When the fire becomes a flame

When the fire becomes a flame.



Why are there times when your walk with Christ ,that relationship is so on fire and other times its more like a flame just barely burning. Is it because life gets to full and too busy . Is it because your not truly happy ,in your marriage ,kids, family, job,friends,finances,maybe you feel your church is just skipping along and not doing Gods work or your growth has stagnated. Maybe your not in Gods Word daily or your prayer life is non-excitant,maybe you need a vacation . All these could be a possible reason for a flame instead of a fire.. But are they real reasons or just excuses?God desires for a strong relationship with him,he even provides the means for that too happen , through his son and his Word and he even dwells with us that is in us Rom 8:9. Christianity is the only religion were God comes to us for a relationship ,instead of us trying to earn his favor .

 People are allot of times self reliant,self sufficient,self supporting, autonomous. They don't want to admit to needing help from God or anyone else. People look at needing help as a sign of weakness, or as a form of insufficiency, and incompetence, I think you get the point. The good news is GOD is there to help us .

 I'm looking at this because my flame isn't very bright . As a Christian I know what Gods Word say's. I know what I need to do . Lets take a look at a few verses.
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV
  6 humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

 So what does this verse say :"cast all your anxieties on him. " The word anxieties in the greek is merimna can also be translated care or cares. Its the things that distract you ,to draw you in different directions its the stuff that clouds your mind with so much clutter that you cant think straight.

 When your mind is in that mode of operation that is cluttered with world events and life in general ,when your not sober minded or clear thought , congested in the head what happens verse 8

8 a Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour

SATAN or at least those that work for him commonly called demon's they are always on the prowl for those whom are fluttering in their walk ,their relationship with Christ in order to destroy them and devour them. May I also not leave out those whose relationship with Christ is strong. Satan is looking for a weak spot.


 So how do we combat this feeling of a lacking flame . Lets start with this. What do you desire? What motivate you? Who do you want to please.? Where are your priorities.?
These are all questions that only you can answer.

If the answer to the above is God or Jesus, or your relationship with Christ ,that walk in him. Then lets see if I can help you and myself get back to a fire instead of a flame.

Back to scripture. 1 Peter 5 :6a6 xHumble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God

As we can see in this scripture it starts with HUMBLE YOURSELVES . What does that mean to humble yourselves.? You need to come to the realization that you can't do a relationship alone ,your relationship with God is not just a one way street were God reaches down to us ,but also us taking his hand and letting him lead us. God  knew we would need help. He knew that at creation .Gen 2 when God made woman to be a helper to man ,to walk along side of him. And man was to cleave to the woman ,to hold fast to her this is the institution of marriage. Man and woman are one in life to support one another and consol one another .

Yet God in his eternity knew that this wouldn't be enough . Man kind falls from a relationship with Gods and sins while in the garden. So God had another plan in place cause he knew this would happen.
Christ death on the cross and his resurrection . 1 Peter 2 :24 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.


Christ the second person of the trinity God himself came to earth in the form of sinful flesh Rom 8:3 and BORE OUR PENALTY FOR SIN . That was a death on the cross.Why did he do this /1 John4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins.

He Loves us this was an act of humility he came down to humanity instead of saying you come to me ,earn your right to have a relationship with me. He provided the way  for our relation ship with him. It starts with HUMILITY, coming to the realization that we need GOD so if your in a current relationship and have excepted Christ as your personnel Savior and are floundering in that relationship ,then humble yourself and call upon the Lord to strengthen you and direct you. You cant do this alone. If you haven't excepted Christ then its time to do so. If your flame is low if its because of any of the things I mentioned earlier , well then its time to get back to the Word and pray on a regular basis. It can be a hard habit to make and a easier one to break.
 2 Chor 7:14  14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Seek his face ,humble yourselves and pray. Your land can be your life.

Back to 1Peter5:6a Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God

Under the mighty hand of GOD ?

