of the truth. We've been created 00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:20.600 and made new. We've been regenerated by the power 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:26.620 of God. So Christians are literally new creatures 00:14:26.620 --> 00:14:30.399 in Christ. Corruption isn't eradicated or done 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:34.340 away with. We still have indwelling sin. But 00:14:34.340 --> 00:14:39.460 we are new creatures in Christ. And this last 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:44.860 one is very important. In the book of Ephesians, 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:52.940 salvation is sealed and guaranteed. A down payment 00:14:52.940 --> 00:14:58.259 is given that proves that salvation is sealed 00:14:58.259 --> 00:15:03.879 and guaranteed for the believer. God will accomplish 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:07.879 and bring about every single redemptive promise 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:12.600 He's made to His people. He guarantees heaven. 00:15:13.620 --> 00:15:17.799 He guarantees eternity. He guarantees the full 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:20.740 and final fulfillment of all His promises by 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:25.759 giving us the Holy Spirit. We read this in chapter 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:30.059 1, verse 13. In Him you also, after listening 00:15:30.059 --> 00:15:32.980 to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, 00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:38.080 having also believed, you are sealed in him with 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:42.259 the Holy Spirit, who was given as a pledge of 00:15:42.259 --> 00:15:45.379 our inheritance with a view to the redemption 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:48.720 of God's own possession, to the praise of his 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:54.559 glory. Salvation is not just promise, brothers 00:15:54.559 --> 00:16:00.330 and sisters. Salvation is guaranteed. Salvation 00:16:00.330 --> 00:16:05.190 is sealed in your life by the power and the presence 00:16:05.190 --> 00:16:07.769 and the reality of the Spirit of God dwelling 00:16:07.769 --> 00:16:14.230 within the believer. So these are all the things 00:16:14.230 --> 00:16:16.590 in the book of Ephesians that Paul represents 00:16:16.590 --> 00:16:21.850 and teaches us that salvation is. Now, notice 00:16:21.850 --> 00:16:25.850 a few things about Paul's presentation of salvation. 00:16:30.779 --> 00:16:35.000 All of it is a work of God. If you read through 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:38.580 the book of Ephesians, and you walk through those 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:40.460 things that I just walked you through, there 00:16:40.460 --> 00:16:44.840 is absolutely nothing man -centered about any 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:50.279 of it. It is all of God. It is all from God. 00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:53.360 It is all accomplished by God. And it is all 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.139 for God in His glory. And this is one of the 00:16:57.139 --> 00:16:59.019 things that's important for our study tonight 00:16:59.019 --> 00:17:02.299 as we consider the helmet of salvation and protecting 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:12.240 our minds. This salvation will not fail. It cannot 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:16.720 fail. Because God is the one who has accomplished 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:22.660 it and there's something at stake. What is it 00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:27.450 that is at stake? With regards to the accomplishment. 00:17:27.930 --> 00:17:31.369 The effectiveness. And the completion and the 00:17:31.369 --> 00:17:37.630 fulfillment. Of redemption. God's glory. We read. 00:17:38.769 --> 00:17:44.769 In chapter 1. Verse 12. To the end. Speaking 00:17:44.769 --> 00:17:48.950 of salvation. To the end. That we who are the 00:17:48.950 --> 00:17:52.349 first to hope in Christ. Would be to the praise. 