R U READY TO RUMBLE?
PUT ON THE HELMET OF SALVATION AND SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
DR. JIM DIXON
EPHESIANS 6:10-17
AUGUST 17, 2008
Robert Todd Lincoln was present at the Ford Theater on April 14, 1865 when his father, Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States, was shot by an assassin. Strangely enough, Robert Todd Lincoln was also present on July 2 at the railroad station in Washington, D.C. at the Baltimore and Potomac Rail. He was there that day when James Garfield was shot by an assassin’s bullet. Incredibly, Robert Todd Lincoln was present on September 7, 1901, at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, when William McKinley, president of the United States, was shot by an assassin. Robert Todd Lincoln was present on all of these occasions. Of course, he had nothing to do with the assassinations, and yet it’s almost bizarre that he was there in every case.
Robert Todd Lincoln’s father, Abraham Lincoln, was buried on May 5, 1865, at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. And Robert Todd Lincoln would see his father’s body moved more than 17 times. It was November 7, 1876, when three guys decided to break into the Oak Ridge Cemetery and steal the body of Abraham Lincoln. They were offered $200,000 for Lincoln’s body. They were stopped, but in the aftermath of that event, the Lincoln Honor Guard was formed to protect and preserve the body of Abraham Lincoln. And as threats arose the body of Abraham Lincoln, between 1876 and 1901, it was moved 17 times. Robert Todd Lincoln watched his father’s body being moved all of that time.
We live in a strange world, do we not? We live in a world where people want to protect their body. They want to protect their body in life and some people, like the Egyptians, seek to protect their body in death. We’re assembled here as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, and we care about the body. We care about the protection of the body. We care about the physical but even more we care about the spiritual. Even more we care about the soul and we want to protect the soul so I hope you understand as we come to the end of this series on spiritual warfare and the armor of God, we’re not just seeking to protect the body. We’ re seeking to protect the soul. There is a battle for the souls of men and women and children going on all over this world and we need to be ready and we need to be prepared.
Today we look at the Helmet and the Sword as we conclude this series and we begin with a look at what the Bible calls “The Helmet of Salvation.” In the time of Jesus, helmets were made of bronze. They were domed helmets. This was true in the Roman world and in the Greek and Hellenized world. As centuries passed and we entered the Middle Ages, helmets were covered with iron plate. By the time we reached the 20th century and World War I and World War II, people had helmets of pure iron and helmets in World War I and World War II, and some of you may have had relatives in those wars who are grandparents or great-grandparents, would use their helmets sometimes to cook their food. They would use their helmets as a bowl in which to eat. They would use their helmets to wash their hands. Helmets had many uses, but the primary use of course of the helmet was to protect the head and, if possible, to save a life. Today helmets are perhaps used by everyday people more than ever. Of course, we have acrylic fiber helmets and they’re stronger than steel, stronger than iron, and they have saved many lives.
My father loved to ski and sometimes I would ski with my dad. My dad was a better skier than I was, but my dad sometimes skied out of control. I never knew him to wear a helmet. It would have been good if he’d had a helmet. My dad also loved to bike. My dad skied into his 70’s. My dad biked until he was 80 and my dad always wore a helmet when he biked. It’s a good thing. My dad never would have made age 80 had he not had a helmet. He had a number of crashes. On one occasion he ran right into a car and he was just launched and he came down on his head, completely cracked his helmet all the way across, but he was pretty much fine because he had that helmet. It saved his life.
Our son-in-law Chris loves to mountain bike and Barb and I are so grateful that Chris always wears a helmet when he mountain bikes. When our daughter Heather bikes with Chris, they both wear helmets and we’re thankful for that. The problem, you see, is our son Drew. He’s the problem. Of course, Barb and I knew we had a problem even when Drew was quite young. We would be looking out the window of our house across the street and we would see Drew stacking up trashcans across the street from the neighbors’ driveways. We didn’t like that because people should be able to keep their trashcans, but Drew was stacking them up. He built a ramp and he would roller blade up the ramp and see how many trashcans he could clear before landing. He’s just kind of always been wired like that. He loves to ski today, loves to snowboard, likes to go over a cliff or two and do some aerial stuff. A couple of years ago Barb and I picked out a helmet for a Christmas present. We put it under the tree. It was a cool helmet, but when Drew opened it up, he just laughed, shook his head and said, “It isn’t gonna happen.” You might pray for Drew. We would appreciate your prayers very much.