Humbling yourself under God bing subject to his authority and his discipline ,his guidance, in his mighty power ,the hand of God is upholding and persevering God is present protecting and abiding.. When we come under the authority of God we can see things for what they are and be able to determine if what is happening is a growth thing or something that is destructive. Under Gods authority we can see what is useful and what is not. Under Gods authority we can see what has a here and now benefits and what has an eternal benefit.. Under Gods authority we can have the guidance needed to move forward in life and not get bogged down by life's everyday issues.
If your flame is low are you submitting to the authority of God and allowing his mighty power to work in and through you.. Are you trying to carry your burdens by yourself .
There is an aspect of Gods power that I haven't looked at yet. The church or body of Christ
Gal 6: 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The church is suppose to be the body of Christ bearing each others burdens. For encouragement and strength. I think its unfortunate that I don't think the church as a whole practices the sharing of burdens with one another. Probably has to do with trust issues or maybe you see what someone is like outside of the body of Christ and it makes you wonder if they truly have a relationship with God
I my self don't really practice the sharing of my issues .Why ? Maybe I think I can handle this myself ,or I don't want to trouble them with this , or they have their own issues to deal with .  How about this I don't want them to think I'm weak.  One thing Christians may do ,I know I'm guilty of this is over annualizing the burden. The scripture doesn't say in Gal 6:2 "share only the burdens that don't make you look weak nor does it say annalize to see if its worth sharing . Its say's Bear one another's burdens. " kind of straight forward. If you have people praying for you during rough time sharing in your burden and encouraging you during this time of trouble then just maybe just may be your flame will burn bright during this time. On the reverse is having people praying during the not so troubled some times.

Christ said in Mat 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Do you want to have that rest,from any of the issues mentioned at the beginning of this paper ,give it over to Christ ,share with the body of believers. Ask God for someone in your life that you can share with . If you desire a flame that is bright and burning then ,you NEED to turn to God, You NEED to humble yourselves, you NEED to pray,you NEED to study, you NEED to share you burdens with other believers,you NEED to come to Jesus.
Let me finish with this I'm not trying to say you have to do all these things to have a viable flame but it sure doesn't hurt to follow the Word of God and share your life with other believers and instead of trying to be the pilot, step back and let God fly.

I pray that  you will humble yourselves and pray seeking Gods mighty hand of protection and peace laying your burdens before Christ and receiving his rest , I pray God will show you someone in your life that you can share your burdens with , to help you have a Flame of fire and not one that's barley flickering.
May your flame burn bright as you seek out the God of the Bible.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday

"What is Ash Wednesday?"

Answer: Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross. Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday, it will always fall on a Wednesday—there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.” The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday—for that matter, it never mentions Lent.

Lent is intended to be a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting, and the forsaking of sinful activities and habits. Ash Wednesday commences this period of spiritual discipline. Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed by most Catholics and some Protestant denominations. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not observe Ash Wednesday; instead, they start Lent on “Clean Monday.”

While the Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday, it does record accounts of people in the Old Testament using dust and ashes as symbols of repentance and/or mourning (2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3). The modern tradition of rubbing a cross on a person’s forehead supposedly identifies that person with Jesus Christ. 

Should a Christian observe Ash Wednesday? Since the Bible nowhere explicitly commands or condemns such a practice, Christians are at liberty to prayerfully decide whether or not to observe Ash Wednesday.

If a Christian decides to observe Ash Wednesday and/or Lent, it is important to have a biblical perspective. Jesus warned us against making a show of our fasting: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:16-18). We must not allow spiritual discipline to become spiritual pride.

It is a good thing to repent of sinful activities, but that’s something Christians should do every day, not just during Lent. It’s a good thing to clearly identify oneself as a Christian, but, again, this should be an everyday identification. And it is good to remember that no ritual can make one’s heart right with God.

