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The Whole Armour of God
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If you've ever watched someone walk down the street staring at their phone, headphones in, completely unaware of their surroundings, you have seen a modern picture of vulnerability. Physically vulnerable to colliding with another pedestrian, a jogger, or—as very nearly happened this week—one of those dreaded e-scooters. But more importantly, mentally and spiritually vulnerable to a constant stream of adverts, posts, opinions, notifications, fake news, misinformation, and temptation.
Long before smartphones existed, the Apostle Paul understood that followers of Jesus face an unceasing battle to guard our minds. Our enemy, the devil, loves to deploy his well-worn strategies in the believer's mind because he knows that right thinking about God and his word will lead us to right living, whereas wrong thinking inevitably leads to wrong living.```
Among Satan's many schemes are seeds of doubt, deceit, discouragement, discontent, division, and despair—all aimed at distorting our thinking about God or others so that we're robbed of the joy of our salvation and made less effective in our witness to Jesus.
As Thomas Brooks wrote in his classic Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices:
"Satan's great design is to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition, because then we're ineffective."
That is why the final two pieces of God's armour—the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit—each in different ways focus on protecting the mind. Paul's call in Ephesians 6:10-11 is to be strong in the Lord and to put on the full armour of God, not to rush headlong into battle, but—as verse 13 says—to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Esta página aún no se ha traducido por completo. Parte o la totalidad del texto siguiente se muestra en English, su idioma original.
When Paul wrote Ephesians around AD 60, the Roman soldier's helmet was typically made of iron or bronze, designed to protect the head, face, and neck from deadly blows. Depictions on monuments such as the Arch of Titus in Rome show these were sturdy pieces of defensive armour—sometimes decorative, but primarily built for maximum protection.```
As with other pieces of God's armour, the helmet finds its spiritual roots in Isaiah's prophecy. Isaiah 59:16-17 says:
"He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him... He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head."
By drawing from Isaiah 59, Paul reminds us that to put on the full armour of God is effectively to clothe ourselves with Christ, our Saviour. Jesus is our helmet of salvation.
Paul uses a different Greek verb for "take" here than earlier in the passage—one with the sense of receive rather than put on. Think of two different ways we use the word "take" in English. You could take a £20 note from someone's pocket without them knowing—that would be stealing. But if someone said, "I have £20 in my pocket, please take it," that's a different story. Same word, different meaning.
In order to stand against the devil's schemes, Paul urges us to receive the helmet of salvation as a gift. Imagine a Roman soldier fully kitted out, but as he prepares for battle, his commanding officer says, "Wait—to be fully protected, you must also take this helmet," and places it securely on his head. The helmet is given to him.
This fits with how Paul speaks about salvation earlier in Ephesians. In chapter 2, Paul describes every individual's natural condition before trusting in Jesus as "dead in your transgressions and sins" and "by nature deserving of wrath." But then:
"Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions... It is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
And again in verse 8:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
If you are trusting in Jesus this morning, you cannot take credit even for your faith—that too is a gift of God. As Jesus said elsewhere, "You did not choose me, but I chose you."
The word salvation implies there is something we need to be saved from. You wouldn't expect a fire engine to turn up, blue lights flashing, if there wasn't a fire. Only those in imminent danger need saving.
We need salvation from God's wrath concerning our sin. The greatest sin, the smallest sin—every sin separates us from a completely holy God. It's not popular today to talk about the wrath of God, but consider: would you really want to believe in a God who is not angry at grievous sin and injustice? Would you want a God who simply lets everyone get away with everything, with no consequences?
And yet God's first reaction to our sin is not anger. Because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it. God's first response to sin, right back in Genesis 3, was mercy, compassion, and a wonderful plan of salvation. And yet we would not want to believe in a God who will not finally right every wrong and deal with those who refuse to repent.
Imagine you fall into a serious sin, one with significant consequences. The devil will be rubbing his hands with glee—not just over the sin itself, but because it gives him an opportunity to make you doubt your salvation: "Call yourself a Christian? If you were a genuine believer, you would never have done that."
This is where you need to receive the helmet of salvation—reminding yourself that you have been saved by grace, not by your track record of obedience, but by Jesus' perfect track record of obedience.
This helmet isn't only needed when we sin. Consider an elderly lady from a former church—faithful, servant-hearted, godly, a huge encouragement to many—who shared that for as long as she could remember she had lacked assurance and had constant doubts about whether she was truly saved. Through wise counsel and encouragement, she learned to meditate on God's word and pour out her anxieties to God in prayer. Over time, it was wonderful to see her grow in assurance. Our Father in heaven wants us to be certain about our salvation—certain on the basis of what Jesus has done for us, not what we do for him.
