AT WAR (11): BEING OFFENSIVE (Ephesians 6:14-17) A guy who hated guns decided he needed protection when he got

a new job that required him to transport valuables. He joined a pistol club to learn to shoot. After watching his technique, the instructor pulled him aside, Are you open to a suggestion? The replied, Absolutely, to which the instructor said, Hire a bodyguard. Of course, during wartime youre either armed and trained or you are in deep trouble. The same is true in spiritual warfare. If we are not properly equipped, we will suffer defeat over and over. So Paul says in Eph 6:11, Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. God provides the armor, but we have to put it on daily or we face a deadly enemy with no ammunition. Today we look at the last two pieces of armor in v. 17. V. Helmet of Salvation Eph 6: 17) and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Imprisoned in Rome, Paul had seen plenty of Roman helmets -- equipped with a band to protect the forehead, plates to protect the cheeks and an extension down the back to protect the neck. Most were metal covered leather, lined with sponge to absorb the weight. Few weapons could penetrate these helmets and no soldiers uniform was complete without one. The spiritual helmet is required to protect the head the seat of thinking, the mind, the intellect -- the thinking processes of the believer. The enemy is adept at mind-games, and any day that we neglect our helmet, we are susceptible. His strategies are many, but all are intended to cast doubt on the validity of our faith. Unarmed, we think like this: I am trying hard, but I am wounded, I am striving, I am struggling; what is the point of it all? The world credits Christianity about as much as Greek mythology. People dont even believe in truth anymore. I am fainting, not the enemy. Ive tried, but I see no positive change in my world. This is the problem Paul addresses when he writes the Galatians: Let us not be weary in well doing (6:9). Under attack and unarmed, the Christian feels the heat and the burden of the day. The campaign is so long drawn out, the warfare is constant, progress invisible. And then comes the pointed suggestion: Maybe you were wrong. Maybe Christianity isnt true. When did God last answer any prayer of yours? Why dont you give it up? Is it really worth it?
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Its easy to feel like the dejected football coach who entered a telephone booth just after his team had lost the big game of the season. When he discovered that he didnt have a quarter, he called to a passing student, Oh, Roger! Will you lend me a quarter so I can call a friend? Smirking, the student reached into his pocket: Heres two quarters, coach, he said. Call all your friends. Its easy to feel alone, outnumbered, surrounded friendless, isnt it? And in those moments, it is easy to question our faith. Peter wrote to some Jewish Christians who were under terrible persecution -war-weary, tired of the battle and mocked by those who challenged them on an intellectual level. Is your sacrifice really worth it? Do you really believe that nonsense? They were saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation (II Pet 3:4). You Christians said this Lord was coming back to conquer Rome and set up His kingdom? Well, where is He? Last time I checked everything is the same as its ever been. Come on. Admit it. Its all a fantasy. Youve been taken in. Youve believed a lie. Your doctrine is not true -- your faith misplaced. Same arguments we face today, arent they? You seriously believe that Jesus is coming again? Get serious. Its the 21st century. You have just as many problems as I do. Admit its nonsense. Give it up. Use your head. One look around should tell you that the world is getting worse, not better. No ones religion is better than anyone elses and even assuming there is a God, He is not involved in your world. Give it up. So, what do you do when these thoughts enter your head? You put on the helmet of salvation. This is exactly what it is meant for. But what is this helmet? What does salvation mean here? Some feel that to put on the helmet of salvation simply means to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and then to maintain an awareness that we have truly been saved. It means to live in the joy of our salvation. And I agree that that is included, but it misses the real thrust of Pauls point and is therefore inadequate. How do we know that? Well, first of all, this instruction is addressed to those who were already Christians. They have the helmet which comes from God alone. But are they wearing it? Are they aware of all that they have in the helmet? Lets let Scripture interpret Scripture. Is there any other passage that might shed light on this? Indeed, there is. It is found in I Thess 5: 8 where the same author, Paul, says, 8) But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having
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put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. This passage mentions a helmet also, but it is a bit more descriptive, so it helps us understand. Here the helmet is described as the hope of salvation and now things become a little more clear. It is not so much the realization of our salvation at the present time, but the hope of our salvation that will protect against onslaughts against the mind. We consider salvation the miracle of new birth that happens the moment we open our heart to Christ. But Scripture actually presents three aspects of salvation past, present and future. Salvation past is described by the biblical and theological term justification the moment when God declares me righteous, not because I actually am righteous, but because I have just accepted His gift of eternal life, trading my sin for the absolute righteousness of Christ and therefore being declared forever, Beloved forever righteous. Romans 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation past -- justification. Salvation present is described by the biblical and theological term sanctification the process of taking me from the sinful state of my condition at the time of justification to the point of being perfect in Christ when I finally see Him. This whole life, with all of its adversity, difficulty and testing, is the process of making me holy, sanctifying me. Phil 1:6, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Salvation present -- sanctification. Then there is salvation future described by the biblical and theological term glorification sinless perfection what happens at the moment of death for a true believer. John describes it in I John 3:2, Beloved, we are Gods children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. He goes on in verse 3 to describe how radically this hope will affect the lives of true believers: And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he (Christ) is pure. Paul refers to this in Col 1:27 as Christ in you, the hope of glory. This great hope, which biblically is not a maybe but a sure thing not yet realized, this promised future in Christ is the helmet of salvation that takes us through the worst the world has to offer. This theme is peppered throughout Scripture. Its everywhere. When Satan attacks with, Its been 2,000 years and nothing has changed. Its all a lie, God counters with Oh, no. I assure you -- amazing is coming! Thus, for example, Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 gives a preview of the future