00:17:52.390 --> 00:18:01.319 Of his. Why does God save men and women? For 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:06.420 their good, yes, absolutely. But preeminently 00:18:06.420 --> 00:18:10.500 and supremely, God saves sinners. He accomplishes 00:18:10.500 --> 00:18:17.339 redemption. Why? For his namesake. For his own 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:25.700 glory. Will he let his glory be diminished? Will 00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:29.960 he let his glory be taken away from? Will he 00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:34.119 let his namesake not be exalted in the failure 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:39.740 or the incompletion of salvation? No. He will 00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:44.000 give himself glory and he will save his people 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.420 to the uttermost because of the work of the Lord 00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:52.400 Jesus. Salvation is something that the devil 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:59.279 cannot Salvation is something that the devil 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:06.400 cannot stop. It is something that he cannot change. 00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:12.319 It is finished. It is a work of God that will 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:19.319 be fully and completely applied and brought to 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:22.740 full and final realization. And the devil cannot 00:19:22.740 --> 00:19:27.119 do anything about that. That's important. So 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:33.019 why do we need to put this helmet on? Why do 00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:39.519 we need to constantly be appropriating by faith 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:45.980 this great salvation that God has accomplished 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:51.559 on behalf of sinners for his name? Well, we see 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:55.740 because of the natural condition of our minds. 00:19:56.460 --> 00:20:01.619 In chapter 2 of Ephesians, again constraining 00:20:01.619 --> 00:20:04.779 ourselves to the book of Ephesians, there's other 00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:08.539 things we could say from the New Testament and 00:20:08.539 --> 00:20:11.819 the rest of the Bible, but we're really focusing 00:20:11.819 --> 00:20:17.619 on Ephesians. Listen to this in verses 1 -3. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:23.079 Of chapter 2. And you are dead in your trespasses 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:26.400 and sins. In which you formerly walked according 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.640 to the course of this world. According to the 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:32.180 prince of the power of the air. Of the spirit 00:20:32.180 --> 00:20:34.940 that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 00:20:36.660 --> 00:20:41.640 Among them. We too all formerly lived in the 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:45.619 lusts of our flesh. Indulging the desires of 00:20:45.619 --> 00:20:51.420 the flesh. and of the mind. And we're by nature 00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:57.480 children of wrath, even as the rest. What is 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:05.200 the natural condition of our minds? Well, by 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.220 nature, we are sinners. We are children of wrath. 00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:17.109 We are born with a sin nature. That sin nature 00:21:17.109 --> 00:21:23.609 influences and corrupts and mars and affects 00:21:23.609 --> 00:21:28.950 and influences every other aspect of our humanity. 00:21:29.230 --> 00:21:36.529 And that includes what? Our minds. Our minds 00:21:36.529 --> 00:21:45.900 are inclined by nature, by birth, to sin. We 00:21:45.900 --> 00:21:53.119 need to protect our minds as believers. The Christian 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:57.539 mind, or man's mind in general, we should say, 00:21:57.640 --> 00:22:08.160 is not neutral. It is bent a certain way. And 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:12.559 it is not towards that which is good and that 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:19.609 which is holy. Man in his natural condition is 00:22:19.609 --> 00:22:25.150 bent towards wickedness, towards immorality, 00:22:25.369 --> 00:22:30.029 towards transgression, towards rebellion, towards 00:22:30.029 --> 00:22:33.630 lawlessness, towards any kind or any number of 00:22:33.630 --> 00:22:38.690 things. And the mind is an essential part of 00:22:38.690 --> 00:22:44.930 that. We see this, I think, often in our culture, 00:22:44.970 --> 00:22:49.289 don't we? The mind, the thinking of a person, 00:22:49.450 --> 00:22:54.390 leads to all kinds of wickedness in their lives 00:22:54.390 --> 00:22:59.089 or in society or in culture. So because of the 00:22:59.089 --> 00:23:01.250 natural condition of our minds, they need to 00:23:01.250 --> 00:23:04.109 be protected. But also because of the ongoing 00:23:04.109 --> 00:23:08.349 danger of sin and threat to the mind. It's not 00:23:08.349 --> 00:23:10.829 just the original corruption that we possess, 00:23:10.930 --> 00:23:14.769 even as believers, but it's because of the ongoing 00:23:14.769 --> 00:23:17.900 danger and threat. That sin is to the mind. In 00:23:17.900 --> 00:23:22.920 chapter 4. Verse 17 and 18. We read this. So 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:25.940 this I say. And affirm together with the Lord. 