Give Thomas a break

Give Thomas a Break

This is a phrase not used much any more , “you're a doubting Thomas” It comes from Thomas not believing that Christ had risen without Thomas seeing proof .Thomas was one of the 12 Apostles.

 (John 20:24-25 ESV) Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Was Thomas in his right to want proof ,Why would the other 11  lie to him.

For just a moment let's look at what Luke has to say about Christ appearing to the disciples

So let's start with this  John 20:24 tells us that Thomas was not with the disciples when Christ appeared to them “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.”

So what was Thomas doing ? We don’t know ,maybe he was trying to figure out the next step .When Jesus was speaking of his death ,Thomas said to the other disciples “ So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”(John 11:16 ESV) “Thomas was ready to die for Christ .Later in John 13:36-38 Peter said basically the same thing.

(Luke 24:36-43 ESV)

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

What were the other 11 doing ? John 20 :19 tells us they were locked in a room for they feared the Jews. .Thomas was out and about(some speculation) maybe he was late and got locked out . They were in hiding

Let's go back to Luke 24 .What was the reaction of the 11 in a locked room ,hiding from the Jews when Christ appeared to them v37But they were startled and  frightened and  thought they saw a spirit.

I get being startled, someone taps you on the shoulder you can be startled .They

Didn’t believe their own eye’s  they thought they saw a spirit or in today's terms maybe a ghost. They didn’t believe they doubted in their hearts. V38b why do doubts arise in your hearts? This is Christ asking them.

Christ shows them evidence V 39-40 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. gTouch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this,  he showed them his hands and his feet.

 In verse 38 dought arose in their hearts compare that to Luke 24:11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

When the women told the apostles of the resurrection they thought it to be a tale, a fable . With the exception of Peter he ran to the tomb, then went home marveling at what had happened (ESV) using the word marveling as the ESV does makes it sound like he was excited ,kind of beyond himself as to what had happened. Other translations use wondering to himself as to what had happened. I think that's a better word .Peter was wondering what happened to Jesus? Probably had all kinds of questions and scenarios going thru his head .He may have even been confused.  Remember in John 13:36-38  Peter said he would lay down his life ,and yet Jesus said you would deny me 3 times.All though Peter ran to the tomb he walked away from the tomb probably bewildered ,confused ,wondering.

When he was also locked in the room .May be he was trying to convince the others in the room?

As vocal as Peter has shown to be ,when Jesus showed up in the locked room Peter was either struck dumb with awe ,or just didn’t believe like the rest that were there. With the exception of Thomas the twin. Who wasn’t there. Even after Christ showed the 11 evidence that he was real they still disbelieved 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling,he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat? Thier disbelief was possibly like” this is to good to be true “,so Jesus gave more evidence that he wasn’t a spirit and ate before them.

All this to say ,instead of calling someone a doubting Thomas .They should be called a doubting disciple for they needed evidence even when Jesus was standing before them. Shame on you Peter. Thomas ‘s name doesn’t mean doubter , it means twin in scripture he is often referred to as Thomas the twin..

Protection

You have to protect yourself

You have to protect yourself. Personally and even more important Spiritually.

I carry a Glock 43 9mm single stack  as my concealed carry gun. It is with me 99% of the time.

It is loaded with crime stopper rounds.  What good is it if I don’t have a round in the chamber or the magazine in or any rounds in the magazine ? It’s useless ,  I might as well not have it with me.  It isn’t useless like I said it's ready to go. Its of no real value to have a concealed carry permit if your not going to use it.It's of no use to have it just to say I have a permit to carry a gun.I carry for the protection of me my family and friends.Some may say that Christians shouldn’t carry guns or any other weapon,instead turn the other check. May be I’ll write something on that verse. Besides it being my second amendment right to carry a weapon ,I also think there is biblical precedent to carry a weapon. Before I show the verses we need to remember that bible is written during a time when swords were the weapon most commonly used.

