The Believer's Armor, Part 5: The Helmet of Salvation, Part 1 B

What is the helmet that I was the helmet of salvation is confidence in a full final total salvation to come its confidence and some days of battle will be over. I couldn't find if I didn't think there was a finish some work to do ban the slave trade, year after year.

He gave speeches and proposed laws whenever Parliament met and thanks largely to his perseverance. Parliament outlawed slavery in the British Empire and just as Wilberforce wouldn't have toppled slavery without perseverance. You can't win the spiritual battle without endurance.

The enemy's attacks are constant and you need to be constant in your defense today. John MacArthur helps you persevere even when the spiritual battle seems endless.

He's continuing his series. The believers armor here on grace to you and out to see what it means to put on the helmet of salvation.

Join John for today's lesson. Ephesians 613 through 17 wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truthfulness and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

On top of all that, taking the shield of faith with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and that tremendous passage we have Paul presenting to us the resources for gaining the victory in the Christian life, at least as far as the battle with Satan and his demons. His concern want to go to the fifth piece of armor tremendous tremendous truth in verse 17 and take the helmet of salvation.

That's all it says about you say what is there in the helmet of salvation. It's easy to say no, not that that that's already happened. When you are even in the Army lesser believer right if you're fighting Satan at all.

You gotta be on God's side. He if you're not with him, you're against them. So if if you're in the battle against Satan you're already say is not talking about that helmet of salvation is not getting sick is not saying by the way, fifth get saved on you saving chapter to write for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works as any man should boast and save. This is not getting say you will need to be in the Army. If you want a believer. Satan wouldn't be at you if you weren't a believer writing leave you alone is Artie got you. You be fighting God. So if you're in the Army and the war is going on.

You are already a believer that is already taken place, the helmet of salvation is not saying you need to be say a say what what is it saying initially at first Thessalonians chapter 5 first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse eight but let us first Thessalonians 58 who are of the day. That is were not of the night. That's Satan's dominion were of the day that's sons of light in God's kingdom but us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love. Now watch and for Anna helmet of salvation for God has not appointed us to wrath. We're not just going to be in this thing fighting all the way were not lined up in judgments but to obtain the salvation there is still an element of salvation to obtain God's appointed us to obtain that finally and it is the helmet of salvation, the writer of Hebrews says this hope is the anchor of the soul. What is the helmet that I was summing it up the helmet of salvation is confidence in a full final total salvation, it's confidence that some day the battle will be over.

I couldn't find if I didn't think there was a finish some work to do this. Gotta be in in several houses part of armor was, you know that big broadsword.

Roman soldiers would have to face. You know what Satan's big broadsword's got two sites to one side is discouragement, insights, doubt what I do not doubt next for this time discouragement what Satan was doing what's about you right in the head with discouragement and doubt get you straight on Bowyer's are given a lot not get much in return 11 is Christian life.

Set yourself apart from the world Bowyer Lebanon what happens.

You just lost your job, great passing on you been reading your Bible wife is as cranky as she was before you bought a bottle and had a major effect on, or whatever what's God doing in your life. You can go to church for so many churches they don't respect you anymore. Never you begin to get a scrubbing teaching a class alone.

I wonder whether anybody gets anything out of it. You say you get really scared. That's one of the things the other thing Satan was hit you had with this depth how do you know you're really a Christian you sure you really say you don't deserve what you just did you think you think that's manifestation to be Christian people get to suffer from doubt, discouragement, and that's what he uses in the helmet of salvation is a protection talk about the area of discouragement I'm illustrated by having you look in first Kings chapter 19 first Kings chapter 19. Great story of Elijah ill. I just kind of the Peter of the Old Testament is up and down but Elijah at this point, just had a great victory. I mean it a victory like no other prophet of God ever had. He just got a sword and slaughtered 450 priests a bail, I'd say that he was really a winner that never got sent fired up from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, burned up the altar even looked up the water did poured around and Elijah was with me he was on top of the law is God is God. Bail is not Maalox man. He's got victory well.

Chapter 19, it's time to go on.

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah and I will explain all the prophets with the sword and Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow.

At this time Jesus Elijah for doing that. By the way, she was a bail worship it for you doing that, I will kill you by tomorrow or die trying. Not enough for me are cyclic Lord I mean I just did you a big favor 450 priests of bail limited.

De La Hoya you send Jezebel after me.

The next day about a little rest. No time for sitting around to be honored by the Jewish honor Society.

