Stand, Taking The Helmet Of Salvation

The main idea of this information is that the helmet of salvation is important for protecting the mind in spiritual battles. The helmet is described as a spiritual armor, not a physical one. It helps to deflect blows and protect against doubt and discouragement. The helmet represents the past, present, and future aspects of salvation. It is important to rely on God and trust in Him in all battles. ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំ ទំ ទំ ទំ ទំ ទំ ទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ ទំទំ Notice that all of this armor is bathed in prayer. We don't stop praying. We don't start communicating with Jesus Christ and with the Father just because the battle is getting tough. He says, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. See it as the watching that increases our faith. It's seeing the armor work. I'm reminded of poor David when he went up before Goliath and Saul tried to get him to put on his armor. You remember he said, I don't know nothing about your armor. I haven't tried your armor. I haven't tested your armor. But guess what? I have tested God. And God is able to deliver me. He's delivered me from the hand of a bear. He's delivered me from the mouth of a lion. God is who I've tried. And I will simply go out there and trust God. That's what we're talking about. And that's what we need to rely on. And so I want us to notice this morning this helmet of salvation as it is described. When we look at this helmet, you go back and you look in Roman times and you will find that the helmet that the soldiers wore were very, very much important to their survival, even on the battlefield. The helmets, a lot of times, I use this Roman helmet here in our picture today, but a lot of times they were made of leather. They were covered in metal of some kind. It was made of a metal that was beaten to perfectly fit their head and the shape of their head. A lot of the helmets had metal extensions that would go and cover their cheeks and these extensions were designed to protect the face. Now what was the purpose of this helmet? The purpose of the helmet was obviously designed to protect the head. And many times during the battles of the days of the Romans, a lot of times they fought against the cavalry. So there would be soldiers that would be mounted up on horseback and they would come and these soldiers that were mounted on horseback would be carrying what we know as a broadsword, a very long sword with two sharp edges on either side and as they were coming into the battlefield on their horses, they would wield that heavy broadsword at the individuals that they were fighting and the helmet was designed as this broadsword was swung to be able to deflect the blows upon the head, to be able to help to save you that was there. This sword that he's talking about, that we're talking about, this broadsword is a different sword from the sword that is mentioned in verse 17. We'll study next week where he says, take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. That sword was a sword that was carried by the soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. It was literally a small dagger and it was for close-up. You know, if you're doing close-up hand-to-hand fighting, you don't want to have a big broadsword in your hand because guess what? You get one blow but what happens when you swing that big heavy sword around? They've got you while you're trying to get it loaded again. So you want that small dagger, you want to be able to move and to maneuver and so as we look at this and we understand this, our text says that this is not necessarily a physical helmet but this is a spiritual helmet and we are to wear this spiritual helmet when we are in spiritual battles against spiritual forces, especially wicked spiritual forces. And so guess what? When you look at this and you think about the spiritual aspect, what the author here and what Paul is trying to tell us is we need to be able to protect our mind. When it comes to the warfare, spiritual warfare, we need to protect our mind. Satan wants to get into our mind. Jesus Christ said as a man thinketh so does he. I made this statement a couple of weeks ago I spoke at a conference and we were talking about spiritual warfare and I challenged them and I'll challenge you this morning to go through the Bible and find one verse where God tells us to think. It's not there. He tells us to meditate on His Word. He tells us to read His Word. He tells us to trust His Word but nowhere does He ever say think because thinking often leads to problems and that's how Satan got into Eve, wasn't he? He got her to think. Did God really say when Satan came to Jesus? Did God really say? Did God really want? And so I think a lot of times we as Christians today and why is it that all of us can have the same Bible but have 50 million different religions and ideas and opinions in this world? Because you've got a lot of individuals that are thinking. The Bible is not hard. The Bible is not difficult. My problem with the Bible is I want to overthink and when I start to overthink the Bible, guess what? I begin to start doing and I look for things. Well, maybe I can discover something that nobody else has ever noticed before, right? Or I can find that little nugget that I've never seen before. And what begins to happen when I think? I end up with false doctrines, false teachings. I end up leading people away. And so then we are not commanded to think. We are just commanded to do what? To speak the Word of God. To share the Word of God. To meditate on what's already there. To rehearse it within our mind. To memorize it but