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:28.880 That you walk no longer. Just as the Gentiles 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:33.960 also walk. And listen. In the futility of their 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:38.900 mind. Being darkened in their understanding. 00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:43.539 Excluded from the life of God. Because of the 00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:48.410 ignorance. that is in them because of the hardness 00:23:48.410 --> 00:23:58.650 of their hearts. Sin works through the mind. 00:24:01.910 --> 00:24:05.250 The mind, brothers and sisters, is a gateway 00:24:05.250 --> 00:24:10.769 for all kinds of immorality in our hearts, in 00:24:10.769 --> 00:24:16.930 our hands, and in our very lives. The mind needs 00:24:16.930 --> 00:24:25.930 protected. It's in the mind that we find distorted 00:24:25.930 --> 00:24:36.410 thinking that leads to unsound living. It's in 00:24:36.410 --> 00:24:40.730 the mind that we find perverted thoughts that 00:24:40.730 --> 00:24:46.059 lead to perverted actions. It's in the mind that 00:24:46.059 --> 00:24:49.519 we find twisted realities that lead to twisted 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:56.980 behavior. The mind is where deception takes root. 00:24:57.619 --> 00:25:02.720 The mind is where error is anchored first before 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.740 it goes anywhere else in our lives. The mind 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:12.500 needs protected because it is very, very vulnerable. 00:25:13.710 --> 00:25:20.809 Sin works through our minds. And we see this 00:25:20.809 --> 00:25:29.750 stark contrast with verse 24 of chapter 4 in 00:25:29.750 --> 00:25:33.269 Ephesians. He's talking about the futility and 00:25:33.269 --> 00:25:37.210 the ignorance and the darkening of their understanding, 00:25:37.529 --> 00:25:40.589 the Gentile's mind, the unregenerate, unconverted 00:25:40.589 --> 00:25:45.779 man, woman, or person. And that is starkly contrasted 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:51.880 with Ephesians 4 .23, which says this, And that 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:57.259 you, being renewed in the spirit of your mind, 00:25:57.460 --> 00:26:00.859 and put on the new self, which in the likeness 00:26:00.859 --> 00:26:03.539 of God has been created in righteousness and 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:09.640 holiness of the truth. Why does the Christian 00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:15.299 need to continually be renewing their mind through 00:26:15.299 --> 00:26:19.160 the Word of God, through truth, through the Scriptures, 00:26:19.380 --> 00:26:25.200 because our corruption remains and our minds 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:30.319 are still vulnerable to being affected. So we 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:34.119 need to be renewing our mind in the truth. We 00:26:34.119 --> 00:26:37.380 need, in a sense, to strengthen the regenerate 00:26:37.380 --> 00:26:41.119 part of us. by the Spirit of God as He works 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:45.359 through the means that God has appointed. We 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:48.619 need to be growing. We need to be increasing 00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:51.180 in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. 00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:55.079 We need to be renewing and being strengthened 00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:58.940 so that the corruption that is within us isn't 00:26:58.940 --> 00:27:05.240 growing and strengthening. Our minds are vulnerable. 00:27:07.150 --> 00:27:10.210 But we also see that the mind is the target of 00:27:10.210 --> 00:27:16.150 deception in the book of Ephesians. We read in 00:27:16.150 --> 00:27:23.789 chapter 4, verse 14, that Paul writes this. As 00:27:23.789 --> 00:27:29.569 a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed 00:27:29.569 --> 00:27:32.970 here and there by waves and carried about by 00:27:32.970 --> 00:27:36.559 every wind of doctrine. by the trickery or schemes 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.940 of men, by craftiness and deceitful scheming. 