No time to sit around getting laurels and mail metals is on the road night if you can handle 450 priests a bill you really shouldn't be too strict by 11 but then history doesn't really hold up that argument because there been a lot of people shook by one woman and a lot of men but anyway Elijah decided was only one thing to do now is run Elijah's gonna be pushing 80 and I never made any real profits to be running the bear sheep. But he took off and having heat lickety-split, down the road.

Churn up a cloud of dust ran for his life first recess came to Beersheba left the servant there.

From there he went a day's journey into the wilderness night he actually ran a reluctant her. She was a town and from there he just took off one more day out in the desert one day from bear sheep into the desert, he sits under a juniper tree and request for himself that he might die. Now I I know that's Michael discouragement he wants to die or just get me out here. We just take me out. That's enough anyway and slept under a juniper tree and an angel touched him and said get up and eat angel when they let him sleep. Welcome up and set them and looked, and there was a cake on the coals in a cruise water to Sydney, eat, drink and laid out again. He is a Cayman custom second time will come up again said rising need your journey is too great for you.

You gotta eat. Not a lot.

Angel food is but whatever it is it works in verse eight he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights. So as I say it works in a horrible about God.

You know why God said Elijah you have no business being discouraged. You get yourself a peer mentor volatile conversation for you, and so we went up there and the Lord spoke to him.

Still, small voice. Elijah came some song dance about on the only one left Lord all so distressing and so discouraging on the only one left on the only faithful person you have in the Lord says in chapter 19 verse 18. Yes, I have 7000 others beside you. It's not just one at 7001 Elijah not get back there and get busy. It's so easy to become discouraged and you can fax that even at the moment of some of your greatest triumphs. You go back to reality and its star and sort of shocking. You know, I can relate today easy to be discouraged over in Ephesians chapter 3 verse three verse 13. Rather causes were for. I desire that you faint not at my tribulation. You know you so people could even get discouraged about somebody else's trouble not asserted their own Galatian 69 says let us not be weary in well doing for we reap if we faint not so easy to get tired and weary and all Lord Uxbridge another Sunday to preach another sermon. Study another day. All our tactical call another person after me with that same person for the subject Lord can have a few days off and read my Bible, Laura, I just can't hack at Sunday school class another Sunday Lord you really think I go back and talk to the neighbor another time. Lord you not been fighting the same will temptation for so long get tired and you know we get discouraged, so easy, Arthur Cluff expressed it in these words say not the struggle not avail of the labor in the word, surveying the enemy face not Northvale of the nice things of been they remain in other words, I just keep like nothing ever happened.

I get tired the enemy doesn't notice you get real. Satan never stops. Matthew Arnold wrote for now in blood in battle was my use and full of blood in battle is my age and I still haven't the slightest been back. Does it ever stop really fight the following possible came at the end of his life's activity for seven said I fought the good fight I've kept the faith. I finish the course next chapter 20 they said ample to go to Jerusalem to be imprisoned in putting chains. He said that's all right. None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself that I might finish the ministry Christ is given, he never would thing he never would quit in Revelation chapter 2 the Lord extolled the Ephesian church by saying you have borne and you have been patient and you have endured and you have not fainted. That's commendation. Leviticus chapter 26 got there to get in Deuteronomy 11 God laid out his release and are Israel. If you hang in there and keep my statutes and obey my ordinances and do what I say I will bless your lives.

I will bless your land I will prosper. The seed of your loins. I will give you every blessing. He goes on through the 26 chapter. Leviticus listing one after another on in verse 14 he says, but if you turn for my statutes and turn from my commandments, then I will bring corruption on you and I will bring pain on you and I will bring sorrow on sick so the ultimate end of it is this.

Hang in there you'll be the response. If you get discouraged because you have an unsaved husband and never seems to change nothing ever happens when you just get so discouraged. Or maybe you have a child seem so resistant to all of your efforts. Or maybe you have a friend you tried to witness to. Or maybe you seem to be doing a ministry and you don't get the thanks yada get or maybe you even have a physical infirmity a physical ailment, a handicap of some kind, physically, and you get so tired of struggling with that thing and it seems to bind you and you lose sight of the fact that salvation has 1/3 dimension it's coming and I love what it says in Romans 1311.

Remember that our salvation is nearer than when we believed were getting close to the finish line. Don't quit now know there were those in the book of Hebrews, to whom the writer dresses himself would come all to believing in Christ, all acknowledging that it was true back in the writers is no don't do that though the of those who turn around in the perdition. He says let us go on to perfection with I think about them. Jeremiah Lord Sr. Jeremiah my prophet Jeremiah want you to spend your life reaching for me.