not to think about it. And so as we think about this helmet of salvation what it's talking about here is Satan is very much to attack us in our mind. That's why Paul said in Romans chapter 12 and verse 2 be not conformed to this world but be transformed. How? By the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that perfect will of God. You know why so many Christians today don't understand what the will of God is for their life? Because they're thinking and they're not obeying. I can take you scripture after scripture that says this is the will of God. And so man just start doing what we know and what God commands us to do and guess what? Everything else will take care of itself. And so as we look at this helmet this morning we are talking about the protection of our mind. We don't want doubt. We don't want discouragement. We don't want the things that come into our mind to take us and sideline us in the battle. And unfortunately we have a lot of Christians today that are sidelined in the battle today and Satan seems to be winning because our mind. Our mind. We've let down the guard and we've allowed Satan to get into our mind. So what is he talking about here? If we understand that this helmet is for the spiritual protection of our mind then how is it depicted? Well he says the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation. Now I want you to understand Paul is talking to the Christian. You go all the way back to Ephesians chapter 1. Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to what? The saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul is writing to save people. If you were not saved you would not have any of the armor that we've already talked about because the armor is Jesus Christ and when you are in Christ and Christ is in you, you have the armor. That's when you take the whole armor of God is when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Your protection. Your provider. And so this is not talking about salvation of the soul. You don't get down after you've already have your loins girded about with truth. You don't have the breastplate of righteousness. You don't have these things and now all of a sudden now you're talking about salvation. So what is he talking about? What is he talking about? And fortunately, many of us as Christians and believers and Bible people and especially those of us that have been in church for a long time, when we hear the word salvation, we automatically think of giving our life to Jesus Christ, right? But guess what? Do you realize that you can be saved from a flood? You can be saved from drowning. You can have salvation from a bad meal. You can have salvation from watching something that maybe was not good or tasteful. See, salvation comes in a lot. And so what we have to do is understand the context of what the author is talking about. What is he talking about? Well, we need to understand that salvation comes in three forms. Or really, not necessarily forms, but a better word would probably be three stages of salvation. Do you realize that there is a past salvation, there is a present salvation, and there is also a future salvation? And so I want just to look at this and understand what Paul is depicting in this passage of Scripture, this helmet of salvation. He is not referring to past salvation. In other words, what do we mean by past salvation? There was a time at nine years old in Central Baptist Church in Bastrop, Louisiana that I bowed right here on this side of the altar from the pulpit and I gave my heart to Jesus Christ and He saved me from the penalty of sin. He wiped away all of my sins and He cast them as far as the east is from the west, never to be remembered no more. Because I judged myself as guilty in sin, guess what? Jesus Christ wiped away the penalty of sin. I will never be judged or penalized because of my sin. It's a real big fancy word that we use in church, a churchy word that's called justification. You heard that word justification? And what does most people say when we define it? We've come up with this clever little saying that just as if I have never sinned. And that's this doctrine of justification. That is talking about our past salvation. That happened to me when I was nine years old. Romans chapter 3 explains this. He says, being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus, what justified us? The grace of Jesus Christ. We were justified. Does any of us deserve salvation? No. It is a gift. It is by His grace. Whose grace? Jesus Christ. We are redeemed by His blood. He was sinless. He was able to stand for us. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation, a payment. Through what? Faith in His blood. So God has extended the grace to us. And by grace are you saved. What? Through faith according to Ephesians that not of yourselves it is a gift of God. And so propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past. In other words, through the forbearance of God. He goes on down in verse 28 of chapter 3 and he says, therefore we conclude. Here is the ending of his argument. That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. In other words, if I look at the law and I match my life up according to the law, I am guilty. