We have learned much of great value from this series: how to walk with the Lord, how to enter in to the best position of spiritual defense, how to get into warfare. In Ephesians 6:17, the first part of the verse, we find additional armor for soldiers of the Lord: And take the helmet of salvation. There are words for helmet in both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek. But the Greek word, perikephalaia, could just as well be a hard hat. It means literally, “something that is wrapped around the head.” More than a helmet, it is something you must wear. If you ever have been on a motorcycle, you know it is recommended that you wear a helmet, for tragedy can result from not taking protective measures.
In this series of messages we come to a protection for the head: the helmet of salvation. Now we will look to a parallel passage to Ephesians 6:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:8: But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. Here it is called “the hope of salvation.” Salvation is a matter of faith … by grace you have been saved through faith, Ephesians 2:8—yet the whole experience of our salvation is sustained by maintaining a hope of salvation.
Various ones in the Body are confronted with the problem of utter despair, of facing so many circumstances and problems without this living hope that God gives to the mind. It is like a helmet that protects it. If they do not have it, they become vulnerable to very great depths of despair, depths which can shatter them.
In your walk with God, you go through a certain transition while the Lord is shifting you from the human element to the divine element. Any man who has had any confidence in the flesh will be broken before God is through with him, and where he had been self-reliant and confident, now he feels completely inadequate to cope with anything. He comes to utter despair. This is why thoughts of suicide often hit people who come into the dealings of God at the initial stage, because God has to bring them to the end of all human confidence. The work of circumcision is involved in this.
Oh, those who are the circumcision are not the Jews of the Old Testament or the present Jew. Circumcision is not that which is outward, but of the heart, Paul tells us (Romans 2:29). And in Philippians 3:3, he says, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. There is no confidence in the flesh whatsoever; we know what is there. We have learned bitterly, deeply, in a circumcision of heart, that there can be no basis of confidence whatsoever in what we are or what we can do.
Our abilities God blows on, absolutely. He brings the high and the mighty down (Isaiah 5:15). He humbles the rich, but He makes the poor of this world heirs of the Kingdom (James 2:5). Why the poor of this world? Because when we start in our walk, we may not be poor in spirit, but soon God deals with us, and we are poor in spirit. If we are to inherit the Kingdom, if we are to walk with God, He has to put an end to this arrogance of the flesh, and that He does. And despairing we say, “Oh, I used to be able to order my life, I used to do anything I set my heart to do, but I no longer am able.” Suddenly, our own inadequacy overwhelms us.
Remember this. It will help you when you go through it, and it helps to explain it if you have gone through it, or if you are going through it at the present time. Oh, it is such a tremendous key. The hope of salvation is not a confidence in human ability. It is a living thing that your mind accepts by virtue of the grace of God, and it will help you to reach in and believe God’s promises, believe what He said, and have a hope when everything else of human hope is gone.
In Romans 4:18 we read of Abraham, Who against hope, believed in hope that he might become … Apply this to yourself. The Scripture continues, “that he might become the father of many nations,” but “against hope.” In other words, when there was no basis of hope at all, he believed in hope, that he might become. If you want to become something in God, there has to be a hope like Abraham had, a hope based on faith, which fills your mind. That hope absolutely is not a human hope, because you will come to the place of utter despair.
Rebekah said, “My soul despairs because of the daughters of Heth” (Genesis 27:46). They so enraged her, and they were always there. She didn’t know what to do about it. But you must have a faith that there is an answer for that continuing, exasperating circumstance, that problem which won’t go away; it is right there to haunt and oppress you. You say, “I am being bombarded by feelings and emotions, by thoughts I can’t control.” Circumstances, oppressions, demonic forces can help contribute to it, but put on that hard hat (or that crash helmet—whatever you want to call it), because it is the best thing there is for soft heads! When the enemy would get to you, and the oppression would become an obsession and you cannot get away from it, this is the only protection. The helmet of salvation is a piece of armor for everyone going into battle. It keeps the devil from getting to you and obsess your mind with some problem.
Anyone whose heart is set to walk with God is singled out for a great deal of attention by the enemy. The devil is not someone going around, merely trying to create a nuisance. He is the bitter enemy of God, trying to stop what God is bringing forth in the earth. When he foresees and anticipates anyone, anywhere, who has faith in Christ, whose heart is so hungry and open that he would reach into God, he will do everything he can to create circumstances, problems, obsessions, and oppressions to block him completely, to hem him in. There is no one in this world who has ever been called of God to do the will of the Lord who has not been opposed bitterly. Sometimes one’s mind can be filled with this oppressive thing that torments him; he can’t get away from it. He does not know what to do.