(Luke 22:35-38 ESV)
And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

In this verse Jesus is tell them if you don’t have a sword to by one.This is just before Jesus’s betrayal by Judas.

John 2:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

This is Jesus ,who made the whip and drove out the criminals from the temple. So to say christians shouldn’t arm themselves for personnel protection is wrong .Christ said buy a sword and he armed himself with a whip.

 Does it do anything for my spiritual life ? NO!

Before I look at what we have for protection in the spiritual realm let's see why we need protection from the spiritual world.

1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Satan is always on the move looking for those whom he can snatch away . He is looking especially for those that call themselves Christians,he already has the non Christians.

2 Corinthians 11:14 ESV

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan is not some grotesque looking bing ,according to Scripture.

2 Corinthians 11:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

Satan has a crew

Matthew 4:1 ESV  

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV  

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Genesis 3:1 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

The Whole Armor of God(from grace to you)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

The Preparation: Strength in the Lord

Preparation is basic to living an effective Christian life. The strength of the Christian life is depending on God--on being "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might" (v. 10).

Any other strength proves to be impotent. Our own strength is never enough to oppose Satan, but when we are strong in the Lord, even a little of His strength is sufficient to win any battle. Paul said, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). It is not the amount of strength we have that's important--only its source.

The Provision: The Armor of God

To take advantage of the strength of God's might, a believer must also "put on the full armor of God, so that [he] will be able to stand firm" (Ephesians 6:11). The Greek word translated "put on"(enduo) carries the idea of permanence. The full armor of God is not something to be put on and taken off occasionally but is something to be put on permanently.

The Enemy: Satan

Ephesians 6:11 says we are to "stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Satan is God's enemy; therefore he is our enemy. The only way he can attack God is through us. And we can be sure he will seek us out and attack us with his schemes.

The Greek word translated "schemes" is methodia, which gives us the English word method. It refers to craftiness, cunning, and deception. Satan's evil schemes are built around stealth and deception.

The Battle: Against Demons

One of Satan's most effective strategies--and one of a believer's greatest dangers--is the delusion that no seriously threatening conflict between good and evil is raging in the invisible and supernatural realm. But that sort of thinking not only is naive but also leads to lethargy, indifference, and spiritual stagnation. The war between God and Satan has not diminished but intensified, and so has its front on this earth.

Ephesians 6:12 says, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Paul reminded his readers that the Christian's strug­gle is against not only Satan himself, but also the host of his demon subordinates--a vast army of adversaries, who, like the devil, are not made of flesh and blood. Our greatest enemy is not the world we see, corrupt and wicked as it is, but the world we cannot see.

The Victory: Standing Firm

Ephesians 6:13 says, "Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." God gives no deferments or exemptions. His people are at war and will continue to be at war until He returns and takes charge of the earth. But even the most willing and eager soldier of Christ is helpless without God's provision. That is Paul's point: "Take up the full armor of God" (emphasis added). We have His provision in being His children, in having His Word, in possessing His indwelling Holy Spirit, and of having every resource that our heavenly Father possesses. God is our strength, but His strength is appropriated only through obedience. His mighty armor must be put on (v. 11) and taken up (v. 13).

In the great spiritual warfare in which we do battle, we are called only to resist and stand firm. James said, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Peter counseled us to "be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9).

The Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:14 says, "Stand firm there­fore, having girded your loins with truth."  

That belt demonstrates the believer's read­iness for war and stands for truth. The Greek word translated "truth" (aletheia) basically refers to the content of that which is true. Knowing the content of God's truth is absolutely essential for the believer if he is to battle successfully against the schemes of Satan. Without knowing basic biblical teaching, he is subject to being "carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming" (Ephesians 4:14).

To be girded with truth reveals an attitude of readiness and of genuine commitment. It is the mark of the sin­cere believer who forsakes hypocrisy. Every encumbrance that might hinder his work for the Lord is gathered and tucked into his belt of truthfulness so that it will be out of the way. Paul said, "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:4).