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none that is righteous. No, not one. But guess what? When I was nine years old and I asked Jesus Christ to save me, that was a past event forty something years ago, guess what? God at that moment came into my heart and He wiped me away as if I had never sinned before. That's justification. That is the doctrine of justification. But that's not what he's talking about here because why? We wouldn't even have the armor on if we were not already saved and without sin in our life. And so we're not talking about that past salvation, so what about present salvation? I don't believe he's talking about our present salvation. You say, what do you mean by present salvation? And what I mean is, is that sin, even though I have been forgiven and the penalty of sin has been completely removed, now I am free from the power of sin. It is still in my life, but it doesn't rule my life. I, through the Holy Spirit, rule over sin. I now have dominion over my flesh and over the choices and the decisions and the things that I do. We learn that in Ephesians chapter 5 where he said, husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that he might what? Sanctify it, set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might what? Present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. This is the fancy word that we call the doctrine of sanctification. In other words, this is not something that is going to happen at the return of Jesus Christ, but hopefully right now you are living in a way that God is honored and God is glorified by the life and you're presenting yourself as you come to worship him this morning. You are presenting him and showing that you have been saved from the power of sin. That's what we're going to be judged on later is based on our works. How well did we live for him? Were we sanctified? See, we're saved from the penalty of sin, but we're also saved from the power of sin. And that's what's happening right now. I am learning to not be conformed to this world, but I'm being transformed by the renewing of my mind that I may what? Present myself holy and acceptable unto God. That is the doctrine of sanctification. We are saved in the past. We are being saved right now. Sanctification. But I don't believe this helmet of salvation is talking about either one of these. Because how does me failing all of the time and yielding to the flesh and messing up and making mistakes. Paul said what? There is this battle that is going on. I have to beat my body into subjection. How is that going to help me in my mind when Satan comes a knocking? And so I don't believe he's talking about past salvation. I don't believe he's talking about our present salvation. So that leaves one more area of salvation, and that is our future salvation. And I believe this is what he's talking about. And this is the doctrine of glorification. This is glorification. And what we use for this is the passage that I read for our scripture reading this morning in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. But I want to just read verse 8 and I read 1-11 so that we can understand the context of what he is talking about here in verse 8. He says, But let us who are of the day. Who is us of the day? Those of us that are saved. Remember he started out in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 1. And he said, But of the times and seasons brethren have I no need to write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief of the night. And so those of us that have already been saved in the past. Those of us that are being saved in the present. Guess what? We are sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet. What? The hope of salvation. Now brother Don am I confusing you just a little bit this morning? Look at that the hope of salvation. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am saved. Because God told me I was saved from the penalty of sin. The Holy Spirit is helping me to live without the power of sin. But one of these days I will be glorified. One of these days I will have a body that is given to me that is not affected with the presence of sin. God is going to wipe away and give me a glorified body. And Paul writes about this or the author of Hebrews writes about this in chapter 6 verse 19. He says we have a hope which we have as an anchor of the soul. Sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil. What is within the veil? The presence of God. How can I go in to the presence of God? I cannot except through Jesus Christ. He is the blood. He is the only way to get through the veil. And so guess what? When I put on Jesus Christ, I'm only able to go before God spiritually. I can't take this body and walk into the presence of God. When we say come boldly to God, guess what? I'm still in a sinful body. But one of these days, guess what? I'm going to be able to walk. And this is the anchor of our soul. This is what anchors us. This is what keeps us going when the battle gets tough is knowing that guess what? One of these days I'm going to receive a glorified body. One of these days this fleshly body is going to be done away with. This body is going to be revealed. He explains it to us in 1 Peter. And Peter understood something about the flesh and the spirit because he had some pretty direct conversations with Jesus Christ over this thing of battling the flesh, of battling with Satan and living for Jesus Christ. And Peter starts out his first letter and he said, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And he goes into verse 4 he said, To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Now if I am already saved, then why in the world is it talking about that there's going to be a time that I'm going to be saved? Because he's talking about the glorification. People are going to an incorruptible and undefiled place and God is going to give us an undefiled body. And Peter explains it even better in 2 Peter chapter 1. Look at what he says in verse 3. According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath what? Called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature and then notice this word having escaped the corruption that is in this world through lust. Have we escaped the corruption of this world yet? No! We're still in a fleshly body. That's why we have to armor up. We have to suit up. Because why? All of the fiery darts that Satan, all of the temptations and stuff that Satan is putting before us. We have to have the shield of faith. We have the word of God to protect us from all of these temptations. But guess what? Peter says one of these days I won't have to worry about the armor of God. I won't have to worry about the fiery darts of Satan because why? Because I'm going to be glorified. I'm not going to have to deal with sin because I'm going to be given a new body. Paul said it this way in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 5. For we through the Spirit wait wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Even though Jesus Christ has already way back here in the past when I was nine years old declared me righteous before God. Guess what? I am still waiting for that full righteousness because why? I am still battling between the flesh and the Spirit. I am going to be and that's the cool thing about Jesus Christ is in His promises and in the word of God. He tells us in Romans chapter 8 and verse 23. He says not only they but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves have grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies. That's why we want Christ to come back. We don't want Christ to return right now because why? All of these lost people are going to die and go to hell if Christ returns right now. But I also know that I'm a bad witness for Jesus Christ. I have a bad testimony for Jesus Christ because I'm in the flesh. But one of these days guess what? I'm going to have a glorified body. One of these days I'm never going to make a mistake. I'm never going to fall for the lies and the temptations. And so man, my body is groaning. My body is looking forward to that day when John looked at all of Revelation and God pouring His wrath out and judging this earth and judging the evil wicked man up on this earth. And John finally gets to chapter 20 and he says God begins to show him heaven and begins to show him what it's going to be like in the new heaven and the new earth without any sin with a glorified body when all of the tears are going to be wiped away. All of the results of sin at the end is going to be taken away. There's going to be no more pain. There's going to be no more sorrow. There's going to be no more sickness, disease. What did John say? John said even so, Lord, come quickly. Come quickly. Why? Because he was a living proof to torture. They had tried to boil John in a boiling vat of oil. But guess what? God spared his life. Can you imagine living with the scars and everything of being boiled alive but they couldn't kill you? I think John understood something about pain and suffering. But he said, man, I'm going to get that glorified body when Christ returns. And he said even so, Lord, come quickly. Come quickly. And so we're waiting for the redemption of our body. And notice he tells us also in Romans chapter 13 and verse 11 that knowing the time that now it is high time to what? Awake out of our sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. How in the world is my salvation nearer today than when I was nine years old? Because I trusted Him with everything that I have at nine years old. He wiped away the penalty of sin. I've been living for Him and giving my life and presenting my life a living sacrifice to Him. I've been sanctified and set apart for Jesus Christ. But one of these days that it's getting very, very close for Jesus Christ to come back and guess what? He's going to give me a glorified body. And I'm not going to have to be worried about the presence of sin any longer. And so it is closer than we have ever imagined. That final phase of glorification. John said it this way in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 2. He said now we are the sons of God. Right now you are the son of God. You have been adopted into His family. But guess what? We have not fully realized that yet. But we will because look at what John says. John says it does not yet appear what we shall be. God has adopted me, but I don't understand what all comes with adoption. I'm learning every day what I have in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3 where He has blessed me with all spiritual blessings because He has chosen me. He has adopted me. He has enabled me. He has blessed me. I am learning more and more about what that adoption entails. But guess what? When He shall appear, when He shall appear we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is. That glorification. Man, that's the day we're looking forward to. That's the day we're anticipating. And so now that we understand this helmet is there to protect our mind. What are we protecting our mind from? We are protecting our mind by focusing on the salvation that God has already promised us that will be fulfilled in the future. Let's notice real quickly how we deploy this helmet. How do we wear this helmet? What do we do? Go back to our text and take the helmet of salvation. What we are talking about here is confidence in a full, final, total salvation when we will be glorified before God. Notice what we find here. Why should we have total confidence? Because Satan is going to bring us discouragement. Every day as Christians, we are faced with discouragement. Amen? We go through discouraging times. If we are not properly protected, then Satan is very easy to use discouragement to defeat us in our walk with the God. Because why? Satan