If the enemy has been tormenting you, there can be no greater proof in all the world that you are a chosen vessel of the Lord, that you are included among God’s people. Everything he is trying to tell you only proves the opposite. He is telling you to be discouraged and give up, yet everything he is trying to do shows that he believes and trembles at what God has said. The word of God over you frightens him. It puts terror to his heart, because he knows the time has come for his judgment. The events will move swiftly and rapidly, and he can’t stop them. He knows his time is short, so he is raging against you (Revelation 2:12). Oh, be encouraged. If you are going through these things, happy are you if you endure, for you are among the chosen and elect of God. God is doing a work and is allowing it to come forth within your very life.
We must bring the mind in complete subjection to the Lord, because even when revelation comes to the heart, the mind is constantly assailed by the fiery darts, the fiery missiles of the wicked one. They come and bombard you, and you think, “Oh, what is this? Why should this be happening to me?” It is a sign that you left the realm of the multitudes that just exist, and you moved into those who are approaching the life of God, fulfilling the purposes of God, becoming the instruments of God. Do you think it is easy? No, it is not. Satan will battle you all the way. The minute you turn from walking the same way he is and begin to move toward the objective God has in mind, all of the forces of hell and every hindering thing that the devil musters come against you and assails you, over and over again.
We need this helmet, this protection around the head. What does Romans 8 say about the carnal mind? “It is enmity against God; not subject to the law of God. To be carnally minded is death.” Oh, that is terrible. Then all the enemy has to do to most of us is hit us in the head. Even when we stumble in other areas, we get up and fight on, but he has a sneaky way of hitting us in the head, in the mind, in the carnal mind. We are told about this over and over again.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. In other words, don’t worry about it. Do not let whatever you go through become an obsession of your mind. You say, “But how can I keep it from happening?” You can. Put on that helmet of the hope of salvation. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7. Lord, look after our heads; give that living hope within us, that burning within our hearts which God says is to be ours.
Romans 8 not only talks about the carnal mind, but we read in Romans 8:24: For we are saved by hope. You say, “I don’t believe that. Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by the grace of God through faith.” That is true, but we are speaking of the perpetuation of the salvation that begins by faith—by faith in the grace of God. The gift of God is eternal life. Romans 6:23. However, you want to maintain it; getting something is not always as intricate as keeping it. As a child, I found that was true when I played “King of the Mountain.” I was really good at tripping people down the mountain, but it was another thing for me to stay on top.
When the father “gives” the bride away, the groom, so far, has not had much expense. Then the bride comes down the aisle with her father, who is tearful, perhaps, but really his problems are ended … usually. The groom lifts the veil and kisses her, and she walks on up the aisle with him. Now that young man has taken a free gift, but the maintenance and upkeep will cost him the rest of his life! Thus the salvation of the Lord comes as a free gift. It is just that the maintenance on it costs us everything. When you become a believer, you can receive all grace, but what does it cost? Everything. That is what the Lord wants to show us as we move into the battle. It is marvelous to preach of the free grace of God, but it is another thing to preach about its maintenance and upkeep.
Let’s get back to our main line of thought: the helmet of salvation. Would you like to know where Paul first was stimulated by the Holy Spirit to see this idea of the armor? We can trace it to the Old Testament, especially out of the book of Isaiah. In chapters preceding Ephesians 6, Paul has revealed that through the Church would be manifest the great wisdom of God to principalities and powers. He has been speaking about God’s great eternal plan, about the foundational ministries and what they accomplish in bringing the Church to perfection, about the great mystery that had been hidden but was now revealed to the apostles and prophets. These are fantastic revelations, and for us to reduce them to some simple little thought would be ridiculous. “Now put on the whole armor of God—this piece for your head, this piece for your heart; go in and battle.” He means, “Appropriate the attributes of God!” The hope of salvation as a helmet is not a human ability, “Come on now, everybody hope. Where there’s life, there’s hope.” God wants to kill the human ability and the human reliance on human resources. He is trying to get us into God!
