This Sermon was preached at Croft on 20th August 2023.
Main Text:
“Put on salvation as your helmet.” (Eph 6:17)
Bible Verses and Notes Follow:
Gospel Proclamation is a battle for the mind!
The natural state of mind of the unregenerate person is under the devil’s influence. The goal of Gospel preaching is about God by His Holy Spirit illuminating/enlightening the mind, taking every thought captive, and restoring it for the purpose for which it exists, to love and glorify the Lord.
Verses that deal with the mind before conversion
“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Rom 8:7 c.f. Col 1:21)
“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.” (Eph 4:17)
Verses that highlight the transformation to the mind produced by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Heb 8:10 c.f Jer 31:31-34)
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor 2:16)
Verses that highlight the renewal of the mind is an ongoing process in the believer’s life.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2)
“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.”
What does Salvation mean in the context of the whole armour of Ephesians 6?
Some believe the term refers to all present blessings and enjoyment of our salvation in the present time, e.g. full forgiveness of sin (past, present, and future), justification by faith, adoption into the family of God etc. Others believe it refers to the fullness of redemption that awaits every believer in eternity with Christ. In 1 Thess 5:8-10, Paul uses similar imagery to speak of the future glory that awaits all who trust in Christ.
“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. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with him.” (1 Thess 5:8-10).”
What does your Pastor think? I’m convinced that both present and future realities of salvation are glorious truths that protect and encourage the believer’s mind. John Stott quotes Charles Hodge, who sums up the implication of Salvation in Eph 6:17 as follows:
‘that which adorns and protects the Christian, which enables him to hold up his head with confidence and joy, is the fact that he is saved and, we might add, that he knows his salvation will be perfected in the end.” (Charles Hodge)
A note for the non-Christian
There are many people in churches like Croft to whom the glorious truth of salvation doesn’t apply because they have never trusted in Christ in the first place. This helmet, salvation itself, and the hope of glory is
“placed on [the believer’s head] by the nail-pierced hands of Christ at our conversion.” (R. Kent. Hugehes).
The protection, hope and, yes, the joy and confidence the helmet gives is ours only when and as soon as we trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Truths to use to guard our minds and give us joy and confidence in the Spiritual Battle.
When the Devil seeks to expose remaining sin and cause us to lack assurance
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6)
“Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Heb 10:28)
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8,9)
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far, does he remove our transgressions from us.
When we suffer as Christians for Christ:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:2)”
“In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 1:6,7)
When we feel like giving up (Read Romans 8)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)
“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa 40:29)
We must be on our guard for False/twisted doctrine
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
Brothers and sisters, put on the Helmet of Salvation!