well turn back then please to
Ephesians chapter 6 to a series on the whole armor of God which
is going on much longer than I ever originally intended and
we come today to verse 17 or at least just the first part
of it and take the helmet of salvation that's our subject
this morning the helmet of salvation Now believers in the Lord Jesus
Christ, true believers, because there are lots who say they are
believers but are not, really, not against what this book says,
not against what the Holy Spirit reveals, true believers in Christ
are sinners saved by grace through faith. That's it. Sinners. No
better than that. Sinners. What is that? Absolutely
hopeless sinners, no hope in themselves. But they believe
Christ by the revelation by the gift of faith that God gives,
they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't just believe
that there was somebody who was called Jesus Christ, they don't
just believe, they believe in Him, they trust in Him. And through
trusting in Him, they know God, they know something of God, they
know something of the power of God. and the sovereignty of God
and the holy trinity of his persons and they know that he is the
one who has created and upholds all things they know that everything
that turns in its purpose in the days in which we live is
because he upholds all things by the word of the power of the
Lord Jesus Christ they know that this God is holy and although
they know that they're the children of God who are accepted by him
and accepted in the beloved who have the Lord Jesus Christ as
their brother and their friend who doesn't call them servants
anymore but calls them his friends yet we tremble in the presence
of God because God is holy and we still know this that but for
Christ it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God. We know that our God is holy. We know that the
cherubim, these creatures who have never sinned, in Isaiah's
vision, they fly around the throne of God and they cry, holy, holy,
holy is the Lord. The whole earth is full of His
glory. Holy, God is holy. And we know that as sinners we're
accountable to Him. And we know that there is a judgment
to come. But we rejoice in this, that
in His word He has revealed that he is a God of sovereign grace,
that he is a God of election, that he is a God who, out of
all mankind who would ever exist, he has chosen a people. which
is a multitude which no man can number as innumerable as the
sand on the seashore is innumerable so is this multitude innumerable
to us we cannot count them only he knows every single one of
them only he knows every single living stone and its place in
the temple of the living God only he knows that but he has
a people who in grace and love whom he loved for no other reason
than that he's a God of grace that in the covenant in the covenant
of grace, the covenant between the persons of the Godhead, the
surety, the second person, the Lord Jesus Christ, covenanted
to stand in their place as their substitute, to redeem, to buy
back, to pay the sin debt, to pay, it's a commercial transaction. that's what it is, a commercial,
a strict commercial transaction he came to pay the debt of his
people for his name shall be called Jesus for he shall save
his people from their sins and if you're a believer in Christ
you don't just know things academically but you know propitiation. Oh,
you say, I can't define that. I don't care if you can't define
the word. You know what it means in your heart. You know that
on the grounds of the blood of Christ and the righteousness
and holiness of Christ imputed to you, the anger of God is turned
away from you. you know that it's appeased you
know that there's a mercy seat you know that blood has been
shed on the mercy seat and you know that you're accepted with
God and so if you're truly a believer if you really are a believer
this is what marks you out not the things that you do though
you don't do things that are inconsistent blatantly in a settled
state with the gospel of grace But this you do, you worship
God in the Spirit. The true circumcision, worship
God in the Spirit. They rejoice in Christ Jesus. Oh, how we praise God for the
Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not just talking in one of
these kind of glib charismatic phrases, but we rejoice in Christ
Jesus. Oh, bless God for the Lord Jesus
Christ. And we have no confidence, as
Peter said in his prayer, no confidence in the flesh. Not
one bit. There's not one bit of sanctification
that I'm going to do that's going to add one thing to God's opinion
of me in glory. He's not going to give me any
reward on the grounds of the things that I do or have done
or ever will do. Because in me, that is in my
flesh, dwells no good thing. And all my righteousnesses are
as filthy rags in his sight. I'm not going to sew patches
of filthy rags onto the glorious, seamless robe of the righteousness
of Christ that he imputes to his people. These are believers,
this is what they believe, and they desire, you and I if we're
believers, we desire to live in conformance to that belief
and trust in Christ. As John Woolberton once said
in replying to somebody who accused him of antinomianism, he said,
I wouldn't commit a solitary sin if I could help it, but in
my flesh not only do I commit sins but I am sin. We constantly fail rather by
nature it's not just that every day we fail it's that we're never
anything other than failures in our flesh and Satan comes
and attacks this is what this is about this second half of
Ephesians is about the lifestyle that is consistent with the gospel
of grace but Satan comes and says you're not like it you're
not like it you're not good enough look at this look at this chink