Here’s the cool thing. All of my family have the Helmet of Salvation. My father has the Helmet of Salvation and he’s with Christ today in heaven. Our son-in-law Chris has the Helmet of Salvation. Our daughter Heather has the Helmet of Salvation. Our son Drew has the Helmet of Salvation. Their salvation is secure. Their soul is secure and I hope and pray that you, this day, have the Helmet of Salvation.
The biblical word for helmet is the word “perikephalaia.” “Kephale” is the word for “head.” “Peri” means “around,” so it means “around the head.” Obviously, helmets fit around the head. There are three different places in the Bible where the phrase, “Helmet of Salvation” is used. One is in Ephesians 6, our passage of scripture for today. Another one is 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, where the Bible tells us that, “We wear the Helmet of Salvation and therefore we are not destined for wrath but to obtain salvation.” Then finally, Isaiah 59. Again, we find the expression, “Helmet of Salvation,” although the word for helmet is the Hebrew word, “koba” which is the equivalent of the Greek word ” perikephalaia.”
This phrase, “Helmet of Salvation” is common in scripture. What it connotes, what it means and what God intends for you to understand, is that your salvation can be secure. Your salvation can be made safe and this is the whole concept of this piece of the armor of God. If you have the Helmet of Salvation, the salvation of your soul is sealed. It is secure. It’s Jesus who can secure your soul. It’s Jesus who in truth is the Helmet of Salvation. I know and I’ve said before… Many of you have heard me say that Jesus is the ONLY means of salvation. I don’t mean to offend people when I say that. I’m simply proclaiming what the Bible clearly says and what the Bible says again, and again, and again. Jesus is the sole means of salvation. “There is no other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we may be saved.” Only Jesus Christ can secure your soul.
I’ve said before and I say again, I do not mean to judge people. I judge not. I have no authority to judge. Jesus is the Judge. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Mohammed did not die for the sin of the world. Buddha did not die for the sin of the world. Jesus died for the sin of humanity, for the sin of mankind. He shed His blood. His body was broken for everyone. He can save anyone He wants to but we have this promise in the Bible that He will for sure save those who commit their lives to Him as Lord and Savior. When you commit your life to Him as Lord and Savior, you receive the Helmet of Salvation, and your soul is secured forever. You live with the promise of a new resurrection body so spiritually and physically salvation encompasses it all. Jesus Christ is the Helmet of Salvation and I hope and pray that each of you have received Him and embraced Him as your Lord and Savior and that you’ve come to the foot of the cross and you’ve accepted His sacrifice for you.
I did that, as most of you know, when I was 5 years old with my mom, kneeling in the living room of our family home at my mom’s side, my knees on the carpet and my elbows on the sofa. Mom and I prayed together and I asked Jesus to come into my heart and to forgive me of my sin and to wash me whiter than snow and to be my Lord. I promised Him that I would live for Him and I would seek to follow Him all the days of my life. That was 57 years ago. I still wear the Helmet of Salvation today. I put it on that day and I still wear it today. That’s how it’s meant to be. You put the Helmet of Salvation on and you never take it off. Your soul is secured forever and forever.
Before we leave the Helmet, I want to say that you understand the name Jesus means, “Savior.” Jeshua. The Angel of the Lord said at the birth of Christ, “You will call His name Jeshua, Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” The name Jesus means Savior. Again and again and again, as you go through the pages of the Bible, Jesus is called Savior. He’s called our Savior from Sin, the Savior of the World, the Savior of Mankind. He IS the Helmet of Salvation.
Secondly, we look at the Sword of the Spirit. Throughout history and mythology there have been many famous swords. I think most of you have heard of Excalibur, a famous sword associated with the Arthurian Legends, the stories that surround King Arthur, Sir Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table. Of course, the stories of Excalibur vary. In one story Excalibur is imbedded in rock. In one story Excalibur is a sword imbedded in stone and no human being can extract it except for one chosen one who would be the master of that sword. In another story of Excalibur, the sword is lost and yet somehow preserved at the bottom of a mystical lake and it’s guarded by the enchanting Lady of the Lake.
