Ephesians: The Holy War - Preach The Word

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THE HOLY WAR: THE ARMOUR OF GODPastor David Leggedefended - isn't that right? Even when we get on a motorbike, we put a helmet on, because so manyimportant faculties that many of us have - maybe not all of us! - but many of us have, are found within ourhead. They need to be defended! The deadliest wounds that the enemy can inflict were on the head. Theyhead was the part that commanded the whole body, and if the enemy wanted to wipe out that soldier hewould aim for the head. Cut an arm off, and he could still resist a wee bit. Cut another limb off, perhaps hecould still go on resisting - but if you cut his head off there's nothing much he can do about it, is there? Hecan't fight on in that battle. If he loses his head, he's in trouble!Now what is the sense of the spiritual truth that Paul is wanting to convey to us this evening? Well first all,we must be fundamental with this. The helmet is salvation - let's not miss that - it is salvation, and salvationis simply the deliverance of you from sin by God. In Isaiah 59 we saw that this was the armour of God - it'sactually God's armour! It's the armour that God wears, and God is giving us that armour, verse 17 he says:'For he put on', God, 'righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put onthe garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak'. So, this is the helmet of God'ssalvation. Now, this is important, it's not just our heads being protected by a message, but it is our head beingprotected by God! For God is our salvation, not a message, God is our salvation, the message of the Gospelis that God is our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. So we must see that, that this is the helmet of God'ssalvation. Our deliverance is offered in a person, the person of God Himself incarnate in our Lord JesusChrist. It is His presence, it is His promise that covers the head.If you imagine this: as the soldier faces the fight, imagine the effectiveness of facing the fight knowing thatGod is on your side. No matter how hot the battle gets, you can never be daunted if God is on your side. IfGod is for you, the word of God says nothing can be against you - why? Why can you not be daunted ifyou're wearing the helmet of salvation? Can I repeat it: because the ultimate victory has been secured! It isvictory ground, it is victory armour, and this helmet of our salvation: it preserves us from surrender andretreat! If God be for us, who can stand against us?So, it is the helmet of salvation - but secondly there is the sense that it is knowledge and assurance ofsalvation. You see, it's important for us to understand, and especially if you're not saved, that salvation is notan emotion. It is not without emotion, but it is not in essence an emotion. It is a rational knowledge, wherebyyou rationalise that you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to have your sins forgiven and to be saved. Wedare not, in our circles, minimise the intellectual sense of the Gospel. You must think to believe. Thereforethis helmet of salvation is protecting that thinking process, whereby you realised you were a sinner, yourealised Christ died for you, you realised you needed to repent, and you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ andyou were born-again.Now, let me say this: if there's any doubt in your head that you're saved - let me repeat that - if there is anydoubt in your head that you are saved, you can never fight this battle. You have to have the helmet ofassurance and knowledge of your salvation - and let me say to you tonight: if you've never ever acceptedthat, if you reach your arms out by faith, God will give you that helmet of salvation tonight! You can beassured that it is well with your soul. So, there is that knowledge and that assurance. Now believers, if youthink about this for just a moment, what is the first thing that people begin to do when they're in a spiritualconflict? I'm not talking about mediocre temptation, I'm talking about a real spiritual war - sometimes wedoubt our salvation, don't we? If you're honest, at least, you'll maybe say that. We think to ourselves: 'Seethat thought that just came into my head? Could a Christian think a thought like that?' - and then the devilperhaps comes along and says: 'No, a Christian couldn't think a thought like that, that must mean you're not aChristian! You've been kidding yourself! You're kidding your wife, you're kidding your family - you seewhat you're thinking, the things that you are starting to feel, and those temptatious desires that come uponyou in a moment? You can't be saved!'.34
THE HOLY WAR: THE ARMOUR OF GOD35Pastor David LeggeNow, let me say this: Satan may disrupt your daily victory, but he can do nothing to disrupt your positionand your identity in the Lord Jesus - and never you forget that! No matter what he says, no matter what hedoes, he cannot change the fact that Christ has died, and you have died with Him; and Christ has risen, andyou have risen with Him - and if you have put your trust and faith in Him, He is able to save to the uttermostall who come onto God by Him! Just as well He's a Saviour like that, otherwise we'd all be in trouble. But ifhe can get you to believe for one moment that you're not strong in Christ, to believe for one moment thatyou're not on victory ground, he has got you over a barrel! This is very important for us to note everythingthat is being said tonight - but if you have this helmet of salvation, in the sense of a knowledge and anassurance that it is well with your soul - you are persuaded and know that He is able to keep what you'vecommitted unto Him against that day - you have the hope, the sure certain hope, of eternal life.Now there's a few conclusions that emanate from that. The first is this: you'll not accept false doctrine. If youhave a knowledge of what salvation is in the word of God, you'll not accept anything that is apart from that,any false teaching that tells you have to work for you salvation, or the cross was good but it wasn't enoughand you have to do a wee bit more, or you have to belong to this church, or you have to wear these clothes. Ifyou believe and imbibe that, you haven't got this assurance on your head, you haven't really got to gripsrationally and intellectually with what this great gospel of God's grace is. If you have this helmet on, you'llnever despair. You will never despair - never! You will never ever panic about the state of your soul, becausethis helmet of salvation lifts up the believer's head. Psalm 3:3: 'But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; myglory, and the lifter up of mine head'. Luke 21:28 says, speaking of the end times that we are probably intoday: 'And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up', don't despair, 'and lift up your heads; foryour redemption draweth nigh'. It's hope, not despair, not pessimism that we hear so much of today - but it isan assurance and knowledge that God is our salvation!Now, what we tend to do is: we relegate salvation to the past, don't we? 'My salvation happened on the 3rd ofNovember 1984, that's when I had salvation' - now, that's not biblical. Now yes, when you're saved, if you'retruly saved and there is evidence of that salvation in your life, you are saved for eternity, you'll never be lost!But salvation in a sense is a process - the book of Ephesians, we've learnt in weeks gone by, teaches that youwere saved, you are being saved, and in a later date you will be saved, for the redemption of the body stillhas to take place when we all go to heaven and we are like Him, because we see Him as He is. So there is aprocess here, and we need to be careful that we don't relegate this to the past in some way. Now here, Ibelieve, is not a relegation to the past, but it means a strength now! A strength for the fight at this verymoment to deal with Satan, to deal with the world, and to deal with the sins that attack us day by day - Godis giving us a salvation that is able to cope now! It is able to overcome now and in the future!Now I believe this is the third thing. First of all it was: helmet is salvation. Secondly, it's a knowledge and anassurance of our salvation. But thirdly it is a sure hope of the consummation in the future - theconsummation of our salvation! What the devil would love us to believe is that 'You're never going to get tothe end! You're never going to be able to see this Christian thing through! You're falling at every hurdle, youhaven't even got through the first stage of the race, you're nowhere near the prize!' - but if you could just, byfaith, take this helmet of salvation, you would realise that there is a hope! A hope in a biblical sense doesn'tmean an airy-fairy, 'I hope it'll happen' - it is a sure faith upon the word of God that it will happen! In 1Thessalonians 5 verse 8 this is exactly what you get, listen: 'But let us, who are of the day, be sober, puttingon the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation'.What is the hope of salvation? Is your head cast down? Is it? Do you feel: 'I don't deserve to be here tonight.If you knew what I did today, if you knew the things that I'm going through, and the temptations that I'mgrappling with...'? Listen: there is a hope that one day God will come through, God will consummate it.Philippians 1:6: 'Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ'. So many Christians, Satan trods them down, Satan accuses them,
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