in your armor and he tries to sow He fires fire-tipped arrows
to set a fire of doubt and unbelief going in your heart. But we're
encouraged, be strong. What, in yourself? No, not at
all. Be strong in the Lord and the
power of His might. At verse 10 of chapter 6, be
strong in the Lord. Be strong in the fact that He's
promised to keep you unconditionally. I know there are lots of places
in the Old Testament where it appears as if God's promise to
keep is conditional. If you do this then I will do
that. That's under the covenant of works. That's the law works
covenant between God and the state of Israel that was given
through Moses at Sinai. And its purpose was to show that
by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight
but in the covenant of grace. He's loved His people with an
everlasting love, unconditionally. In the covenant of grace, He's
promised to keep His people and nobody, not a solitary spirit,
can pluck His people from His Father's hand. His Father is
greater than all. And His victory at the cross
is done. It's accomplished. It's finished. There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, no accusation
that can stick in the law court of God's justice. and so be strong
in the Lord and take the armor and I'll just quickly remind
you the belt of gospel truth don't mix threads of error with
it oh how we need to be careful this is why the scriptures are
constantly warning us beware of this, beware of that this
is why there's so much in the epistles to beware of error and
how strongly Paul pronounces against it you know those who
came with a gospel of adding works to the finished work of
Christ and he said this oh they're a little bit weak in the mind,
just be gracious, no he said this He said, if anyone comes
to you and preaches any other gospel than that which I've preached,
let him be accursed. Oh, what unchristian language.
Oh, what a terrible thing to say. And he says, did you not
hear me right the first time? I'll tell you again. If anybody
comes and preaches any other gospel than that which I've preached,
let him be accursed. Because this gospel is absolutely,
it's the power of God unto salvation. There's no other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved. We mustn't walk out
on it. We mustn't mix it with error.
No, the truth of the gospel is the belt unmixed with error.
And the breastplate, you're not righteous enough. Ah, but he
is. So wear that breastplate of the righteousness of Christ
and you're righteous enough. How could you be any more righteous
than what you are in him? If he has imputed to you the
perfect righteousness which God has pronounced audibly in the
hearing of men and women, this is my beloved son in whom I am
well pleased. If he's imputed that righteousness
to you. How can any attack from Satan
get through that armor? It's an impenetrable shield,
it's an impenetrable barrier, and it's the righteousness of
Christ. And footwear, put on that footwear, the preparation
of the gospel of peace. Walk in this life, that's what
you do with your shoes on, you walk, walk in this life, in the
conscious knowledge of peace with God through Christ's atonement. That's the preparation of the
gospel of peace. You're walking in the conscious knowledge that
you, by nature, an alien and an enemy of God, a child of wrath
by nature, yet now you have peace with God through the atonement
of Christ. And you witness it as you walk
through this life. And you preach it And you witness
it individually and preachers should preach it and nothing
else from the pulpit. I determine not to know anything
else among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That should
be the message of a preacher. Not a message of moral lessons,
but Christ and Him crucified. And as a church we should seek
in fellowship together to make it known and to give it a platform
to be known in this world so that God the Spirit will do His
work of calling out people under the sound of that gospel. And
then a shield. Above all, we saw this last week,
verse 16, above all the shield of faith, that Holy Spirit gift,
that faculty of spiritual sight, that shield of faith with which
you'll quench. You know, it's this night vision
this military night vision spiritual military night vision is what
the Holy Spirit gives others can't see it's just darkness
to them but he gives you this gift of faith and it's like you've
got the night vision glasses on and you can see you can see
the truth of the scripture of God the shield of faith oh that
will protect you shields up as I said last week shields up Because
the arrows will come, but faith is the thing that will quench
the fiery darts of the wicked. Satan's accusations will all
be rendered ineffective. And so now verse 17, the first
part of it, and take the helmet of salvation. Now we come to
the last piece of defensive armor, the helmet of salvation. What's
left is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and
praying always with much prayer and supplication. We'll cover
those in the next two weeks, God willing. But today, the helmet
of salvation. A helmet, you know, these all
have physical similes, they're all pictures of things which
are really military armour, military protection. A helmet, head protection. Why do you need to protect your
head? Because it's the seat of your
thoughts. It's where your brain is. You need to protect your
brain. And why? Because the brain is where motivation
comes from. The thoughts that motivate you
to do things are in your brain. The place where you meditate
on the truths of God is in your brain, in your mind. You meditate. It's the seat of motivation.
