Sermon Tone Analysis

Our theme verse for our series is

Introduction: It seems that each piece of armor in this list describes our conversion experience, saying something about how we came to faith in Christ.

Truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation... these all come into play when we call on the Lord for forgiveness and experience a life change because of His grace at work in our lives.

However, each of these also become an ongoing reality.

Truth must be sought through diligent prayer and study.

Righteousness is maintained by continually trusting in Jesus and His work on the cross.

Peace with God is kept through humility and repentance, since God resists the proud.

Faith or trust requires continual growth and must not become stagnant.

Let’s take a look at our passage for today in

Today, as we look at the helmet of salvation, we will see both a current and a future reality.

When we first put our trust in Jesus to take care of our sin problem, we are covered by His goodness, saved from spiritual death, from doing life without God.

The term “Salvation” means preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil.

When a rescue worker or caring citizen comes to someone’s rescue, we say they saved that person’s life.

Firefighters, policemen, EMT’s, search & rescue – these and many others try to save lives from danger or harm.

Play Opening video here

The helmet of salvation is one way Paul described the fact that Jesus has and will save us from certain destruction.

We were doing life on our own without God, and were headed for the wrong finish line.

We were going the wrong way, which would have ended badly, being separated from God forever in a place of suffering.

That was not God’s plan for us!

He offered us the only alternative (grace and forgiveness), and saved us from the trap of the enemy of our souls.

Cecil Conrad was a farm boy, tired of waking up at the crack of dawn to clean up after cows.

He lied about his age, joined the Army and helped free Asia from the Axis.

But it was in the next war, battling Communists in Korea, that Conrad might truly have regretted his change of career.

In a too-shallow foxhole, somewhere north of Seoul, the 188th Airborne Division soldier held his gun close to his head, trying to shield himself from fast-flying ordnance that "whistled through the air like birds tweeting," he said.

Then the world exploded in his face.

"It was like being smacked with a baseball bat.

It knocked me backwards," Conrad said.

Dirt had hit him, a chunk of sod flung up by a shell, Conrad thought, as he gradually accepted the fact that he was still alive.

Then he touched his helmet, and felt the hole that a shell had torn out of the steel.

"I knew a piece of sod couldn’t do that," he said.

By the laws of nature, that big bullet ought to have kept on going, making a fatal journey through his skull and brain.

Instead, it struck the steel at such an angle that it cut through the metal and then glanced off.

He had a bruise and a headache, but he would live to tell the story.

Conrad still has that old helmet, with its tell-tale furrow in the brow.

A Korean vet thankful for the helmet that saved his life.

(www.sermoncentral.com)

So Paul says that believers should take this helmet of salvation (bronze, leather with cheek pieces) and put it on (v.13 says to put on the full armor of God).

Now why would Paul be telling those who are already followers of Christ to get their salvation on?

Isn’t it already on?

I think the main thing Paul meant to convey here was the idea that believers need to look at life through the lens of salvation.

This perspective is more than just the fact that they are saved from who knows what right now, or saved from a worse life.

That is important, but this helmet of salvation is an awareness of the continual and progressive nature of God’s work in us.

What’s more, it helps us remember that our total salvation is closer than ever - our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

The crowning moment of our salvation will be the day when Jesus comes back to this earth in person to finalize what we’ve been waiting for – seeing Him and being joined to Him forever.

And here is the main truth of the message today: Keeping a salvation mindset will protect us from distraction, disorientation, and discouragement as we keep our eyes on the prize.

Transition: Let’s look at what this helmet of salvation means and how it can affect our lives as we stand our ground against a fierce, dangerous enemy.

I. Head protection against sin (past, present, future)

The first part of God’s salvation plan for us includes bringing us to a place where we recognize how much we need Him.

We are struck by our own sinful choices and behavior and long to be free from the cycle of shame and failure.

If we allow our faith to overcome our objections, we find ourselves calling on the Lord to forgive us and to change our hearts.

And the cool thing is – He does!

We experience a new birth on the inside!

Our spirit is transformed within us and we begin to experience God’s salvation in our lives.

This is amazing!

Nothing on earth is like it!

Only those who taste of it know how sweet it is!

Where there once was bondage there is freedom.

Where there was depression there now is joy!

Where there was guilt and shame there is now peace and hope.

The old has gone the new has come.

We begin to get acquainted with Jesus through prayer and through the Bible, and it makes all the difference in the world!

What a great thing God has done for us!

We are at peace with God!

The past is taken care of!

But there is more to this salvation.

The 2nd part of God’s salvation plan includes the ongoing present.

The Bible calls this sanctification, which means being set apart for God.

You might compare it to being spoken for.

When two people are engaged, they set themselves apart from other romantic relationships.

They are set apart for each other.

When we call on the Lord and enter a committed relationship with Him, we set ourselves apart for Him.

We separate from sinful habits and a lifestyle of self-indulgence and we begin to do life with God.

God speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and helps us work out our salvation each and every day.

We do not save ourselves.

That was done by Christ alone when He died and rose again.

However, it does take our cooperation with God for His salvation to take effect in our lives.

He is still working in me and in you!

The 3rd part of God’s salvation plan is the ultimate fulfillment of His promise to save us.

Jesus told his disciples about this in

The return of Jesus Christ was of great concern to the early church.

It was their hope and belief that Jesus could come back at any time to bring final and ultimate salvation.

However, after several years some people got tired of just hoping and waiting, so they changed their theology.

Some said that it had already happened and they missed it.

Others said, “Where is it?

New chapter, same old book.

He must not be coming.”

They didn’t keep their helmets on!

They became disillusioned, they lost their focus, and they fell right back into sin.

Peter talked about this in one of his letters.

,

-V.10 says, “The day of the Lord will come....” Salvation is coming!

We don’t know when, but we can be sure it is on its way!

So keep your head!

Don’t let doubts and disappointments make you lose sight of the reality of Christ’s return.

II.

Head protection against confusion

Head wounds can be fatal – the helmet keeps us from becoming disoriented.

A blow to the head can really mess with your equilibrium and make you lose your balance and your focus.

We can lose our balance in so many areas if we do not guard our minds.

Paul warns about this in

Do you ever think about the shortness of time?