Presentation 20

Studiesin

Ephesians

Chap 1-3Chap 4-6

See what you are in ChristBe what you are in Christ

DoctrineTruthApplication

The Structure of the Book

ChristianArmour

Chap 6.17-20

The Helmet of Salvation

“do not become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come”. 2 Thess.2.2.

If a Roman soldier’s head is injured, he is not of much use. Paul recognises the importanceof protecting the Christian’s mind. Satan tries toinvade the mind and infect either one’s sanity orone’s grasp of the truth of the gospel.

This is where the battle is fiercest because if wecan be shaken in our minds the enemy has not only confused us as to what is true and right, he has deprived our lives of any sense of direction.

Satan seeks to infiltrate our minds and to cause us to think from a standpoint of worldly unbelief rather than that of faith.

The Helmet of SalvationBecause the mind is the strategic target for many of the enemy’s attacks we read: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed”. 1 Pet. 1.13

“be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will”. Rom 12.2

The Helmet of Salvation

In a similar fashion Satan seeks to undermine our confidence in God by pointing to our sin and asking, “are you really sure God will forgive that…..?”

We have a ‘helmet of salvation’. Salvation involves, forgiveness, deliverance from bondage, and adoption into God's family. Satan attacks the mind with insidious lies in order to undermine our confidence in God. This is precisely what he did in the beginning when he tempted Eve. cf Gen 3 "Did God really say, 'You must not...You will not surely die…God knows when you eat… you will be like God.’”

The Helmet of SalvationThe mind of Job was assaulted and in the midst of his trial, his sanity was imperilled. He came to the point where he wished he had never been born. Job 10.18. Despite this assault, Job overcame by seeing beyond his experience to God. Cf.Job 19.25 and Job. 23.10

Satan seeks to manipulate our feelings. He bombards our minds with powerful accusations. But it is not how we feel but in what God says and does that we are to place our trust. And so John writes, "If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts.“ 1 Jn. 3.20.

The Helmet of SalvationThe helmet of salvation helps guard against spiritual depression. Some foolishly teach that Christians should never be depressed.

There are many types of depression: clinical depression or reactive depression - produced by bereavement or childbirth. But spiritual depression is different and its roots can be traced to the work of the enemy.

The Helmet of SalvationA helpful examples is found in 1 Sam 27.1... What had happened? Despite the fact that David had been delivered from King Saul, on numerous occasions he allowed his confidence in God to be undermined. He moved from a position of faith to unbelief. He had forgotten to put on his helmet of salvation and as a result he spiralled into a great depression.

The Helmet of SalvationIn John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim's Progress’ Christian is imprisoned in Doubting Castle. There, he falls into a tremendous depression. What was the explanation? He had taken off his helmet of salvation. In other words he stopped allowing the truths of God’s word to influence his thinking. He had moved from a position of faith to one of unbelief.

The Sword of the SpiritThe Roman sword Paul has in view is the "machaira" the short sword which although used for defence was principally for attack. The kind of attack envisaged is that of close personal encounter. When the barbarians failed in their fiery arrow attacks they were then pursued and engaged in close hand to hand combat.

The Sword of the SpiritThe Bible is the sword of the Spirit. First, because the Bible is the product of the Spirit’s inspiration. 2 Tim.3.16, 2 Pet.1.21. Some have tried to dismiss the inspiration of the Bible because they believe it to teach that God has used men as mere human typewriters. Nothing harms the advance of the gospel as much as a loss of confidence in the Bible as God's word. A mutilated Bible has been dubbed by one writer, "a broken sword." Consider God's own confidence in his word. cf. Jer 23.29

The Sword of the SpiritThis sword is used to resist Satan. In Jesus wilderness temptation he responded each time: "it is written." Matt 4:4,6,7 Jesus did not argue instead he used God's word to expose Satan’s deceitfulness and malignity. Similarly we are to counterattack with the word of God, and Satan is put to flight for ‘a little while’. Martin Luther wrote "a word will quickly slay him.” With good reason Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” Col.3.16.

The Sword of the SpiritWe use this sword in personal evangelism. The Holy Spirit applies the word to the human heart using it to cut through people’s defences and to prick their consciences.

