Hardheaded Believers Wearing the Helmet of Salvation

The Rules of the Mandalorian—To never remove your helmet, to never let it “be removed by others.”

Same for construction sites and the Battle Ground…

Why is the helmet so important? Why does the head need the protection of the Helmet of Salvation?

So many things happen in our heads:

24/7 the head deals with the natural day to day stuff of living: seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, speaking, breathing, laughing, crying.

· Our Intellect

· Our Creativity

· Our Perception

· Our Beliefs / Values

· Mindset

Our heads connect our inner selves to the outer world more intensely than any other part of us. Our faces our in our heads and our faces tell it all…

The devil wants to cut off your head.

All of the wounds that he inflicts are intended for one outcome—our beheading.

That’s why you need to protect your head.

That’s why you need to transform your mind

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

1 Thessalonians 5:8

(note the dual protection of the heart and the mind)

Elpida - The Greek word translated “hope” carries the meaning of assurance. ⁃ joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation

The helmet of Salvation is the assurance we are to have—the assurance of our salvation.

As a Believer, I Have a 3-Fold Assurance (Confidence)

1. I am Saved—Christ’s Work Accomplished on Calvary opened the door for me to become Justified by Faith… Salvation is our starting point in our relationship with God.

2. I am Being Saved—The Work of the Holy Spirit in a Believer’s Life—Sanctification (Enabling Sonship—John 1:12 “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, he gave the power to become the children of God). The Mind—Thinking / Strategizing against the enemy—Such a renewing of the mind is by the Holy Spirit.

3. I am Saved Eternally—The Culmination, Eternity with God. We look forward to the 2nd Coming of Christ in Glory.

Roman Helmets were Spectacular.

A Roman soldier wore a circle of feathers or horsehair of various colors on their helmet because it made him look twice his real height, and to gave him a fine appearance, such as will strike terror into the enemy.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

(Acts 4:13)

The disciples wore helmets

—not that of Materialism / Education / Industry / Religion / Philosophy

Their Helmets were adorned the distinctive circle of feathers—Their Confession of Salvation in Jesus.

AND

That Helmet of Salvation Enabled the Disciples to be Hardheaded

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:19-20

Hard-Headed Believers: Wearing the Helmet of Salvation What does it mean to be hard-headed? HH is bad when it entails being foolishly stubborn, rebellious, narcissistic having your way, or controlling others That’s a bad thing. But when you know what best for you; When you know what’s the Right thing to do—the greater good, the excellent and noble thing; When you know God’s will and the Truth of God’s Word; Being Hard-Headed is then a Good thing.

Hardheads:

1) Keep a Positive Mindset;

2) Think in Terms of Miracles;

3) Adopt a Victory & Abundance Mindset

In the OT there are some notable HardHeaded Believers:

· Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

· Daniel

· Nehemiah on the walls of Jerusalem, tuning out the hecklers.

· Peter and John arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council:

o Acts 4:13 Evidence uncommon “…boldness”

But Peter and John replied…

As for us, there’s no question

—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.”

(Message) Acts 4:19-20

Jesus was the Hardest Hardhead of all the Hardheads:

o Turned His face towards Jerusalem—The greatest defense is a non-retreating offense… The Certainty of Victory. Visualizing the Victory.

o In Gethsemane

o Standing before the High Priest and later Pilate.

o On the Cross

Are You a HardHead?

Joe Best Recounted the Story of The Unmoved Rock:

Once upon a time, there was a man who was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Saviour appeared. The Lord told the man He had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might.

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture placing thoughts into the man's mind such as: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough." And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?" To this the Lord responded compassionately, "My child, when long ago I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition, you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. I, my child, will now move the rock."

Source unknown

I am the man pushing against the rock…

My mind was being calloused; I was made to endure hardness as a good soldier.

I haven’t gotten what I wanted, but I’ve become Hard-Headed.

I don’t understand the stuff of life; I don’t have an answer to “Why?”

But I will remain Hard-Headed—“I will trust in the Lord… I’m gonna stay on the battlefield…until I die.”

IS THERE A ROCK IN YOUR LIFE…?

· Callous the Mind, be Resilient

· Endure Hardness like a Good Soldier

· Let Iron Sharpens Iron

· Be Steadfast, Immovable, always Abounding…

· Faint Not!

· Fear No Thing and No One

·Wear The Helmet of Salvation = Holdfast to The Assurance of Salvation—Knowing in whom we have believed and being persuaded…

· Have the Mind of Christ.

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, I still will follow; though none go with me, I still will follow; though none go with me, I still will follow; no turning back, .