It's the realm of meditation. The head. Protected. Put some
head protection on. You see, it's extremely vulnerable
to fatal damage. In accidents, you talk to anybody,
medical staff that work in any accident and emergency and they'll
tell you the really serious cases, what's the thing above all? Head
injury. Head injury. I had a very good friend and
colleague many years ago who was such a fit, healthy man,
I mean this is 20 years ago now, and he had a young family and
one Saturday his wife and daughters went into town to do some shopping
and he thought he would just clean his conservatory roof.
which was all covered in green and sliminess and he got a ladder
and got up on there and he slipped and he fell and he hit his head
on a kerbstone on his patio and they came home two or three hours
later and there he was dead. So quick you see, head injury,
head injury, so prone to damage, so prone to fatal damage. And
you know in sports you've got to wear the right helmet, don't
go riding on a horse without the right helmet for the situation.
Motorcycling, it's against the law to dare in this country to
get on a motorbike unless you've got a helmet on, because head
protection, you must protect your head. In the infantry, you
know, you see them in Afghanistan doing their patrols. They've
got a helmet on. They must have a helmet on. Oh, at the very
least, you must have a helmet on. Construction workers, it
doesn't matter who you are, politician, director of the company, whatever. If you visit the site, you put
one of those white plastic helmets on to protect your head because
things can get dropped. You must protect your head. You
must wear a suitable helmet. Well, what is a suitable helmet
to protect our spiritual heads from Satan's attacks? What is
it? The scripture tells us here,
the helmet of salvation. the knowledge of it, that's the
protection for your head, the knowledge of salvation, the certainty
of salvation, the assurance of salvation, the comfort of salvation,
this is the helmet of salvation to protect your spiritual head,
the seat of your thoughts and meditation, the helmet of salvation,
the knowledge of it, the certainty of it, the assurance of it, the
comfort of it. And what is salvation? Salvation
is about being saved. Saved from what? Saved from the
certainty of damnation. Of the judgment of God against
you for your sin. It's salvation from the certainty
of damnation. Salvation to eternal life. Like Job in deepest despair asked
that question, how can a man be just with God? How can a man
be saved, in other words? Because if a man isn't just with
God, a man is going to be damned, condemned by God. How can a man
be just with God? And yet he came to know this,
he knew this, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that the
worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh, a new body, shall
I see God in eternity, having escaped from the flames of judgment,
from the flood of judgment, saved. He knew salvation. He came to
know salvation, the helmet of salvation. Salvation from certain
ruin. And how do we know it? How do
we have the confidence to know it? Certainly, we know it because
we have the first fruits, we have the guarantee. Christ is
risen from the dead. Acts chapter 17 31 Paul says
to the Athenians preaching there to the Athenian philosophers
he says he's appointed a day God has appointed a day in the
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he has ordained whereof now how do I know that's going
to happen whereof he has given assurance unto all men in that
he hath raised him from the dead the empty tomb of Christ is the
greatest, as somebody said, the greatest apologetic for Christianity. I'm not too keen on apologetics,
on trying to explain and reason with natural man about the reasonableness
of the gospel because I don't believe the natural man has the
ability to see those arguments. I believe in declaring what God
has said, that God has chosen a people for salvation. and that
if you're burdened and weighed down with a knowledge of your
sin and the holiness of God he says come to me and I will give
you rest that's what I believe we have to declare and we leave
it to the Holy Spirit not to reason with natural man how reasonable
