Introduction

The Bible tells us we are in a war, we are in a battlefield, and our great enemy Satan is bent on destroying us. The apostle Paul warns us to beware of Satan's devices and deceptions.

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

How can we defend ourselves from our enemy's crafty and deadly attacks?

In verses ten and eleven, Paul commanded us believers to be strong and courageous in the LORD and to put on the whole armor of God, take the weapons, that we may be able to stand and withstand Satan, our enemy. There is "divine strength" and "divine weapon" that we can "put on" to protect us in the "battles" we must face. We are not left to our own feeble strength. The same weapon and armour that Paul and the early Christians used to "fight a good fight, finished the  course, and kept the faith" are the same weapon and armour that are  available to us today. Every one of us believers now has the strength and weapon to deal with Satan, no matter what onslaughts the devil may bring. So you and I don't have to be discouraged by Satan's devices or deceptions. We are not in this battle alone. We have access to the greatest power in the universe! God provides the powerful armour we need for protection—and victory!

So the power and resources to win our spiritual battle is available to us, but we must appropriate them. It will do us no good just simply knowing all the pieces of the armor, or simply owning an armor, we must put it on. We must pay careful attention to all parts of this armour God offers. If we do, we will be able to withstand Satan's attacks.

And so we must first have the belt of truth and then the breastplate of righteousness and then the shoes of the gospel of peace and then the shield of faith.  And then in verse 17, we must take the helmet of salvation.  And that's where we stopped last time. 

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation ...

There are only few words about the helmet of salvation but there are great truths in here which we need to get a hold of, to help us fight our spiritual warfare.

I — The Physical Helmet

Helmets are used in sports such as baseball, football, hockey, bull riding; on a bicycle or motorcycle; in the factory; in a construction site; in the military. Failure to wear the proper helmet can lead to fatal injury or even death. The purpose of the helmet is to protect the head. A head injury is fatal.

Now, Roman soldiers wore helmets. There are two types of helmets that Roman soldiers would wear, namely, helmets made of leather or helmets made of metal. The helmet had a band to protect the forehead and plates for the cheeks, and extended down in back to protect the neck. When the helmet was strapped in place, nothing is exposed except the eye, nose and mouth.

It is vitally important for a Roman soldier to wear a helmet. No soldier's uniform was complete without a proper helmet. No soldier would even dare of going into battle without a helmet. It would be foolish and suicidal if he did. A Roman soldier would be very careful to get his helmet on to protect his head from either flying arrows or an enemy wielding his battle ax or broadsword, but primarily from a broadsword. Broadswords were from three to four feet long, and it had a huge, massive handle that is held with both hands like a baseball bat.

An opposing soldier would raise his broadsword high over his head and try to bring down a crushing blow on the head of his enemy, splitting open his skull. 

Many years ago there was an archaeological dig discovered a skeleton with a cleavage right through the skull. It was assumed that it was caused by someone who attacked the person with a broadsword. So the helmet was very necessary. No foot soldier in ancient time would even dream of going into battle without his helmet on. It meant life and death; victory and defeat.

So a Roman soldier who was not wearing his helmet or who lost his helmet was in danger of receiving severe head wounds which would (at the very least) disorient him and render him ineffective and in danger of further injury. A blow in the head could be fatal. And so they protected their heads with a helmet. The helmet on one's head was the only way to deflect the broadsword.

II — The Spiritual Helmet

As a Roman soldier had to defend himself against the enemy's broadsword, we Christians have to defend ourselves against Satan's broadsword. Satan's broadsword is a double-edge blade. It has two sides to it, namely doubt and discouragement. Satan attacks the mind of the Christians. Satan wants to inflict a crushing blow to your head with doubt and discouragement. To protect us from doubt and discouragement, we need to take the helmet of salvation. If the breastplate covers the affection in the heart, the helmet covers our thoughts; our thoughts regarding salvation.

Now, this helmet is called the helmet of salvation. This does not refer to being saved. He is not saying to the Ephesians that they need to get saved. No, they are already saved. Salvation had already taken place. They would not be in God's army fighting the devil if they were not believers. The helmet of salvation is not saying they need to be saved. 