comes when I get ready to preach in his authority this morning because he has placed me in the ministry of reconciliation. But God, do you understand how I've lived this way? Do you understand what I've done wrong? And you want me to stand up there and proclaim your word? See, I can become very discouraged very quick when Satan starts pointing out the sins, the failures, the shortcomings that have happened in my life, right? We can become discouraged. And where does that happen? In our mind. You know, when you preach your heart out and you give an invitation and nobody responds, Satan can get to me while I'm eating my lunch and say, man, if you'd have done better sermon or if you'd have preached this, then you'd probably got... See, he brings about discouragement. Let me give you an example of the prophet Elijah. You remember who Elijah was? Elijah is a very fascinating story because Elijah enjoyed such a stream of spiritual victories. I sometimes pray, Lord, man, I would love to be able to see and do some of the things that Elijah did because his ministry just astounds me. Elijah prayed down fire from heaven and when he did so, do you realize that through his prayer God responded and he killed 450 prophets of Baal. Talk about fighting your enemy. He didn't fight them. He didn't kill them with his own hand. What did he do? He prayed and God came down and destroyed every single one of them. And then what happens? Three and a half years of outrunning the chariot of King Ahab trying to be destroyed all the way to Mount Carmel. He simply stood and prayed and fire came down and destroyed them all. And then a year and a half that is the result of this problem that he had with Ahab and Jezebel. But then you want to know what happened just the very next day after God threw fire, destroyed 450 of the prophets of Baal? Jezebel became very angry. She didn't like that. She didn't like God killing her prophets. And so she was angry at Elijah. And this is what she said to Elijah in 1 Kings 19 too. If I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. Not even 24 hours after 450 prophets of Baal have been destroyed, Jezebel sends word and says guess what? I hope I die if you're not dead within the next 24 hours. And what does Elijah do? The confidence. Does he go to God in prayer? God, will you take care of this Jezebel? This evil, wicked woman? No. What does Elijah do? Elijah takes off and he travels out to Beersheba and he throws himself under a shrub, under a small tree and he asked God that he would die. Look at what he said. He said he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat under a juniper tree and requested for himself that he might die and said it is enough now O Lord, take away my life for I am not better than my father's. He was so discouraged. He was so ready to quit on God, to resign his office as a pastor, to resign his office as a prophet and to just go on into eternity and live with God for here on after. You ever been discouraged like that? You ever just wanted to quit? And God showed up in the wilderness and praise God he didn't kill Elijah but instead he rebuked him. He rebuked him. Look at what he said. He came thither into a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the Lord came to him and he said unto him what do is thou here Elijah? Why are you here in this cave? Why are you out in the middle of nowhere? We just killed 450 prophets and now here you are in this cave and Elijah responds I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts. In other words, you know what he means by jealous? I have served you with everything that I have. Every ounce of my bed. Every day I woke up with you on my mind. Every day I walked and served with you on my mind. Every night I went to bed thinking tomorrow how am I going to serve you? I have been jealous. I have come for you and everything. For the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant. They have thrown down thine altars and they have slain thy prophets with the sword. Amen, right? Man, I wish God would break out in America and revival, right? And people would start slaying all of these evil prophets. People would start tearing down all of these altars and idols and everything that we worship all week long. Revival is happening. Look at what Elijah says. I, even I only am left. And they seek my life to take it away. You ever feel like you're the only one serving God? You ever been discouraged to that point? I have. I have. I tell you all the time. The reason that I've been here the longest of my pastoring is because I was at rock bottom before I came here. I had quit. I had given up. I said God, I would rather go into heaven with a little bit of dignity and decency than to continue living in this world and be like Moses and strike the rock and be angry and mad. But God, I'm through with the ministry. Just find me something else that I can do where I don't have to pastor. When I hit rock bottom, guess what? God said, now you're ready to be used. Now you're ready for me to use you. You're not all alone. You're not by yourself. You're not in this together. And He comes to them in a small still voice. And He says, Elijah, do you realize that I have left 7,000 in Israel? All the knees which have not bowed unto Baal and every mouth which hath not kissed him? Elijah, there's 7,000 other ones that have not bowed to Baal. Someone has made this statement, Satan has many tools but that discouragement is the handle that fits them all. How many Christians today are living discouraged? God, why? God, why? Why did I get this answer? Why have I got this disease? Why is this happening? Why is this taking place? Why? Why? God, why am