Being girded with truth is being renewed in mind and proving "what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). When you renew your mind by committing yourself to God's truth, you will become "a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (v. 1).

The Breastplate of Righteousness

No Roman soldier would go into battle without his breastplate--a tough sleeveless piece of armor that covered everything apart from his head and limbs.  

The mind and the emotions are the two areas where Satan most fiercely attacks believers. He wants to cloud our minds with false doctrine, false principles, and false information to mislead and confuse us. He also wants to confuse our emotions and thereby pervert our affection, morals, loyalties, goals, and commitments. He desires to snatch the Word of God from our minds and replace it with his own perverse ideas. He seeks to undermine pure living and replace it with immorality, greed, envy, hate, and every other vice. He wants us to laugh at sin rather than mourn over it, and to rationalize it rather than confess it and bring it to the Lord for forgiveness. He seduces us to become so accustomed to sin in us and around us that it no longer disturbs us.

Our protection against such attacks is the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness is to be taken and wrapped around our whole being, just as ancient soldiers covered themselves with armor breastplates.

Paul here is obviously not speaking of self-righteousness, which is not righteousness at all but the sin of pride. Nor is he speaking of imputed righteousness--the righteousness God applies to the account of every Christian the moment he believes in Christ (Romans 4:6, 11, 22-24). The breastplate of righteousness is the practical righteousness of moment-by-moment obedience to God's Word.

Our armor must include the breastplate of righteousness--the genuine holiness of him or her whose "every thought [is] captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) and whose mind is set "on the things above, not on the, things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2).

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

A Christian's spiritual footwear is   important in his warfare against the schemes of the devil. If he has carefully girded his loins with truth and put on the breastplate of righteous­ness, but does not properly shod his feet with the "preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15), he is destined to stumble, fall, and suffer many defeats.

The Greek word translated "preparation" (hetoimasia) generally refers to readiness. A good pair of boots allowed the soldier to march, climb, fight, or do whatever else was necessary at a moment's notice. Christ demands the same readiness of His people.

In this passage "the gospel of peace" refers to the good news that believers are at peace with God. The unsaved person is helpless, ungodly, sinful, and an enemy of God (Romans 5:6-10).The saved person, on the other hand, is reconciled to God through faith in His Son(Romans 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

The gospel of peace is the marvelous truth that in Christ we are now at peace with God and are one with Him. Therefore, when our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, we stand in the confidence of God's love for us, His union with us, and His commitment to fight for us.

The believer who stands in the Lord's power need not fear any enemy--even Satan himself. When he comes to attack us, our feet are rooted firmly on the solid ground of the gospel of peace, through which God changed from our enemy to our defender.

The Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 says, "In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The faith Paul refers to here is faith in God, which is immeasurably more reliable than practical, everyday faith we live by. And it is far from being blind faith. Faith is only as reliable and helpful as the trustworthiness of its object. The Christian faith is infinitely powerful and because the object of faith is Jesus Christ, it is the infinite God. Our faith never falls because the One in whom our faith is placed never fails.

Satan continually bombards God's child­ren with the flaming arrows of immorality, hatred, anger, covetousness, pride, doubt, fear, despair, distrust, and other temptations. Every temptation, either directly or indirectly, tries to get us to doubt or distrust God. The purpose of Satan's missiles is to cause believers to forsake their trust in God, to drive a wedge between the Savior and the saved. Put up the shield of faith and that won't happen to you.

The Helmet of Salvation

The fifth piece of God's armor is repre­sented by the Roman soldier's helmet (Ephesians 6:17), without which he would never enter battle.  

That Paul relates the helmet to salvation indicates that Satan's blows are directed at the believer's security and assurance in Christ. The two dangerous edges of Satan's spiritual broadsword are discouragement and doubt. To discourage us, he points to our failures, our sins, our unresolved problems, our poor health, or to whatever else seems negative in our lives. He wants us to lose confidence in the love and care of our heavenly Father.