There are many stories about Excalibur and of course some of you have read Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” or you’ve seen the award-winning movie, “Lord of the Rings.” You know that the Sword Glamdring was the Elfin sword with unusual properties that passed on to Gandalf the Grey, who was later Gandalf the White. How strange it is that if you asked most people to name swords, they can only name swords out of mythology and stories. They are more well-known than actual swords used in history, but there is a lot of sword lore.
Throughout history swords have varied in shape and function. If you’ve been to Scotland, you’ve probably seen the Scottish claymore, which is a broad blade. If you’ve seen a rapier sword, they have a very narrow blade. The Persian shamshir sword is famous. The shamshir sword is greatly curved. Of course, in Persian mythology – a lot of people don’t know – Shamshir is the name of Solomon’s sword—Solomon, Son of David, King of Israel. The saber is a sword that is also curved, but not as greatly curved as the shamshir.
Throughout history many swords have been adorned with precious jewels, ornamental swords. In the time of Jesus, in the Roman world, the gladius, the Roman sword, was unadorned and it was very plain. It was designed simply for function.
In the Bible there are two words for sword—two New Testament words, two Greek words—and the first is “rhomphaia.” Rhomphaia is the first biblical word for “sword,” and rhomphaia refers to the long sword. This word is oftentimes associated with divine judgement, but rhomphaia is the long sword. It sometimes can even refer to a spear or a javelin but normally it’s simply a sword with a long blade. The other word for sword that is used in the Bible is ” makhaira ” and makhaira refers to a short sword and sometimes even a long dagger, but normally a sword with a shorter blade. So, you have these two words, “rhomphaia” and ” makhaira ” and they describe two different kinds of swords. But both of these words are used to describe the Word of God.
In our passage of scripture for today it says, “Take the Sword of the Spirit ,which is the Word of God.” In the Bible you see both rhomphaia and makhaira used to describe the Word of God. We need to understand this. Of course, in the Bible and in history the Word of God has numerous meanings and we have seen them before. Sometimes the title, “The Word of God” refers to Jesus, the Son of God, who IS the Word of God incarnate, the Word of God made manifest, the Word of God living. Sometimes the Word of God is used to refer to the gospel, as the gospel is the Word of God proclaimed to the nations. But oftentimes the Word of God simply refers to the Bible. The Bible is the Word of God.
Why is it called the Sword of the Spirit? Why is the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit? Understand this book is God-breathed. It is God-spirited, God inspirited. In 1 Timothy we’re told that, “all scripture is inspired of God.” “Theophenustos,” God-breathed, God-spirited, God inspire. This book comes from the breath of God, the Holy Spirit. This is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. It is rhomphaia and it is makhaira. We need to understand that.
The Word of God in the Bible is sometimes called the “logos,” but the logos refers to the sum and total of the Word of God. Jesus is the Logos. He is the sum and total of the Word of God. He is the Logos. Logos can also refer to the whole of the Bible, the sum and total of the Word printed and given in writing.
Another word for the Word of God in the Bible is “rhema.” Rhema refers to not the sum and total of the Word of God but a specific section of the Word of God applied to you, to a specific circumstance of your life. That’s a rhema. When we say that this is the Sword of the Spirit, if we say this is the Word of God, that means you need to receive it whole as Logos but you also need to receive it in part as rhema and apply it to your daily life and your daily circumstances. In a sense that’s the equivalent of rhomphaia and makhaira. Rhomphaia would be like the Logos, the large sword, the whole of the Word and makhaira would be like the short sword, rhema, a specific passage of the Word applied to your life. So take the Sword of the Spirit, take the rhomphaia, take the machaira, take the Logos, take the rhema, take the Word of God and let the whole of the Bible shape your world view.
Do you have a biblical world view? If you read the Bible holistically, if you would take up the challenge of going through the Bible every year of your life, you would begin to form a worldview. That’s like the logos, the large sword. Then if daily you would read the Bible devotionally and seek to apply it to your daily life and each individual situation in your life, that’s the short sword. That’s the rhema. So, take the Sword of the Spirit in every sense.
As a pastor I wonder sometimes whether the flock over which I’m given charge as an undershepherd … I wonder whether we’re faithful to be in the Word every day. I hope and I pray that we are because so much is tied to it. If we’ re going to be light on the earth, if we’re going to be light in an enveloping darkness… If we’re going to be salt on the earth, if we’re going to be salt in the midst of growing corruption, we need to be daily in the Word and take the Sword of the Spirit. It’s so, so critical.