that is but to give faith night vision that he might see the
truth of it and believe it and come into the goodness of that
eternal life But nevertheless the fact that Christ is risen
from the dead is the clearest, clearest explanation as to why
this gospel is true. there were no remains it could
never ever be proved he's risen from the dead he's given assurance
to all men in that he raised him from the dead and you know
what Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15 that if there is no resurrection
as some were saying he says if there is no resurrection if our
belief in Christ is only for this life we are of all men most
miserable what's the point? eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow
you die and that's the end of it. Oh no, but Christ is risen
from the dead. There is resurrection. There
is eternal life. Christ is risen from the dead,
he goes on to say immediately. Salvation is certain. Christ is the first fruits. You
know, your fruit tree starts to produce fruit and the first
fruits is an indication that all is well and that there's
fruits to come. I guess some of us are looking
at the moment at our tomatoes looking for those little yellow
flowers to turn into little pea-shaped tomatoes which will then swell
you see the first fruits you're looking to see evidence that
there is going to be a harvest of fruits in time to come and
Christ is the first fruits of his people who will be raised
from the dead the rest of the harvest will follow he is raised
from the dead salvation is certain So let's look a bit more, and
quite briefly, at salvation in the Scriptures. Salvation, the
helmet of salvation. When you use that word salvation,
I guess if you were to do word association in this country,
and you were to ask anybody you know like you say uh... you mentioned
the word apple and they'll say pear or something like that or
you know the word association and if you say to the average
person in the street salvation i would imagine the next word
that they'll say is army the salvation army you know most
people know about the salvation army don't they salvation army
they have no idea as to what salvation means the idea of salvation is not
something we come across in our cultural thinking at all in terms
of spirituality. We certainly come across it in
terms of physical danger. I've got a little application
on my iPhone which is a torch and it has a button on it which
is SOS. so that if I'm stuck up a mountain
on a dark night on my own I can press this one little button
shining it down at the town and it will flash out in morse code
S.O.S. for me S.O.S. Save Our Souls
is what that means the concept is salvation the concept is this
save us or we will certainly perish if if you hear, you know,
that dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dot on International
Morse Code, somebody is in distress somewhere. Save our souls, save
us, or we will certainly perish in the sea, or on the mountain,
or wherever we are. And without salvation, all will
surely perish in the judgment of God. That's what this book
says. We saw it in Isaiah 42, a glorious salvation, but the
last few verses were a warning that without that salvation,
surely you will perish. You will surely perish in the
judgment of God, but praise God. This, now I said, we're just
going to look at some scriptures and I think that's the best way
to bring this home, to think about it. Psalm 68 verse 20,
he that is our God is the God of salvation. and unto God the
Lord belong the issues from death. Isn't that worth listening to
him? Unto God the Lord belong the
issues from death. He that is our God is the God
of salvation. Do you know anything? Do all
the people in this world who claim to know something about
God, do they know anything about salvation? Because he that is
our God, the God of his people, is the God of salvation. The
Scriptures are absolutely full of salvation. In my online Bible
on the computer I just put in the word salvation and it came
back with so many references. I don't know, no doubt somebody's
taken the trouble to count them but just innumerable as far as
I'm concerned. The Bible is full of the word
salvation. And why is it full of that word?
