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Today we are going to finish the mini-series “Living as a Christian Behind Enemy Lines.”
As Christians, we are children of God.
We belong to the Kingdom of God.
Our citizenship is in heaven.
But, we are called to live and make a difference in a fallen world.
Although God is completely sovereign, God has allowed for a time for this world still to be highly influenced by the devil.
Someone might ask, “Why doesn’t God just move us to heaven immediately after salvation?”
If he did, who would be here to share the gospel?
Who would point people to Jesus ?
Who would make disciples of Christ in this fallen world?
So he leaven us here.
But it would be foolish to ignore the fact that we live and work in enemy territory.
For that reason, this life is going to be spent at war with the enemy.
Attacks are going to come constantly.
Because God has called us not simply to be worshippers, but also warriors.
He has given us the weapons we need for the spiritual battle.
He teaches us about them using the metaphor of the armor worn by a Roman soldier-the belt, breastplate, shield, and so on.
But for us the greatest armor we have is Christ.
Therefore the attributes that we battle the devil with must be the attributes of Christ that we are given at salvation.
So in order to prepare for battle and stand our ground.
We have already looks like to fight with 4 of these attributes of Christ that we employ against the enemy: 1)truth, 2)righteousness, 3)readiness, 4)faith.
Today we are going to look at the final two attributes: 5) salvation, and 6) the word of God.
5) Salvation (v.17)
It’s interesting here that he is talking to believers, not lost people.
He’s not telling lost people to be saved.
He’s telling saved people to “take up salvation.”
By definition, salvation is something that believers already have.
Why would he tell us to take up something that we already have?
To understand what Paul is saying, we have to look first where the metaphor originated.
The first time we see the helmet of salvation in Scripture, guess who is wearing it?
God.
Obviously, God doesn’t need salvation.
Here Yahweh is wearing it, not as someone who needs salvation, but the one who gives salvation.
In Isaiah 59, the Yahweh is wearing the helmet of salvation because he is the one saving his people and judging their enemies.
In Ephesians 6, Paul says that God gives his helmet of salvation to believers for their protection.
That is the way salvation is displayed through this entire book.
Just like in Isaiah, God is seen as the victorious warrior who has already accomplished salvation for believers.
God made us alive together with Christ.
God made us alive together with Christ, by grace.
God raised us up and seated us with him already with him in the heavenly places.
God has already earned for us forgiveness of sin, released us from the bondage of sin, saved us from the wrath due us because of our sin, given us eternal life that Christ himself earned.
These are already true for believers because God, the warrior achieving our salvation has accomplished for us.
What does it mean for believers who have the helmet of salvation earned and given to them by God to take it up?
There’s one more verse that is particularly helpful.
That’s 1 Thess.
5:8.
Here the helmet is “the hope of salvation.”
(v.8)
We see that hope also mentioned in Eph.
1:18.
To put on the helmet of salvation means we experience the reality of the guaranteed salvation that our victorious God has won us in Christ.
And, we stand against the worse attacks that the enemy can bring us, (no matter what that might be) with the rock solid hope that everything that God has said that he has accomplished for us is true.
*I read a stat this week that said from 2006-2016 over 900,000 Christians have died for their faith.
Where does the resolve come from that you would willingly give your life for Christ?
It comes from facing death with the guaranteed hope that death has already been defeated.
If that is so, then then only thing that can exist on the other side of this life is eternal life.
Let me give you an example, when the devil tries to make you doubt your salvation.
He wants you to respond in one of two ways, both rooted in the same error.
He wants you to appeal to your works to affirm your salvation.
1) You may feel guilty and scared because you don’t think you measure up to what God expects.
(If you are struggling with that, I preached a whole message on that the other day entitled: Comfort for Believer Worried over their souls).
And you’ll just try to work harder.
2) You will look to your accomplishments and say, “I go to church every Sunday.
I tithe.
I stopped cussing so much.
I haven’t gotten as angry as I used to get.” “Be gone Satan, I’m doing pretty good.”
He will leave because he has you right wear he wants you, trusting in your own righteousness.
Putting on the helmet of salvation means that know matter what you face in life, you can rest your head in Christ knowing that you are right with God.
In the end, that will be the only thing that really matters.
6) The Word of God (v.17)
The Word of God here is described as the “sword of the Spirit.”
(v.17)
Not only are we to defend ourselves with spiritual armor.
But, we are also to take the offense.
It has been often noted that the Word of God is the only offensive weapon mentioned here.
Hebrews 4:12 mentions the word of God as sharper than a two edged sword.
The word of God is a powerful weapon because it is sharp.
It is dangerous to the enemy and effective for the Christian.
So we have to ask the question, “What gives the word of God its edge?” Paul tells us in v.17, the word of God is the “sword of the Spirit.”
The Spirit of God gives the word of God it’s power.
The reason the Word of God is powerful is because God is powerful.
Obviously, any warrior wants to fight with the most powerful weapon he can.
What is the most power person in existence?
God is.
What Paul is saying when he calls the word of God the sword of the Spirit is that Word of God gives us direct access to the power of God.
We’ve talked about how to employ the other weapons: truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, and salvation.
How do we have access to any of that power?
Through what the word of God tells us about those weapons.
Wear does faith come from?
How do we grow up in Christ and become trained in righteousness?
How do we face temptation when the devil throws it in our face and live in obedience?
I can’t tell you how many people over the years that wanted to have a discussion with the me over who God is, but didn’t want to use the Scripture to do it.
It has happened in every single church that I’ve ever pastored, including Mount Gilead.
*10 years ago when I came as pastor, we had a bit of a hiccup.
A lot of that problem had to do with failures on my part.
However, there were issues on both sides.
The leaders of the group that had problems with me.
And, I could bring a people for support.
They would have one person ask me questions.
I would answer.
No one else would talk.
They made one request: that I not bring my Bible because they wanted to hear from my heart.
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