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:46.240 Now, we've pointed out before that that sounds 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:50.119 an awful lot like the craftiness and the scheming 00:27:50.119 --> 00:27:56.819 of the devil. And that's because it is. The devil 00:27:56.819 --> 00:28:02.740 works through false doctrine. And what's the 00:28:02.740 --> 00:28:07.569 result of... A person believing incorrectly about 00:28:07.569 --> 00:28:13.950 their salvation. What comes of a person who believes 00:28:13.950 --> 00:28:18.549 erroneous truth concerning the person of Jesus 00:28:18.549 --> 00:28:27.430 Christ? Instability in their life. Up and down. 00:28:27.609 --> 00:28:32.970 Like the waves. They're constantly rocking. There's 00:28:32.970 --> 00:28:38.160 no settling. In their heart or their life. It 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:45.079 creates confusion. And chaos in a person's life 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:48.720 to a degree. Because that is what demonic wisdom 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:52.339 is. It brings division and chaos and confusion 00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:55.420 and disagreement. And division according to the 00:28:55.420 --> 00:29:01.140 book of James. That's earthly wisdom. The devil 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:06.000 aims at the Christian's mind. Because he knows 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:11.740 that if he can get their minds, then he can slither 00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:17.460 his way into the rest of their lives. We have 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:23.619 to put on the helmet. Why? Because the mind is 00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:29.599 the target of spiritual warfare. Possibly even 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:38.190 the prime target of spiritual warfare. the gate, 00:29:38.309 --> 00:29:43.789 the door to the heart? Where is the gate and 00:29:43.789 --> 00:29:47.650 the door to the hands and the feet? Where is 00:29:47.650 --> 00:29:50.549 the gate and the door to the life of a person? 00:29:51.450 --> 00:29:55.230 The mind, brothers and sisters. The devil knows 00:29:55.230 --> 00:29:57.450 that if he can get to a person's mind, he can 00:29:57.450 --> 00:29:59.309 get to their heart. And if he can get to their 00:29:59.309 --> 00:30:01.369 heart, he can get to their hands. If he can get 00:30:01.369 --> 00:30:04.329 to their person, their life, he can get to their 00:30:04.329 --> 00:30:08.660 whole being. And influence them and direct them. 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:16.799 But where does it start? In the mind. What are 00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:25.099 his tactics? Deceit. Lies. Falsehood. Accusations. 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:30.339 Doubt. Perversion and twisting of the truth. 00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:36.740 Subtle inconsistencies with the truth. All kinds 00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:43.180 of things. In the first place he aims is the 00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:48.500 mind. Do you consider your mind to be important 00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:53.339 with regards to your Christianity? Do you think 00:30:53.339 --> 00:30:58.240 that it is important that you guard your mind? 00:30:59.480 --> 00:31:04.180 It is, brothers and sisters. It's vitally important. 00:31:04.829 --> 00:31:08.109 For your Christian life. For your living. For 00:31:08.109 --> 00:31:12.109 your comfort. For your assurance. For your usefulness. 00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:15.809 For your power in life. For your faithfulness. 00:31:15.890 --> 00:31:19.849 For you being a father. Or for you being a mother. 00:31:20.009 --> 00:31:22.609 Or a son or a daughter. For you being a church 00:31:22.609 --> 00:31:25.809 member. If you just let the devil have his way 00:31:25.809 --> 00:31:28.390 with your thinking. And you believe all kinds 00:31:28.390 --> 00:31:32.130 of things. All of those things are going to be 00:31:32.130 --> 00:31:40.019 jacked up. Our minds need to be protected. And 00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:44.960 how do we do that? By putting on the helmet of 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:49.420 salvation. Now how do we put it on? Let me give 00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:54.700 you a few simple ways. Preeminently, it is by 00:31:54.700 --> 00:32:01.359 knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly. Not 00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:06.309 being muddled. on what the gospel of your salvation 00:32:06.309 --> 00:32:12.670 is. Do you know the doctrine of justification? 