Because the Bible is about salvation. And the Bible is about the gospel
of salvation. And the gospel of salvation is
the gospel of Christ. As Jesus said in John 5 39, you
search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal
life. You think you have salvation. These are they which speak of
me. They proclaim the gospel. These
words of God, they speak of Christ, which is the gospel. And the
gospel, what is it? It's the good news. It's the
power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. salvation
this is what it's about from Noah's Ark and even earlier than
that in the Garden of Eden when the promise was given and when
the animals were slain and Adam and Eve were clothed pictured
there but from Noah's Ark which is such a vivid picture of salvation
boy would there ever have been an SOS call that day When the
fountains of the great deep were broken up. When God looked down
and saw the wickedness of man and promised judgment and the
day came when that judgment fell. And only Noah and seven people
with him, eight in all, plus the animals, to preserve life
in which was breath, were taken into the ark. And the ark was
such a picture of Christ. an ark, a safe haven, a refuge
from the storm of judgment. The storm of the judgment of
God came in the form of a flood and the ark preserved those alive
that God had shut in to the ark. From there, right the way through
to the end of Revelation, it's all about saving sinful man from
the consequences of their rebellion against God. That's what it's
all about. And it's definite. It's not about
opportunities and possibilities and if only they will. It's not
about all the world would be saved if only they would believe
the gospel. No, it's about Christ coming
and saving his people from their sins. right the way through.
He definitely saved some. We've seen it again and again
in Isaiah. It talks about God saving his
people. He definitely saved some, and
that some is a multitude which no man can number. What is the
purpose of Scripture? Let me give you some Scriptures.
2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15. the purpose of scripture
you probably know these texts so just make notes if you want
to make notes and look them up later but the purpose of scripture
is this they're able to make you wise unto salvation wise
unto salvation salvation is of God alone. Salvation is not a
cooperative effort, salvation is of God alone because in Exodus
chapter 14 and verse 3 when they were fleeing out of Egypt and
out of the bondage of Egypt and out of the slavery and the clutches
of Pharaoh and his army and they were terrified that the army
was going to overtake them and bring them back into bondage
and Moses said to them Do what? Stand still. That's it. Stand
still and see. And what will you see? The salvation
of the Lord. Just stand still. He's done it.
He has done it. God has done it all. There's
nothing for you to add to it. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
12. I know we covered this some weeks ago, maybe even months
ago now, but we'll just turn back there. It's a very short
chapter, only six verses. Let's just read this chapter
of Isaiah. In that day thou shalt say, O
Lord, I will praise thee. Though thou wast angry with me,
thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God
is my salvation. He's the God of salvation. I
will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah, the saving
God, is my strength and my song. He also, God, is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw
water out of the wells of salvation. You know how thirst quenching
water is? There's nothing quite like it
if you're really thirsty. how much you just want a glass
of water to quench that thirst. Well, here's wells of salvation
for a thirsty soul. The wells of salvation of God
are the wells which speak of the goodness of God and the mercy
and the saving grace of God. Wells of salvation. In that day
shall ye say, praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his
doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things. This is
known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant
of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of
thee. God is my salvation. Out of the wells of salvation
will ye draw joy. you'll draw water with joy out
of the wells of salvation. It's this helmet of salvation,
this head protection, this thought protection of the knowledge and
the certainty of salvation. It's praise for salvation, praise
for the person that's truly been saved in the most perilous situation. If you see an interview with
somebody that was clutched from danger in the Japanese earthquake
and tsunami, you know that their thankfulness to the person that
saved them is just overwhelming. They know what it was to be on
the brink of death, to be swept away, to be carried away, but
to be saved. in that moment to be saved. Praise
for salvation. This is what preachers are to
publish in Isaiah 52 verse 7. How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of them that bring good tidings of the gospel. That
publish, it says, salvation. They publish salvation. In Isaiah
59 verses 16 and 17 we have the words there that are in our text
here where it talks about God sending forth our Lord Jesus
Christ the Redeemer with the helmet of salvation with the
protection of salvation because that's what he was going with
in Isaiah chapter 61 and verse 10 we're told that his people
are clothed with the garments of salvation the garments of
salvation not just the helmet but the garments of salvation
you see all truth all truth leads to salvation the truth of scripture
it all leads one place to salvation which is in the Lord Jesus Christ
the object of it is the God who is the God of our salvation for
he that is our God is the God of salvation. It leads to Him.