Here's your message Jeremiah preach it with all you got and preach it so you have no breath and PS.

No one will ever listen.

No one will hear a word you say will Jeremiah preach that all alone. Listen to it all alone.

All alone. He said I words are found in I did eat them and they were the joy and rejoicing in my heart and it was Job, the Lord stripped Job's naked is an immense urban strip took away everything he possessed everything he owned everything you love and yet he said, though he slay me, yet will I trust him and he hung in there and it was all said and done, he said, oh God, he said I'd heard of you with the hearing of mine here, but I now see mine I and I am up for myself and Dustin Nash. In other words, I was you were like, but in adversity as I was I saw you hanging what Satan hits you with discouragement. Jesus our Lord said in Luke 18 one minute ought always to pray and not to what faint see yourself faint start. What Satan wants to discourage me all the time. He works like mad. I read this week about a little little maddening name was Rev. William DV be decided in the years of his life.

Toward the end of his life. We didn't know at the time he wanted to write a systematic theology encompassing the whole Bible. He spent 12 solid years doing when he was done, it was 26 volumes. He was an obscure little man. There are no copies that I know of of his theology when he got all done. He couldn't find anybody to set the type so he said it himself.

This is 200 years ago and then he printed 40 copies of the first 300 pages and 14. Copies of the remaining 26 volumes 14 copies of this 12 years work. He died in poverty and obscurity the you know what, but she died in the knowledge of God. One little man, but 26 volume theology to our nobody ever heard or ever read, but he pursued the knowledge of God and the knowledge of God's word stuck with. There was a little girl in London. She was standing on the sidewalk on the coal truck came by the coal truck dumped the coal in front of us of the little girl's house and she picked up a little shovel and the seller open the cellar door.

She was only five.

She walked out and she stuck her little shovel in the cold and walked across the sidewalk and down the cellar stairs, turned it over in the basement and the man next door stood and watched her after the third little shovelful. He said to her, my dear, you'll never get it all in, to which she rightly replied oh I will serve if I worked long enough for my work on. I just a test of anybody's characters what it takes to stop it right. Lots of people hit the first line of defense a bailout lots.

People go AWOL the first time you hear a shot. But then there are those who make a difference in the world because they go right through line after line after line after line of opposition. Hey, you can do it if you work long enough.

Don't be discouraged. Listen member the Lord Jesus, you have not yet suffered on the blood. Nobody crucified you yet, hang in there hanging. The problem is not to faint stay at Sehgal discourage you every waking tell you I am not getting any results for all your labors.

Nobody listens to you, but you been doing this faithfully. Nobody gives you any laurels. Nobody says anything. It's so behind the scenes school know if you fall the sand. I don't worry about the battle. Given a little bit, relax, helmet of salvation protects me from fading from giving up from growing weary. Why because I and my hope is that there's a lighted tunnel and some burst into that glorious light in the presence of Jesus Christ like that guy wrote me a letter I I want to stand in front of my commanding officer was shame on my face because I quit in the middle about right to be there and say Lord I mean, I may be bruised and bleeding but I'm here and I fought it all the way to the my grandfather, bless his heart, died on his deathbed with cancer and beaten his body and he looked up my father and he said I just have one request Jack Wolf. I can just preach one more sermon right down to the wire so my dad took the sermon that he prepared, but never preached printed passed out to the church to preach the one more sermon right down to the wire hanging Revelation 2 and three says to him that overcomes to him that overcomes to him that overcomes to him that overcomes will I give will I give will I give it over to God reserves special things for the overcome great member Timothy. Timothy hit the skids in his life got discouraged. What what first Timothy well I think 20 was young he was tempted by youthful lesson. He got tired of another thing was young people were saying you're too young to know anything Timothy.

They were despising as you as he was getting upset stomach deposit you want for your stomach. Siggy was shocked and he was embarrassed about Paul because Paul was forever in jail and he was he was upset about the fact that he was AIL you're one of the disciples of the jailbird he was ashamed of me says Paul. And not only that there were some false teachers came into Ephesus their teaching error that was really sophisticated, and Timothy didn't know if he can handle it.

And then there was philosophy and jangling's in vain deceit, genealogies, and Timothy was drowning in a sea of stuff to discouragement.

The apostle Paul writes in to him and second Timothy and he says Timothy stir up the gift of God that is in you. God is not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love and a sound mind, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, activity, and again crank it up.

Timothy was discouraged. Peter says the same thing to those saints, to whom he wrote the word persecution is as old listen. Hang in there with that.