00:32:16.190 --> 00:32:24.289 Do you know the doctrine of sin and man? Do you 00:32:24.289 --> 00:32:26.730 understand and know, are you growing in your 00:32:26.730 --> 00:32:29.569 understanding of your doctrine of Christ and 00:32:29.569 --> 00:32:33.809 who He is and what He has accomplished? Are you 00:32:33.809 --> 00:32:36.089 seeking to grow in your understanding of your 00:32:36.089 --> 00:32:41.609 doctrine of God? The work of redemption? The 00:32:41.609 --> 00:32:44.930 doctrine of the atonement? These are all vital 00:32:44.930 --> 00:32:47.890 and important doctrines. Do you know why? Because 00:32:47.890 --> 00:32:52.109 as you understand them, you are guarded and protected 00:32:52.109 --> 00:32:55.630 more and more from the arrows and darts of the 00:32:55.630 --> 00:33:00.740 devil. If you understand. that your justification 00:33:00.740 --> 00:33:03.980 is by faith alone, and that it is Christ's righteousness, 00:33:04.220 --> 00:33:08.619 then you will understand. I will never lose my 00:33:08.619 --> 00:33:11.599 good standing in the sight of God because it's 00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:15.640 based on what Christ has done. If you understand 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:19.759 that the Christian life is not about performance 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:24.839 or works or earning your salvation. Oh, brothers 00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:28.660 and sisters, the comfort. That you can enjoy 00:33:28.660 --> 00:33:36.579 in your life. But in particular. I think it's 00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:43.039 also. By using salvation. As a means of protection. 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:48.660 In times of need in the Christian life. A helmet. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:56.559 Is not meant. Simply to be pretty. A helmet. 00:33:57.319 --> 00:34:02.359 Is meant to be a defense. To be a protection. 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:11.039 To defend against something. So all of that salvation 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:16.019 that we spoke of earlier. The God centered salvation. 00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:20.800 The big God salvation that we spoke of. Brothers 00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:25.440 and sisters. You need to appropriate it to your 00:34:25.440 --> 00:34:30.179 heart. and your mind constantly as you face struggles 00:34:30.179 --> 00:34:35.000 and difficulties in life. When you are wrestling 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:40.059 with doubt, when you are wrestling with assurance 00:34:40.059 --> 00:34:43.579 in your life, when you are wrestling with what 00:34:43.579 --> 00:34:46.739 is true and what is not true, can you not say, 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:53.139 my salvation has come from God. He has accomplished 00:34:53.139 --> 00:34:56.559 it. I didn't do it. I didn't do anything. All 00:34:56.559 --> 00:35:00.900 I brought to the table was my sin. It's all of 00:35:00.900 --> 00:35:07.360 grace. No matter what, it is finished. Does that 00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:10.760 not encourage and strengthen the heart and grace? 00:35:12.019 --> 00:35:15.820 When you know that you are chosen before the 00:35:15.820 --> 00:35:18.300 foundation of the world to be holy and blameless 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:21.579 in Him, Does that not create humility in you 00:35:21.579 --> 00:35:24.039 because you know it wasn't based on your goodness? 00:35:25.320 --> 00:35:28.900 When you understand that you are a wretched sinner 00:35:28.900 --> 00:35:33.280 and that God chose you anyways based on His good 00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:38.719 purposes, does that not well up gratitude and 00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:43.559 worship and adoration in your heart? Use salvation 00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:47.780 by faith. And apply it to the maladies and heartaches 00:35:47.780 --> 00:35:51.639 and struggles of your life. To lift your heart 00:35:51.639 --> 00:35:58.480 up. To fight against temptation. When sin is 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:02.639 being dangled in front of you. Look to the blood 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:09.460 of Christ. Did not my Savior die for my sin? 00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:13.860 Did not the Son of God take on flesh and dwell 00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:17.070 among us? Did He not obey that I might live as 00:36:17.070 --> 00:36:20.050 a righteous and godly man to bring Him honor 00:36:20.050 --> 00:36:25.469 and glory? Not so that I could spat in His face 00:36:25.469 --> 00:36:30.329 and enjoy and revel in the sin which He died 00:36:30.329 --> 00:36:34.489 for. Does that not help in the face of temptation? 