Sermon Tone Analysis

Armed for Battle 5: Salvation’s Helmet

Salvation’s Helmet

Concentrate on the first part of v. 17, this morning: “… and take the helmet of salvation ...”.

We are studying the pieces that make up the armour of God - the equipment that God gives His children to make them able to stand firm in Christ, in the battles of life that come as a necessary consequence for being in a spiritual war.

And, as we’ve already talked about in this series - if you do not see the Christian life in this world - your day to day life in Christ - - if you don’t see it as a WAR … then you are not seeing clearly.

You are not living in reality.

Now, let’s start with historical context - In the pieces of armour that Paul is describing to us, he is thinking about the armour that a Roman soldier of his day would be wearing.

That’s the picture.

It’s very likely that, as he’s writing this letter - he’s looking straight into the eyes of a Roman soldier, right in front of him - he’s in prison.

Guarded by soldiers.

A Roman soldier wouldn’t think of going into battle without a helmet.

That’s not surprising.

In our day - with so much concern over concussions in sport.

I remember as a kid, at least half of the NHL players on tv - played with not helmet.

Now they won’t let you.

That’s smart - you’d have to be a fool to step on the ice with no helmet on.

The same goes for a football player - -

How much more important, still, is wearing a helmet, when you are in a battle against an enemy who doesn’t just want to beat you on a playing field - but who wants to KILL you?!

That’s what a soldier is up against.

For a Roman soldier, he had to have his head protected from a number of things: the flaming darts or arrows, dipped in tar and flying at his face.

He has to also protect his head from swords - or daggers - held in the hand of his enemy, held close to the body - and in close combat, could cause great damage and death.

We will deal with that next time.

He also has to be protected from a different kind of sword in his day - it’s known as the ‘broad sword’.

The broad sword was about 2-4 feet long … it had a massive handle - and you would hold that handle with both hands .... like a BASEBALL BAT.

That’s what a soldier is up against.

For a Roman soldier, he had to have his head protected from a number of things: The fiery darts or arrows that we talked about last week;

The little sword – dagger – that we will discuss next time;

Read vv.

12-17

Now, this broad sword is not very maneuverable.

It would be completely useless in a sword fight - - way too cumbersome.

But, just like a baseball bat - - if you manage to connect with just ONE WHACK - can you imagine what kind of damage that could do?

You would cause a world of hurt.

You would take your enemy’s head off.

And also – the broad sword.

The broad sword was about 2-4 feet long, with a massive handle that you would hold with both hands, like a baseball bat.

The broad sword was not very maneuverable.

It would be useless in a sword-fight.

But if you connected with just ONE WHACK – you would cause a world of hurt.

So a warrior would ride around on a horse, up above the foot soldiers below – and he would lift the sword over his head, bringing it down hard – and trying to create, among his enemies, some split-personalities.

Concentrate on the first part of v. 17, this morning: “… and take the helmet of salvation ...”.

We are studying the pieces that make up the armour of God - the equipment that God gives His children the ability to stand firm in Christ, in the battles of life that come as a necessary consequence for being in a spiritual war.

And, as we’ve already talked about in this series - if you do not see the Christian life in this world - your day to day life in Christ - - if you don’t see it as a WAR … then you are not seeing clearly.

You are not living in reality.

So what a warrior would do - is that he would ride around on a horse - up above the foot soldiers down below .... and he would lift the broad sword over his head - - and when he found an opening … he would lift the sword over his head, bringing it down hard .... and trying to create, among his enemies … some SPLIT personalities.

A soldier needed a helmet to deflect the blow from that kind of a weapon.

Roman helmets were often made of leather, with bits of metal embedded in them to protect.

Other times, they were made of formed, shaped bronze - with a plume sticking up at the top

Now, let’s start with historical context - In the pieces of armour that Paul is describing to us, he is thinking about the armour that a Roman soldier of his day would be wearing.

That’s the picture.

It’s very likely that, as he’s writing this letter - he’s looking straight into the eyes of a Roman soldier, right in front of him - he’s in prison.

Guarded by soldiers.

But again, this has to be practical - relevant to your daily life.

So how? “… take the helmet of salvation”, Paul says.

So what does that mean?! What does this helmet have to do with salvation?

A Roman soldier wouldn’t think of going into battle without a helmet.

That’s not surprising.

In our day - with so much concern over concussions in sport.

I remember as a kid, at least half of the NHL players on tv - played with not helmet.

Now they won’t let you.

That’s smart - you’d have to be a fool to step on the ice with no helmet on.

Some people say: “Well, it’s called the helmet OF SALVATION - so Paul must mean ‘salvation’ here.

In other words, he means - ‘BE SAVED’ - ‘receive God’s saving grace - by putting your complete trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ - believe that He died and rose for you and that He has done everything needed for you to be saved’.

‘Get saved and ipso facto - you have the helmet of salvation on your head.’

That’s what the helmet of salvation is all about.”

But it can’t be.

It is essential that you do just that - that you put your trust in Jesus Christ’s finished work - By grace, you are saved through FAITH.

That’s what the Bible says.

There is no other way to be saved.

But the helmet of salvation HERE - CAN’T mean that.

Paul is telling us, “Take up this helmet and put it one.”

He’s saying that TO Christians.

This armour is FOR Christians.

He’s not going to tell us to put on something that we already have on our heads.

When we are trying to understand God’s Word, we need to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

It’s when we take a verse of the Bible here - isolate it from the rest of the Bible, and pour our understanding into it - that’s when we end up in error and heresy.

That’s where cults begin.

Let Scripture interpret Scripture.

What does this helmet of salvation mean, if it doesn’t mean being saved?

Well, Paul writes about helmets and salvation in one other place.

,

“But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love AND, for a helmet, the HOPE OF SALVATION.”

When we are trying to understand God’s Word, we need to let Scripture interpret Scripture.

Otherwise we end up in error and heresies - - And it is the failure to do that that gives the cults their start.

The same goes for a football player - -

Paul writes about puts helmet and salvation together in one other place – , “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love AND, for a helmet, the HOPE OF SALVATION.”

How much more important, still, is wearing a helmet, when you are in a battle against an enemy who doesn’t just want to beat you on a playing field - but who wants to KILL you?!

“… AND, for a helmet … the HOPE of Salvation.”

So, what is this piece of armour all about?

The protection this helmet offers is the HOPE of salvation.

Now, that answer actually brings another question - “If this helmet’s protection is the HOPE of salvation … then what in the world does HOPE mean here?”

We need to deal with that - because we throw the word hope around in our day, in a way that means something much differently than what Paul means when he uses it.

“HOPE” here does NOT mean what we so often mean when we use it.

Can the Toronto Raptors repeat as NBA Champions?

“I HOPE so.”

Doubtful, but possible.

Can the Vancouver Canucks make the playoffs this season?

“Well, let’s not get carried away … but we can still hope against hope.”

When we talk about hope - we are pointing to circumstances that are completely out of our control … things that are pretty unlikely … but still possible.

“HOPE” in the New Testament means almost exactly the opposite of that kind of wishful thinking.

The protection which this helmet offers is the HOPE of salvation.

Now before we go any further, one possible misunderstanding needs to be cleared away so that you can understand what the “hope” of salvation DOES mean.