So what is Paul referring to? What is he talking about here? I believe Paul is referring to blessed assurance and blessed hope of our salvation. He is speaking of the present reality of our salvation and the future reality of our salvation. We have have ...

1. Blessed Assurance

By present reality of our salvation I mean the assurance of our salvation. One of the effective weapons Satan uses against us is doubt. Satan wants to clobber you with doubt, particularly in the area of salvation. He wants you to doubt your salvation. He does not want you to experience assurance of salvation. Assurance of salvation is to know for sure that you have eternal life. It is the blessed assurance that you are in Christ and that when you die you will immediately stand in the presence of God faultless and accepted in the Beloved.

Many times in my witnessing, I ask people if they are 100% certain of their salvation and if they know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are going to heaven when they die, and the common answer I get is: I believe so, I think so, I hope so. But I am glad the Bible salvation is not a "Hope So" but a "Know So" salvation.

It is important to have the assurance of salvation. No one can fight this spiritual warfare unless they know which side they are on. You will never be effective in resisting the devil unless you know for certain that you are on the Lord's side and the devil is your enemy. You will make little or no progress in your Christian life until you know that you know that you know you are saved. And by the way, it is possible to know. You can know that you are save; you can know that you have been forgiven; you can know that you are going to Heaven when you die; you can know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13: These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

2. Blessed Hope

The other effective weapon Satan uses against us is discouragement. Discouragement is a lethal weapon in the hands of the enemy. Great men do get discouraged, such as Moses, Elijah, Job, David, Peter, Paul, etc. Satan often uses discouragement as a weapon to oppose us to cause us to fall. Satan knows that when we are discouraged that we are the most susceptible to all kinds of temptations and to make foolish decisions.

In our Christian life we will stumble and fall. And when we fall Satan will raise his broadsword of discouragement and bring down a crushing blow on our minds to cause us to be discouraged and to quit and cause us to think, "What is the use? I have fallen; there is no way back. I don't even know if I will endure unto the end."

And what is our protection against Satan's broadsword of discouragement?

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Again the protection you and I have is the helmet of salvation. Paul calls it "The helmet of the hope of salvation."  

The word "hope" here is not like the world uses it -- I hope I will be saved. Paul is not saying that we have a hope that at last we will be saved. No, the word "hope" here is an absolute assurance that God will complete the work He had begun in our lives.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Believers can know today that they are saved and they are saved forever. Believers can know today that they are saved and secure for eternity! And this hope of salvation speaks especially of the return of Christ, our Blessed Hope, when He will complete our redemption.  

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The completion of our redemption will be fully realized when Jesus Christ comes again. You and I have this hope of future fulfillment. The helmet of salvation is the confidence in the future. This blessed hope gives us strength to go on in the present.  It gives us strength to go on even in the midst of difficult times because we know there is a finish line.

III — Practical Admonition

So the important question today is, do you have the assurance of your salvation? Do you know one hundred percent, without a shadow of doubt that you are saved? Do you know one hundred percent, without a shadow of doubt that you have eternal life? 

If you do not have the Biblical assurance of salvation, my exhortation to you is to ask the LORD to give you that assurance and do not rest until you know that you know that you know that you have eternal life. You need to know that you are saved for unless you know you will be a casualty of war and you will not be able to deflect the crashing blow of Satan's broadsword of doubt and discouragement.

When you get discouraged, remember there is coming a day when our tears will be wiped away when we enter into the presence of Jesus Christ and our flesh falls aside and no more sin and no more struggle and no more warfare and no more battle. 

It is the assurance that God will triumph. When we are properly equipped with the helmet of salvation, it is hard to stay discouraged. When the mind is protected by "blessed assurance" and "the blessed hope" of the Lord's return and triumph, Satan cannot use doubt and discouragement to attack and defeat us. 

Discouragement and doubt are deflected when you know you are secure in Christ. Amen!

The Church's One Foundation 

Samuel Stone

Mid toil and tribulation, 

And tumult of her war, 

She waits the consummation 

Of peace for evermore; 

Till, with the vision glorious, 

Her longing eyes are blest, 

And the great church victorious 

Shall be the church at rest.

AMEN!