Well doing and if you suffer for welldoing blessed and happy. Are you all if you suffer for welldoing commit yourselves to a faithful Creator. Be faithful, say but sometimes you get weary. It's right.

Sometimes you like it rubber like the last lap. When that was me I very often will think of a Scripture that you thought of a lot of times I'm sure it's Isaiah chapter 40 file drawer thoughts to a conclusion with it. Listen to this. Isaiah 4029 he giveth power to the faint, and to those who have no might he increases strength is not great, just when you get to the place worry about the fate it gives you power just when you say Lord I don't have any strength. That's when he infuses you with his strength. Even the youths shall faint and be worry in the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. What a great eagle at source all high above most other birds is an illustration of what happens to a believer in his weakness was infused with the strength of God soars above the rest was there's no reason be discouraged. 11. The helmet of salvation says there's coming a great day a great victory day. If you're faithful all the way through the be a marvelous reward.

There is coming a glory day. Salvation is passed yes it's present yes, but always future and don't let Satan discourage you and Don and rob you of the anticipation of that thrill don't take away the hope that makes you committed listen John says in first John three he that hath this hope purify himself. When you know Jesus is coming when you know that great days ahead. Salvation will be ultimately fulfilled. It has a way of purging and purifying your life because you know you're going to see him face-to-face. While it's father were well aware that Satan and his demons are relentless. They never give up. They push us all the time. We know too that our salvation is nearer than when we believed in God, we thank you for the hope of victory that we have. We hear the echo of the words of Hebrews 611, 12, and we desire that everyone of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that you be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God help us like those who were faithful those who were patient.

Those who were inheritors of the promise to show the same diligence to the end to hang onto hope to its variant. So live to your glory. Father, may we be in the catalog of the faithful of Hebrews 11 because we persevere to the help us not to be discouraged.

What is there to be discouraged about when we know that awaiting us as an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled inheritance. It couldn't be described in human terms. It's a wondrous kingdom. That's beyond even the Revelation to express a relationship to you throughout eternity. They can only be described as to be like Jesus Christ, oh God. With that in the future we cannot be discouraged with the moment, no matter what it really is up was to be faithful to where the help for your glory in Jesus name. That's John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University.

He's currently making his way through a series that has helped listeners fight sin, perhaps more than any other is an in-depth look at the believers armor.

John you concentrated today on two of the great weapons the enemy uses, namely, discouragement and doubt and that really gets to an important part of the strategy for standing strong and spiritual battle. You need to know how the enemy operates and that's what this deep dive into Ephesians 6 is helping us understand yet again were back to what I commented on a few days ago that we don't want to be ignorant of his devices right and he does use doubt.

That's why you have the shield of faith that that's important and that's why you have the helmet of salvation to protect yourself from blows that would make you doubt your salvation. These are all incredibly foundational truths not only for the spiritual well-being of a believer, but I think for the joy of a believer because your joy is attached to how well you put on the armor of God and use the sword of the Spirit so this gives me a good opportunity again to remind you that we have a new study guide on this very series that were doing study guide called the believers armor same title as the series. It's a book it's of volume 2.

In a real launch of our study guides which were so popular. A few decades back, and we've reintroduced them. The believers armor study guide will give you more detail on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel. The shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the all-important sort of the spirit and I would encourage you to pick up several copies of the study guide to use with your discipleship group, your family, Sunday school class. Whatever you choose, but this is a 200 page reasonably priced treatment of the believers armor that will equip you for spiritual victory and joy. By the way why you're calling were emailing us. You might want to order MacArthur study Bible.

If you haven't done matter any of our other resources that you find on the website so contact us today. Order the new believers armor study guide and get on the mailing list so you get those things in the future as a gift yes and friend. If you are struggling with discouragement or nagging sin. It may be because you don't know how to protect yourself with the spiritual defenses God has given you. So I urge you to pick up this brand-new helpful study guide called the believers armor when you contact us today.

Call us here at 855 Grace or you can also order a copy or2@ourwebsitejidety.org the believers armor study guide will help you answer questions like how could I draw strength from the Lord, and whom am I fighting against and what is the role of prayer in spiritual warfare to place your order. Call 855 Grace or go to our website TTY.org as John said@thewebsitetty.org you can also purchase our flagship resource. The MacArthur study Bible.

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Call us at 855 Grace or order online@tty.org. That's our website TTY.org now for John MacArthur and the entire Grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson with a question for you is the saying let go and let God. Biblical John will answer that tomorrow as he looks at what it means to surrender to the Lord. It's another half hour of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on Grace to you