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where He warns His followers that they will have great trial in this world. They will endure unimaginable persecution at the hands of the most ungodly men. We have to rid ourselves of Americanized Christianity the idea that God promises a bed of roses to those who will accommodate Him by becoming believers. He promises just the opposite. The idea that Christianity is something magical, that puts God at our disposal to rid us of poverty, persecution, and persistent problems simply is not true. Jesus says in Matt 10:22, and you will be hated by all for my names sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. True believers are endurers! They never give up. When Satan says, Give it up; Hes not coming; Youve believed a lie, true believers put on the helmet of the hope of salvation and say, He warned me about you. Be gone! Paul says in II Cor 4:8, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. This is a man who was mocked, jailed, beaten multiple times until his back was a map of scar tissue, but he never gave up. Why? Skip to verse 14, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. Why did he endure? Because of the hope set before him. The helmet of salvation past, present AND future. And this came from a man who according to II Cor 12 had years before been caught up to heaven for a brief time and given an advance preview. He didnt suffer for nothing. In Hebrews 11 God recalls the faith of Abraham and his descendants. But then He comments beginning in verse 13, 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. They never saw the fulfillment of all Gods promises in this life, but they put on the helmet of salvation and hoped in a God who is sure to deliver. And look at the end of the chapter, starting in verse 36, Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated 38 of whom the world was not worthywandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their
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faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us. Listen whatever the adversity however bad it may become, dont give up. Dont lose heart. When the devil says, Hes not coming, just answer, Hes already been here, and He is most surely coming again. A secure future is our victory, Beloved. Typically, those who propagate the devils message that things will remain as always, that there is no intervening God they dont die well. I am always taken with the last words of probably the greatest atheistic spokesperson and philosopher of the 20th century Bertrand Russell. He said on his death bed, Philosophy has proven to be a washout for me." A lifetime devoted to a life that left him hopeless. Contrast that with Pauls last words, . . . the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Wow. Helen Keller, blind and deaf all her life, knew this hope. A friend asked her near the end, Do you believe in life after death? Helen replied, Most certainly. It is no more than passing from one room to another. She paused, and then slowly added, But there a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see. The helmet of salvation blows the enemy away with hope of glory. VI. Sword of the Spirit Back to verse 17 and we come to the final piece of armor: and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Please note, first of all, that this is a weapon which is both offensive as well as defensive. It is, in fact, the only offensive weapon mentioned in this whole passage. It can ward off blows, and it can kill with deadly precision. Pauls phrase is descriptive. The keywords are "sword" and "word." NT Greek has 2 words for sword -- refers to the long broadsword that you have seen in movies that you grip and swing like a baseball bat. This is the sword that proceeds from the mouth of Christ in the book of Revelation (2:12; 19:15, 21). But Paul uses -- a smaller double-edged sword about 2 inches in width and between 6 inches to 24 inches long. This was the main weapon of the Roman soldier particularly suited to hand-to-hand combat. It could counter enemy blows or strike him with devastating effect. It was the sword carried by the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus (Matt 26:47), and
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which Peter used to cut off the ear of the high priest's slave (the 26:51). Skilled us of this sword increased chances of survival exponentially. Now, there are also two words in the NT for the term "word." Most of us know , used by John to describe Jesus as God's communication to us. It also speaks of Gods written Word. But here, Paul uses which describes a very particular word or phrase. generally defines a spoken word -- a portion of the Word of God applied to a specific situation. Thus, both the term "sword" as well as the term "word" picture the precise application of a specific portions of Gods Word to defend against and attack our enemy. There is no better illustration of the word of God used as the sword of the Spirit than the temptation of Christ in Matt 4 and Luke 4. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 30 days to be tempted by Satan at the start of his ministry. After 30 days of temptation during which Jesus had nothing to eat, we encounter 3 very detailed temptations. In every single instance when Satan tempted Christ with power, prestige, and the needed provision of bread in every instance Jesus countered the temptation by quoting a passage of Scripture. In fact, all three quotations used by Christ are taken from the book of Deuteronomy just in case you think that dry old book has no application! Jesus pulled out the of the Word of God, spoke a specific and pointed passage of Scripture at the temptation and left the devil empty-handed. That beautifully illustrates the truth of Ephesians 6:17 as well as James 4:7: "Resist the devil (by the Word), and he will flee from you -- exactly what happened to Jesus as we are told in Matthew 4:11, " Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. And the only weapon Jesus used the Word. He did not discuss with the devil, He did not argue with him, and He did not explore how far he could go and still maintain his Holiness. And guess what else he did not do he did not speak new revelation into the situation, as though the Bible were not sufficient. Neither did He use some form of "warfare praying" methodology propagated by some of our charismatic friends. One pastor [John Wimber] explains it this way, "In a prayer of rebuke we break demons hold on a person, contain their power, and eliminate their presence I usually say, "In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you, evil spirit. You have no part in Jane's life. It sounds impressive, doesn't it? Only its not biblical. First, were never told to pray to demons. And second, we are told to resist through the Word, not through some rebuke we bring.