What is the hope of salvation? It is the Lord’s hope! It is the Lord’s great expectation! He is seated at the right hand of the Father, henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet. Hebrews 10:13. Oh, our Christ is so active; our blessed Lord is believing for us. He has a hope and an anticipation, and He conveys that to us as we pass through these days when men will despair and cry for rocks and mountains to fall upon them. They will look for every way out that they can find. The suicide rate will increase. Men’s hearts will be filled with terror, … failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Luke 21:26. There will be an annihilation of what we have known as the instinctive hope that rises up within an individual.
How will we keep going? He will give us His love, His hope, His faith, His righteousness. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might. This is the appropriation of God’s very attributes, which are communicable. Anything that God is, He can communicate to you. The moment you say, “Dear Jesus, I’m sorry I’m a sinner. Forgive me. I want to serve you,” He communicates to you His eternal life. Eternity He gives you, right then. Righteousness He gives you; He clothes you with it and looks upon you with His righteousness covering your heart. He looks upon you with His faith. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 He imparts to you even a measure of faith.
You say, “Well, I don’t have much.” He gave you a measure of it—if you’ve enough faith to ask for faith, He will give you more. Believe! Believe that all God is, He will impart and communicate to you. Can you believe that? Doesn’t this take away some of the pressure? You do not have to produce anything. Believe Him; He will produce it.
Shall we go now to the book of Isaiah? There we find various passages that Paul was quoting in relation to the helmet of salvation. What do we see there, some marvelous prophecies to the Old Testament Israel? No. What were they? Prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ in the endtime victories. This means that Paul had been reading and studying, and the Spirit anointed him to understand. Then he brought forth the exhortation, “Put on the whole armor of God,” because he knew that the great Christ-Body he had been speaking about would come forth; Christ would be moving to accomplish these things.
Now the Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede (what is he saying? that no one was capable of bringing the victory to the believer, to us who want salvation); then His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness like a breastplate (didn’t we read about the breastplate of righteousness? We see that Isaiah is the basis by which Paul saw the Christian armor), and a helmet of salvation on His head. This is what we are speaking of now.
It is the Lord who is to gain victory: And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds, so He will repay, wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense.
So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun, for He will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the Lord drives. “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.” Isaiah 59:15–21.
Now let us go back and read verses 1 and 2: Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, so that He does not hear. He recounts all the wicked sins of Israel, and then he brings this amazing picture of the Lord going forth in His armor, the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation (quoted in the book of Ephesians). What is it really all about? He is foretelling our Lord’s execution of victory in this day! And you and I, members in the Body of Christ, will be the ones to execute it—Christ through us.
“Oh fine, I’ll go out and do it.”
You will not get very far unless you clothe yourself, until you are strong in the Lord and the power of His might. If you had to face the devil with human limitations, human inability, you would soon be washed out. But He is saying to you, “You are to clothe yourself with the armor of the Lord. Then you are going to meet this.”
“I do not know how I am going to go on another day. I don’t know how I’m going to stand it. I’ve just reached the end of myself.”
Good! Now you can begin to move in Him. Years ago during a particular trying period of time, I said “Lord, “I have just run out of faith.” And the Lord spoke to me, “From now on, why don’t you use My faith?” From that time on, another faith took hold.
Sooner or later you will come to the defeat that shatters completely your self-confidence, or you will never walk in what God intends. He will bring something to you that is so humiliating, so degrading, such a total defeat. Out of that will come the anointing of the Lord, for you will reach into His fullness and draw from it. That is the way we will become the great conquerors in the army of the Lord. In times of discouragement, I have thought, “Some army. All we could do is choose up sides and throw marshmallows.” But the Lord is bringing forth an army, and worlds will be moved and an age will be changed by a people that walk humbly before God and appropriate this.
Do not think this is just another sermon. This is a deep principle, teaching us to trust the Lord, to depend on Him.
“But all I want is someone to straighten out my family affairs. I want God to bless my children. I have a problem with my husband. What shall I do?”
Circumstances are not really so much my concern in this message. They are incidental. They are trivial. The issue is, will you come to walk with God? Will you learn how to appropriate His fullness? We can solve your problem, and in six weeks you will be back with another set of problems. Walk with God and you will find an answer in the Lord. The circumstances and the problems will be met.
Isaiah 52:6, 7: Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’ How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” “Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”—where did it come from? This verse!