Paul’s evangelism involved reasoning out of the scriptures. In our evangelism we need to remember that to awaken interest and to address concerns are not necessarily the same thing as awakening faith, only God's Word can do that.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb 4.12

The Sword of the SpiritNote the importance of using the Word in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. It is easy to accept a teacher’s help to write when we are young. She places her hand on ours and guides the pencil but we long for the day when we can write unassisted.

But if as Christians we withdraw our hands from that of theHoly Spirit we will be unfruitful inour use of Scripture. We cannotwield the sword effectivelywithout his help. To try to do sois to empty the gospel of its power. 1Cor 1:17

Because we depend upon the Holy Spirit to assist in our use of Scripture it is not surprising that Paul’s thought is now transferred to prayer. The prayer for the ministry for the word he preaches is important as are the prayers of the intercessors beside him.

Prayer and God’s power are invariably associated in scripture and this is illustrated so well in Ex 17.8.ffSee also Mark 9.29

Prayer

PrayerPrayer has been described as Paul’s unnamed weapon. Perhaps because we put on each piece of the spiritual armour by prayer. Paul has a number of things to say about prayer.

1.“Pray at all times!” Prayer is not just an emergency weapon, to be used as a last resort when everything else fails. We are to use it regularly in every situation.

William Carey a missionary to India was criticised in his youth because he spent so muchtime in prayer that he was neglecting his shoemaking business. He replied, "Prayer is my real business, repairing shoes is a side-line, it just helps to pay the expenses”.

2. “Pray in the Spirit” refers to prayer which is Spirit enabled. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of prayer. He creates the yearning to pray in the believer’s heart. He directs his mind as he prays. He even makes prayer effective when we are unsure of what to pray for. Cf. Rom 8.26

3. Pray with “All prayer and supplication”. Describes first, prayer in its many forms. Prayer can involve long periods of wrestling. Cf. Gen. 32 Jacob, Col 4.12. EpaphrasOn other occasions we have time only for telegraph requests. Clearly prayer also involves worship and thanksgiving. The word supplication encourages us to make specific requests

Prayer

3. “All prayer” can mean "all out prayer." A total commitment to prayer so that we make time for both personal and corporate prayer. It is not just the individual who is involved in spiritual warfare but the church! Prayer lay behind the success of the apostolic church [Acts 6.4].

4. “Pray with all perseverance”. One of the hardest things to do in prayer is to keep on praying and not be discouraged. When there is no immediate answer we keep on praying. Dan.10. When you see no evidence of God's blessing, keep on praying. 1 Kings 18.41ff. Good soldiers keep alert v18, they neither give up nor fall asleep.

Jesus referred to the need to keep awake,"watch and pray". Failure to obey led the apostles into disastrous disloyalty.

Prayer

Prayer5.“For all the saints” – that is God's new society. Paul does not mean a blanket prayer like, "Lord bless all Christians" nor does he expect us to sit down and pray for every Christian by name.

What does he mean by ‘all’ the saints? Don't discriminate, don't just pray for those Christians you are naturally drawn to and who are special friends. Our prayers should span the world and the needs of Christians around the world.

In prayer we need to break out of the circle of selfish preoccupation.

PrayerNext Paul asks to be prayed for. It would have been easy for his readers to think surely Paul does not need our prayer.

Paul says, “I do!”He wants them to pray that he might be an effective minister of the gospel. In the forefront of spiritual battle and conscious of his own weakness and limitations.

What in particular does Paul ask them to pray for? That he may be given “utterance and boldness”.

Prayer1. “Utterance” doesn't merely mean finding the right words. It involves communicating in the power of God's Spirit and it is prayer which brings that dimension into preaching. It is something hard to define. But the preacher knows when he is experiencing the Spirit's help and power and when he is doing no more than labouring away in his own strength. Paul is saying, “it is only as I have utterance, in my preaching that the kingdom of God is advanced”. The battle for men’s minds and hearts isn’t won in the pulpit but in the place of prayer.

Prayer2. “Boldness” involves holding nothing back nor diluting the message. An Edinburgh minister, Alexander Whyte, was criticised for preaching on sin. While walking in the country he says,“What seemed to be a divine voice spoke with all commanding power in my conscience and said, 'Go back, boldly finish the work that has been given you to do. Speak out, fear not. Make them at any cost see themselves in God's holy law as in a mirror. Do that for no one else will do it. No one will risk his life or reputation to do it ,you have not much left to risk’."He returned and preached with great boldness and experienced great blessing.