What about those in the middle of a severe trial, wondering if the nightmare will ever end? Take up the helmet of salvation. Be clear in your thinking that a day is coming when God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
Paul refers to this helmet again in 1 Thessalonians 5:8:
"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."
It helps to think of salvation in three tenses:
This is the helmet of the hope of salvation. Christian hope is not wishful thinking for one possible outcome among many—like hoping England wins the World Cup, a hope that could be dashed by 3am tomorrow. In contrast, the hope of our salvation is sure and certain because it is grounded in the reliable and unshakable promises of a faithful God who, unlike the devil, cannot lie.
Everyone who trusts Jesus and continues to trust him will be finally and fully preserved, saved from the presence of sin, and will dwell with God forever in the new creation promised in Revelation 21-22.
No one who is genuinely trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus has ever lost, or can ever lose, their salvation. Consider Jesus' words in John 10:27-30:
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
If the devil could snatch you from the hand of Jesus and the Father, it would mean Jesus is a liar and that the Father is not greater than all—but he most certainly is greater than the devil.
If you are tempted to doubt your salvation, memorise these verses from John 10. Pray them into your heart daily: "Lord Jesus, please help me to trust in your unfailing promises." Share your doubts with trusted friends—nobody will laugh or judge you.
Take up the helmet of salvation. It is secure, impenetrable, and fit for purpose—built to guard your mind.
After the defensive armour comes an offensive weapon—one you can carry anywhere to protect your mind and do serious damage to Satan's schemes. Paul tells us exactly what it is:
"Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
The belt of truth symbolises a growing knowledge of God's word, which shows outwardly in truthful speech and integrity. Alongside this belt—or tucked inside it—we receive a sword. The Greek word used means not a long broadsword but the Roman gladius, a short double-edged sword around 60cm long, used for decisive thrusts in close combat.```
This imagery is used elsewhere in Scripture. Hebrews 4:12-13 describes the sword's power to judge our hearts:
"For the word of God is alive 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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
No surprise, then, that Jesus is pictured in Revelation 1 with eyes like blazing fire and a sharp double-edged sword coming from his mouth. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:4:
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."
Sometimes people ask, "Are you a Word church or a Spirit church?" That's an unhelpful—even rubbish—question, because the word of God and the Spirit of God are inseparable. That's why Paul calls it the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Every true church is Word and Spirit.
To walk in the Spirit is to live according to the word. To understand and obey the word, we need the Spirit's insight and enabling power. Neglect the word, and we'll be vulnerable to Satan's schemes, clueless as to how to dismantle the devil's lies. Neglect the Spirit, and joy will give way to self-righteousness and dead orthodoxy, leaving us without wisdom or strength to deploy God's word effectively.
The best way to grasp the sword of the Spirit is to see it in action. No one demonstrates its power more effectively than our Lord Jesus in his temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4).
After his baptism, the Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove, and then the Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Spirit does not tempt Jesus—but leads him into testing. It is the devil who does the tempting; God tempts no one to sin.
This passage echoes Israel's forty years in the wilderness, when—despite all the miracles they saw—they largely failed to trust God or obey his word, failing their test miserably. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, also led into the wilderness, passes his test with absolute perfection.
First, Satan attacks Jesus' mind by raising doubts about his identity: "If you are the Son of God..." (v.3, v.6)—just as he does today: "If you're really a Christian..." In the second temptation the devil even quotes Scripture (Psalm 91), twisting it to tempt Jesus into testing God, just as Israel did in the wilderness.
Second, see how Jesus stands firm, wielding the sword of the Spirit with absolute precision. He doesn't debate the devil—he simply quotes the word of God:
"It is written..." (v.4) "It is also written..." (v.7) "Away from me, Satan, for it is written..." (v.10)
Jesus does not say, "Hold on, I need to check the scrolls." He is armed and ready—thrust, thrust, thrust. The result: "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." (v.11)
Martin Luther observed that Jesus could have overcome the devil with a single word of command, but instead he quotes Scripture to show us how to drive the devil away simply by using God's word.
Let's follow the psalmist's example:
"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11)
As we receive the helmet of salvation and learn to use the sword of the Spirit with accuracy—including gently speaking truth to one another in love—our minds will increasingly be protected from Satan's lies and schemes. Then we can expect exactly what James promises:
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
And we will be able to sing with confidence:
No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand; till he returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand.
My prayer is that we will learn from the Master Swordsman and do whatever it takes to saturate our minds and fill our hearts with the powerful word of God, so that we too are always ready to deploy the sword of the Spirit with precision and speed when tempted by the devil.