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Another pastor suggests this prayer, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I resist all of Satan's activity to hold [John] in blindness and darkness. Exercising my authority which is given to me in my union with the Lord Jesus Christ, I pull down the strongholds which the kingdom of darkness has formed against [John]. I smash and break and destroy all those plans formed against [John's] mind, his will, his emotions, and his body. I destroy in prayer the spiritual blindness and deafness that Satan keeps upon him. Makes for good theater. But who is he kidding? Does he think his words are more effective than God's Word against Satan? Its an appeal to magic! Only God removes spiritual blindness. That's why we "do not preach ourselves (notice all the Is above) but Christ Jesus as Lord" (II Cor 4:5). Beloved, our weapon is Gods Word, not some supposed authority we think we have in the name of Christ. Never in spiritual warfare are we told to rebuke the demons. That is a power the Christ reserves to himself. Success in spiritual warfare begins with repentance, and then the application of specific Scripture to specific areas of temptation to build holiness into our life. That is the way that we resist the devil just like Jesus did. The Word is the one and only weapon that He gives us. Anything else is a rubber sword that sooner or later will be shown to be ineffective. This truth is far-reaching. This means that if I hope to succeed in spiritual warfare I must be in the Word and the Word must be in me. You cannot apply it to specific situations with precision if you do not know it. We must read the Word. Read it on a daily basis. Read some portion over and over until you really begin to get it. Meditate on it. Use a commentary understand what it meant to the people to whom it was written and then make valid application. Memorize the Word. Study it. II Timothy 2:15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. God did not address that to the elite, to the apostles, to the prophets, to spiritual giants. It's not just for pastors or theology professors. It is addressed to you and to me. We are the ones who must rightly handle this precious Word. We are the ones who must apply it to the temptations in our life. We are the ones who must present ourselves to God as one approved because were working at. Set aside 10 min. a day to read the same chapter over 15 or 20 days in a row. Get a good one volume commentary to guide your study. Get the best teacher you will ever have. I Cor 2:10, For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. Every time you read, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what the Word means. It will change your life. And Peter says in I Pet 1:25: but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you. Come to church
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and hear it preached. Get the Word in you get armed. Be prepared. The sword of the Spirit is deadly -- but only if you have it! Beloved, if the Word is not part of you, you are not armed. If you do not love the Word, you may not even be a Christian. You are only fooling yourself; you are not fooling God, the enemy, your family or the world around you you are only fooling yourself. The Word is your sword; it is your only defense against a stupendous enemy. Are you armed? Young Professor Raymond Weaver gave his first class in English literature their first quiz. The students had been trying to make things difficult for the young instructor, so they whistled with joy at the first question: Which of the books read so far has interested you least? They were silent, however, when he wrote the second, and the last, question: To what defect in yourself do you attribute this lack of interest? Beloved, what defect keeps you from the Book? Do you find it boring, uninteresting, too difficult, too time-consuming? You dont like to read? You read the sports page just fine the style section. What defect in you is keeping you unarmed? Fix it. Fix it now. You cannot live a victorious Christian life without the Word. Take the sword of the Spirit. People elsewhere are dying for it! Take it. Study it. Absorb it. Make it yours. Failure to do so is a defect in you. Its your one offensive weapon. So become offensive live the Word. Lets pray.