Doubt is what often brings about discouragement. Doubts about the truths of God, including doubt about one's salvation, are the worst sort of discouragements for a believer. If a believer doubts God's goodness or dependability, or if his relation to God seems uncertain, he has no ground for hope and therefore no protection from discouragement. The person who thinks he has nothing worthwhile to look forward to has no reason to fight, work, or live responsibly.

Since Paul is addressing believers, putting on the helmet of salvation cannot refer to receiving Christ as Savior. The only ones who can take up any piece of God's armor are those who are already saved.

The first aspect of salvation, justification, is a past reality. It was accomplished the moment we trusted in Christ.

The second aspect of salvation, sanctification, involves our life on earth, during which we experience a measure of freedom from the dominating power of sin. Being now under God's grace, sin no longer has mastery or dominion over us. We are no longer a slave to sin but to God (Romans 6:14, 18-22).

The third aspect of salvation, glorification, is yet future. One day we shall be saved from sin's presence. Look­ing forward to that glorious time, John said, "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that, when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:2).

It is this final aspect of salvation that is the real strength of the believer's helmet. If we lack hope in the future promise of salvation, there can be no security in the present. That's why Paul called this same piece of armor "the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8). In Romans 8:23-24 Paul explains further, "Having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved." The helmet of salva­tion is that great hope of final salvation that gives us confidence and assurance that our present struggle with Satan will not last forever. We know we will be victorious in the end!

The Sword of the Spirit

Paul concluded his treatise on God's armor by identifying the last piece: "the sword [Gk.,machaira] of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).  . It was the common sword carried by Roman foot soldiers and was the principal weapon in hand-to-hand combat. Carried in a sheath or scabbard attached to their belts, it was always at hand and ready for use.

The Greek phrase translated "of the Spirit" (tou pneumatos) can also be translated "by the Spirit" or "spiritual," referring to the nature of the sword rather than its source. From the context we know it is a spiritual weapon, to be used in our struggle against spiritual enemies. The same Greek phrase is translated "spiritual" in Ephesians 1:3 and 5:19. Although that meaning is perfectly consistent with the context of Ephesians 6:10-17, the preferred rendering is as a genitive of origin, "of the Spirit," indicating the Holy Spirit as the origin of the sword. As the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), the Holy Spirit is the believer's resident truth Teacher, who teaches us all things and brings God's Word to our remembrance (John 14:20).

Paul explicitly states that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. As such it is first of all a defensive weapon, capable of deflecting the blows of an opponent. It is the believer's supreme weapon of defense against the onslaught of Satan. However, unlike the shield, which gives broad and general protection, the sword can de­flect an attack only if it is handled with precision at close range. It must parry the enemy weapon exactly where the thrust is made. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, His defense for each temptation was a passage of Scripture that precisely contradicted the devil's word (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). The Christian who does not know God's Word well cannot use it well. Satan will invariably find out where we are ignorant or confused and attack us there. Scripture is not a broadsword (Gk., rhomphaia) to be waved indiscriminately, but a dagger to be used with great precision.

The sword of the Spirit is also an offen­sive weapon, capable of inflicting blows as well as deflecting those of the enemy. Scripture is "living and active and sharper than any two­-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

The Word of God is so powerful that it transforms men and women from the realm of falsehood to that of truth, from the realm of darkness to that of light, and from the realm of sin and death to that of righteousness and life. It changes sadness into joy, despair into hope, stag­nation into growth, childishness into maturity, and failure into success.

Every time God's Word leads a person to salvation is a demonstration of its power to cut a swath through Satan's dominion of darkness and bring light to a darkened soul. May you use that formidable weapon with great skill, as well as the other pieces of spiritual armor available to you, for the glory of God and the furthering of His kingdom.