I the only one serving you? Why am I the only one going to church this morning? The helmet of salvation is deployed to help us from discouragement but it's also deployed to help us from doubt. Romans chapter 8 verse 29. Listen to this because I want you to take this to the bank with you when you get discouraged, when you get down. For whom he did foreknow so we heard a song last night I went to a concert at the First Baptist Church and they sang a song that I hadn't heard in a long time but when he was on the cross I was on his mind. You believe that? When Jesus Christ died? I do. I believe while he was there and his father forgave him. He was thinking 2,000 years ahead to Downing Hames. Father, forgive him. He don't know what he's doing. He foreknew me. And when I was nine years old I accepted his sacrifice and when I answered his call when I felt him pricking at my heart and poking at my heart I accepted him as my personal savior and what happened? He predestinated me to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. See, I'm going to be receive a glorified body no matter what happens to me on this earth because God has predestinated it. God has not predestined some to be saved and some not to be saved but God has predestined everyone that is in Christ to be conformed to the image of Christ. John tells us for a believer there's a sin unto death that if we're not going to be conformed to this image and we're not going to repent of our sins then God as a child of God, guess what? He says, come be with me. He'll take the physical life out. Galatians 6, 9 says let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Discouragement. That's why Peter wrote in chapter 5 of his first letter, he said be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil is a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may desire whom resists steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. You're not going through nothing that no one else has gone through. Listen to me, God is faithful. God is faithful. And man, we need to put on that helmet of salvation. It may not happen in this world and man, as we get closer to the end of the days, you might actually die for taking a stand for Jesus Christ. But that's not the end. That's just the beginning. God's going to give you a glorified body. But then the other part of that is doubt. Listen, we have so many Christians today that are doubting their salvation. Can you imagine how effective we are in a battle if we allow Satan to make us doubt our salvation? Am I good enough to be saved? Is God powerful enough to save me? Or here's the good question, can I lose my salvation? Can I do something so bad and terrible that I'm going to lose my salvation? See, we get so wrapped up in doubt that we are not effectively good for anything. If you do not believe in the power of God to save even a wretch like me, then how in the world are you going to share that gospel? See, the helmet of salvation is, listen, I was saved in the past. I'm being saved in the present. And thank God when I fail and mess up in the flesh, I don't lose my salvation. No, but 1 John 1.9 says if I confess my sins, he's what? Faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all righteousness. He says we're going to start over right now. And you can start living for me. You can start renewing your mind. You can start refocusing. And guess what? One of these days when I see him, I shall be like him. Because I'm going to be changed in the twinkling of an eye. And this corruptible body is going to put on incorruption. This mortal body is going to put on immortality. This sinful fleshly body is going to put on glorification. And I'm going to be for the first time pleasing to the Father. Pleasing. And therefore, I'm going to be able to glorify Him. Remember when God looked down at Jesus Christ on the cross and said, this is my Son in whom I am well pleased? God doesn't say that to us until after we've received our glorified body. Because every one of us is sinners. Every one of us fails. But don't let Satan get into your mind and get you discouraged or doubt. What God has begun in you, God has finished. Look at this verse, and we're going to close. You can stand. Philippians 1.6 Being confident. Put on your helmet of salvation! Confidence that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. See, I'm not trusting in myself. I'm trusting in God. And I'm going to disappoint God and I'm going to discourage God and Satan can come to me, but guess what? I just tell Satan, God's still working on me. And guess what? One of these days he's going to be finished. And I'm going to be just like him. Amen? We can have confidence. And so, man, we need to take that helmet of salvation, that confidence, and understand you may not be everything you want to be right now, but God's going to make you everything that you need to be and that He wants you to be. Have you taken the helmet of salvation? Listen, no discouragement. No doubting. You can trust God. Isn't it great to know that we can trust God? No matter what Satan comes at me, I can trust God. Because I didn't choose the ministry. God placed me in the ministry. I didn't go seeking God. God came and sought me. I didn't ask God to adopt me. He loved me while I was yet a sinner. See, everything in my life has been based upon God and God has never once let me down or forsaken me or turned His back on me. That's what we can trust. That's what we can take to the bank as we stand and sing and have a hymn invitation this morning. Do you trust Him? Don't let Satan get into your mind. Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable, perfect will of God as we sing.