00:36:35.710 --> 00:36:39.139 Does the fact that God is not good that God is 00:36:39.139 --> 00:36:41.739 good, and He has demonstrated and proven His 00:36:41.739 --> 00:36:45.139 goodness in giving His Son, does that not encourage 00:36:45.139 --> 00:36:49.239 you in trial and suffering? When the devil wants 00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:51.699 you to be downcast and to think that God has 00:36:51.699 --> 00:36:53.900 cast you to the side and he doesn't care about 00:36:53.900 --> 00:36:59.860 you, Christ died for me. When your heart wants 00:36:59.860 --> 00:37:02.900 to condemn you time and time again because the 00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:05.739 devil is aiming his arrows at you, there is therefore 00:37:05.739 --> 00:37:09.059 now no condemnation for those who are in Christ 00:37:09.059 --> 00:37:14.340 Jesus. Brothers and sisters, put on the helmet. 00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:22.079 Put on salvation by faith in your life. Wake 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:27.119 up and put on salvation. Get your clothes on 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:30.599 and put on salvation. I will face the day. I'm 00:37:30.599 --> 00:37:33.639 putting on my salvation. Go to lunch. Put on 00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:36.199 salvation. When you face your husband or your 00:37:36.199 --> 00:37:39.639 wife or your children, put on salvation. When 00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:46.719 you go to bed at night, put on salvation. Recall 00:37:46.719 --> 00:37:51.219 the gospel and the many grand and glorious blessings 00:37:51.219 --> 00:37:57.670 that are yours in Christ. but also renew your 00:37:57.670 --> 00:38:03.730 mind to the word of God. All of this requires 00:38:03.730 --> 00:38:10.050 and necessitates that we get ourselves into the 00:38:10.050 --> 00:38:14.130 word. How do we grow in our understanding of 00:38:14.130 --> 00:38:18.230 the gospel? How do we grow in our understanding 00:38:18.230 --> 00:38:21.690 of the atonement and the work of Christ, the 00:38:21.690 --> 00:38:25.260 person of Christ? By going to the Word, brothers 00:38:25.260 --> 00:38:30.280 and sisters. By digging in to that gold mine. 00:38:31.079 --> 00:38:35.539 By mining its depths and getting out those nuggets 00:38:35.539 --> 00:38:39.280 that are so helpful for our souls that are worth 00:38:39.280 --> 00:38:46.019 more than anything else. Renew your mind. Pray 00:38:46.019 --> 00:38:49.119 in faith and ask the Spirit of God to help you 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:54.070 as you read the Word. And finally, put on the 00:38:54.070 --> 00:38:58.190 helmet of salvation by living out the gospel 00:38:58.190 --> 00:39:06.110 in your life. Test, try, and prove the truths 00:39:06.110 --> 00:39:15.130 of the gospel to be true by experience. Don't 00:39:15.130 --> 00:39:20.789 just read in the scriptures about these things. 00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:29.420 Live these realities. Live as Paul lived. Mortifying 00:39:29.420 --> 00:39:38.519 sin. Pursuing godliness. Honor God. Live unto 00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:43.940 His glory. Test, try, and prove the realities 00:39:43.940 --> 00:39:48.380 and truths of Scripture by experience in your 00:39:48.380 --> 00:39:52.869 life. There is a helmet that the Christian must 00:39:52.869 --> 00:39:57.989 put on. I hope and pray that every single believer 00:39:57.989 --> 00:40:02.250 will put on that helmet in times of distress. 00:40:03.710 --> 00:40:07.329 And understand also why you need to put that 00:40:07.329 --> 00:40:14.409 helmet on. Your mind is vulnerable. Every single 00:40:14.409 --> 00:40:17.869 believer in here needs to protect and guard their 00:40:17.869 --> 00:40:23.739 minds. But also, Remember how you put it on. 00:40:24.139 --> 00:40:28.880 By knowing the gospel clearly, using it for protection, 00:40:29.079 --> 00:40:33.360 renewing your mind, and living out those truths 00:40:33.360 --> 00:40:34.800 in your life.