And all error, however subtle those rotten threads of error
are in that belt of truth, they all lead to damnation. Not just
a missing ever so slightly, not just a good try will let you
in anyway, missing completely. All error leads to damnation.
There's no half measures. Look at 1 Peter, where we read
earlier on in the service. 1 Peter 1. And verse 9. 1 Peter 1 and verse 9. He's talking about being in trials
in verse 8, whom having not seen Christ, you haven't seen him
physically but you love him, in whom though now you see him
not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory receiving the end of your faith even the salvation
of your souls even the salvation, that's the end, that's the objective
when Satan attacks with doubt and fears wear this helmet that
Christ has saved you he's saved you it is accomplished as he
said to the thief on the cross today you shall be with me in
paradise you know that you pass from this life loved ones that
we know have been in Christ pass from this life those words apply
to them this day you shall be with me in paradise, saved for
salvation is indeed of the Lord as Jonah said Jonah said that,
that's what he came to know in the belly of the whale salvation
is of the Lord he knew that and as we read in Habakkuk chapter
3 and verse 13 what did God do? He went forth for the salvation
of his people he went forth to save his people from their sins
by Christ he dealt a fatal blow it says there to Satan's head
Just as Abraham, when he heard of the capture of Lot from Sodom
in the wars in Genesis 14 and verse 14, it says, when Abraham
heard that his brother had been captured, he went forth to rescue
him. And so did Christ. When he heard
that his brother, his brethren, had been captured, had been ensnared
by Satan, he went forth to save them and so it is in Luke chapter
1 verse 77 John the Baptist would give knowledge this was the prophecy
about the baby John the Baptist he will give knowledge of salvation
to his people by the remission of their sins and when Christ
was born and the parents of Jesus took him to the temple and Simon
the old man who'd been waiting held him in his arms he said
now I can go for mine eyes have seen thy salvation In that baby
he saw the salvation of God. You know there's only one name,
Acts chapter 4 and verse 12. Salvation is only in Christ.
There's no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must
be saved. Is your trust in him alone? Is
that where it is? Or do you trust yourself? or
your family or your traditions or other religions because Hebrews
says this, Hebrews 2 verse 3, how shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation? And why is it so great? Because
it's so certain. It doesn't depend on your will
but on God's will expressed in the covenant of grace. I will
save a people and He has saved a people and He will bring everyone
to glory. It's a covenant which leads to
what Paul calls a divine appointment in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5
if you just turn there with me now. 1 Thessalonians chapter
5 and verse 8. But let us who are of the day,
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an
helmet, there it is again, the hope of salvation. For God hath
not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ God has appointed his people to obtain salvation
by the Lord Jesus Christ and turn over a page to 2 Thessalonians
chapter 2 and verse 13 where we read these familiar words
we're bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren beloved
of the Lord because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth
whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. His people are kept and preserved
in the power of God until finally saved in glory. Let me just read
these words again from 1 Peter 1, verses 3 to 5. Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You see there,
it's the guarantee. to an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven
for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. It's there,
it's certain, that's the helmet, wear it. And know this, it seems
a long way off perhaps, but it will soon be accomplished. Romans
13, 11. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
It gets a day nearer all the time. Every day of this life
you live. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore
cast off works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Wear
this helmet of salvation. The knowledge that Christ has
saved you. You are going to glory. That's
a defensive piece of armor for your thoughts, for your mind.
The helmet of salvation.