Ephesians 6:17

-Have you known fearless people, they seem to have a boldness about them, they do not regard the dangers ahead.

There is a remarkable story of a British man who lived in the mid 400s. His boldness, confidence and faith were truly exhibited in his life. It is told that at the age of sixteen he was vacationing with his family and Irish pirates attacked, kidnapped Patrick along with several others and sold them into slavery. In his writings he recorded that he came to faith in Christ during this time of slavery. As a slave he was made a shepherd and here is what he wrote about that experience: But after l had come to Ireland, it was then that I was made to shepherd the flocks day after day, and, as l did so, I would pray all the time, right through the day. More and more the love of God and fear of Him grew strong within me, and as my faith grew, so the Spirit became more and more active … In snow, in frost, in rain, I would hardly notice any discomfort, and I was never slack but always full of energy. It is clear to me now, that this was due to … the Spirit within me.”

At the age of 22 he escaped and traveled nearly 200 miles to the coast, boarded a ship.

A long journey, in fact they were without food and had to land. The captain asked the young man to pray to his God for food. He wrote, “Turn trustingly to the Lord who is my God and put your faith in Him with all your heart, because nothing is impossible to Him. On this day, He will send us food sufficient for our journey, because for Him there is abundance everywhere.” According to his autobiography, when the men turned around, a herd of pigs was standing before them. They feasted for days and gave thanks to God.

He finally made it back to Britain, he began to study to become a bishop, and later answered the call to go and share the gospel with the druids in Ireland. He faced heavy persecution, but was known for boldness and resilience and is said that he passed away on March 17, 461. The man is known as St. Patrick.

-Patrick’s boldness is truly an inspiration to us, because we all do face doubts, at times we may feel defeated, perhaps he did through the many hardships,

I am of a firm belief that we all have our fears, doubts, and senses of defeat. That is one area in which Satan attacks.

-Barna Research stated their is an ever increase in anxiety and depression in our society

-2 in 5 young adults say that they are anxious about making decisions

-40% say that they are uncertain about the future, another 40% say they have a fear of failure

-in another study 54% of young adults say they are anxious or depressed

-we find throughout Scripture those who had doubts, depression, feelings of defeat

Job, David, Elijah, Psalmists - Psalm 42, Psalm 13 - how long O Lord will you keep your face from me forever?

-Paul had a thorn in his side

-We too battle depression, defeat, and doubt

-Now we must remember that we have victory in Christ, great passage in Romans 8 - that nothing separates us from the love of Christ, 1 Cor. 15 - o death where is your victory, where is your sting? the sting of death is sin, but thanks be toe God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

-in the meantime we are at war, we are in a battle, and we have to ask how are we doing in the midst of the war? Are we giving the devil an opportunity? Or are you putting on the armor of God daily and preparing yourself for the battle

So far: we have seen the need to be committed to truthfulness, pursue holiness with the breastplate, shoes of the gospel, shield of faith, and now we look at the helmet of salvation - and it is not entirely what you may be thinking

-You see a way in which Satan attacks is with this sense of defeat, depression, hostility in our lives, and we battle that while we live in this sinful world -

-Paul looking at the solider - helmet, they were made out of metal and leather, protect your head, protect your mind

-helmet of salvation - is not implying the idea of getting saved. How would we explain the shoes of the gospel of peace, or pursuing righteousness, or having a shield of faith, or of even being in the army if one is not saved - the armor is for those who are already in Christ, who are already saved - if you are not saved you are not in God’s army but Satans.

-it is also not the idea that one has lost their salvation and are always needing to be saved

John 6:37 ESV

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 10:28 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

-So what is meant by salvation?

-well we know that if we are in Christ then our sins have already been atoned for, we are born again, we are children of God, there is no losing of the salvation either Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

-we are currently saved, but there is also a future salvation, I like to think of it as our salvation will be complete, will be full - we call it glorification

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

-helmet of salvation is our future salvation, when our salvation is complete

1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV

8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

-What is the helmet of salvation?

Hope

-When we go back to the garden, how did Adam and Eve respond once they understood what they had done? They tried to cover themselves, they were fearful

-But when you are in Christ we do not have fear but we have hope, we have confidence, we have expectation

Galatians 5:5 ESV

5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

-Satan tries to lead us to doubt and a sense of defeat

-Helmet of Salvation is knowing what lies ahead and staying the course

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 ESV

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Victory

-In the garden there was a sense of defeat, they had sinned against God and been casted out

-In our sin there is defeat, but in Christ there is victory

-Satan will try to convince you that you are defeated

-but we have great truths that we are not defeated, even if we have messed up and sinned against God

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

-Christ atoned for our sins once and for all as is in Hebrews 9-10.

-Of course we have the great passage in 1 Cor. 15 - about victory over sin and death

Peace

-At the garden there definitely was not peace, Adam and Eve were distraught, they were in a panic, they were hiding from God - we notice that God was walking in the coolness of the day calling out to Adam and Eve, now that sounds peaceful - walking in the coolness of the day - but instead of peace there was hostility and separation because of sin

-The good news is that when we are in Christ we are reconciled to God, there is peace

Ephesians 2:11–12 ESV

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

-So what does it mean to put on the helmet of salvation? Is it just knowing that we have hope, victory, and peace?

-whether its the diagnosis, losing the job, little issues that just pile up - it can lead to discouragement, depression, and doubt

-we put on the helmet of salvation to protect us from doubt, depression, and defeat

-It means to stay the course because we know the outcome

2 Corinthians 4:8–11 ESV

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

-When Satan comes with discouragement, depression, defeat - we put on the helmet of salvation - knowing why we fight as we do because we have a future glory that is to be revealed

-we must keep our minds renewed by the Word of God

-we must take up our shield and keep growing in our faith

-We must fasten our belt of commitment

-we must have our breastplate of righteousness that leads to pursuing righteousness

-we do all these things because we know the glory to come, we know in whom we have believed and know that He is able to keep what he has entrusted to us