Verses 8–10: Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; for they will see eye to eye when the Lord restores Zion. Break forth, shout joyfully together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God. The subject seems to have changed, but it has not. Verses 11, 12: Depart, depart, go out from there. (Go out from where? Babylon.) Touch nothing unclean; go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord. But you will not go out in haste, nor will you go as fugitives, for the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. What has he brought here?
Again, a picture of the conquering Lord in the end-time warfare.
“The Lord makes bare His arm in the eyes of all the nations”– this goes back to a primitive custom of how champions would go out to fight one another. We have an example in 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, threatened Israel and said, “You pick out somebody to come fight us.” The outcome of that one battle would be not a lot of lives lost; only one would be lost. The army that the champion represented then took over. Goliath, nine feet tall, is raging and fuming, and here comes little David to battle him.
The champion on each side would throw the tunic back over his shoulder so that the sword arm would be free when he came out in the challenge of battle. The Word says the Lord will make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. All the ends of the earth! We haven’t seen that time yet, but the Lord is making bare His arm.
The next chapter, Isaiah 53, is a prophecy about the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 1: …. To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? This victory is to come through the Lord Jesus Christ as He makes bare His arm—and it is His victory manifested through us! That is what the armor of the Lord is all about. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is His word in your mouth. It is not His word in His mouth, it is His word in your mouth. Above all, you take the sword of the Spirit, you take the helmet of salvation, you go to speak the word of the Lord. For this is the will of God in this hour, that His victory He won so many centuries ago will now be made manifest, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. We are executors of His victory. We go everywhere casting out the devils because He won the victory.
He is the Lord of lords, He is the King of kings; He has made bare His arm and it is the hour for His victory to be manifested. It is the hour for the Lord to prevail over all the hosts of darkness and for the kingdoms of this world to become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Revelation 11:15). Do not think that it will be a sovereign thing independent of any instrumentality, for God has proclaimed that you are His Body. You are the members of His Body, and He is going to move through you. So move in. Begin to appropriate. Take it! You will walk as a beggar looking for a handout or you will walk as the army of the Lord. It all depends on whether or not you are willing to partake and appropriate what God sets before you. Do not feel sorry for yourself; do not languish in the circumstances that He has ordered. How else can He make you what He wants you to be, a channel He is going to use?
Now do you feel, “Lord, I can make it because I can reach into You for the answers”? This message is designed to turn absolute despair into perfect faith, because it is the exact thing that God is saying. This is the way to get that protection—a hard hat for soft heads. This is not a dole line, a bread line. We do not beg for crumbs. We are not dogs; we are children of His table, reaching in to become full partakers of it.
Let there be the positive declaration in your heart, “Lord, I renounce my own abilities. I renounce any hope in my own resources. I put no confidence in the flesh but I dare to believe for Your impartation, for what You are becoming within my life. In the name of the Lord, I accept this. I will think no other way, Lord, and You will give me grace. I will not go back into the days of despair or selfpity, and feel that all of this is in vain and I have lost the battle. I clearly open my heart, Lord, to You.
“You are the Master, You are the conqueror. We are only manifesting Your victory; we are only speaking in Your name, in Your authority. This we shall have, in the name of the Lord. Amen.”
We repent for despairing instead of putting on the hope of salvation. We believe for that hope of salvation for our heads. Lord, for this old carnal mind that wars against You, give us that helmet today—a living hope of salvation.
Everything we do is to be an expression of real discipleship, of a people who have become totally involved and are giving our entire lives. Every time we bring an offering to the Lord, I pray that first, it will always be, by human evaluation, a sacrifice to the Lord; second, that if you are not involved in deep, meaningful work that is in the will of God for you to perform in ministry, that God will miraculously move on you and thrust you into the place of service you are to have. You cannot stop with the giving of money. This has to be an involvement of your whole life with the Lord. It has to be a willingness to give everything that you are, your time and energy. And not just while the mood is on you, but on and on and on until you are drawing on God’s strength and on His grace continually to be the ministry God wants you to be. There isn’t any other way.
We want to be that chosen remnant of the Lord, willing to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, to do anything that God requires of us to do. And while we want to appropriate His fullness, the leverage that gives our faith its greatest force in appropriation is the fact that we have no reservations about what we give to Him. We do not pray, “Lord, give me something that I can use or that I need.” We pray, “O Lord, I believe to take of Your fullness and to be the perfect instrument in Your hand that You want in this generation.” Amen.