Some of you have seen the movie, “Walk the Line.” In one scene, Johnny Cash and his brother as kids are talking about the Bible. Apparently, Johnny Cash’s older brother wanted to be a preacher or a pastor. He felt like he needed to really know the Bible if he was going to be a preacher someday. He says in that movie, “If I want to be a preacher one day I gotta know the Bible front-to-back. You can’t help nobody if you can’t tell ’em the right story.” The truth is no matter what God has called you to do, you need to know the Bible and live your life in accordance with God’s Word.
We seek to teach this to our children and at this church we take this very seriously. We recruit an army of Sunday school teachers to bring to children the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. On a typical Sunday morning we have in our Sunday School maybe 1,200 to 1,400 kids. We have more teenagers in our Student Ministries, sometimes 400 or 500. On some Sundays we may have almost 2,000 kids in these buildings. It takes an army to serve them, to love them, to teach them and we need you. We have a table out in the lobby and I want to challenge you today to help our children put on the whole Armor of God. I want to challenge you today to help our children take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit and receive that blessing of going into a Sunday school classroom.
We know that it’s kind of a scary deal. I’ve taught Sunday school over the years at many different age levels and was for many years in charge of Sunday school ministries at another church. I promise you we’ll treat you well. You volunteer to bless a child in this church, in this ministry, and we’ll train you. We’ll treat you lovingly and we’ll surround you with encouragement and we’ll seek to help you not only bless children but be blessed yourself. I’ve never talked to anybody who taught kids and gave them the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, who didn’t in turn feel like they received the biggest blessing. Every time you prepare a lesson, every time you come home from church, you feel like you’ve learned something and you get the blessing.
You know kids get a little bit confused sometimes about the Word of God and some of their comments are kind of cute. I was reading recently some of the things that kids have said when they were asked questions. These are comments that actually occurred. Here’s one: “The Egyptians were all drowned in the desert and afterwards Moses went up on Mt. Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments.” Of course, they were Commandments and though the Commandments might seem poisonous to some, it was Mt. Sinai, not Mt. Cyanide.
Here’s another comment: “Moses died before he ever reached Canada.” That really happens to be true. He did die before he ever reached Canada. “Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the Battle of Geritol.” Of course, it was the land of Canaan and it was it was Lawrence Welk who fought the Battle of Geritol.
“The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.” That IS a miracle whenever that happens! But of course, he was talking about THE Sun Joshua asked to stand still.
“Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.” He probably would have been better off if they had been porcupines, but they were concubines.
“Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.” Of course, it was an immaculate conception in Catholic and Orthodox theology the immaculate conception does NOT refer to the birth of Jesus, but it refers to the birth of Mary through Anna and Joachim. So, that’s a mistake made, I think, not only by children but by adults.
Here’s another one. “People who follow the Lord were called decibels.” Not quite right. Here’s my favorite one. “Christians have only one spouse and this is called monotony.” I like that. I think it’s a particularly good one.
Now, don’t you want to work with kids and hear stuff like that? I mean, surely you do. We do have a table in the lobby today. I thank God for our Sunday school. I thank God for Cherry Hills Christian Schools. Do you realize that in our three Cherry Hills Christian Schools—our pre-school, our elementary school, and our middle school—we have almost 1,300 kids right here in this building every day? What a privilege and what a responsibility that is, as we’re seeking to help kids put on the full Armor of God.
I thank God for Valor across the street. When we’re built out over there, we’re going to have 1,200 kids. I thank God for Colorado Christian University taking college-age men and women and seeking to raise and train a generation who will be strong in Christ. This is all so important and I hope that you understand how important it is that you be in the Word, that you memorize scripture. Maybe you would accept the challenge of just memorizing just one chapter of the Bible this year. I think every one of you could do it and how awesome it would be. Pick your favorite chapter in the Bible. Maybe it’s Romans 8. What a glorious chapter. Maybe it’s Romans 12. What an incredible chapter. Maybe it’s the Love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Maybe it’s Ephesians 2. Maybe it’s Ephesians 4. Maybe it’s the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17. But each of these chapters are treasures, if you would just set out on that journey of just hiding that treasure in your heart. The Bible says, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” As you hide His Word in your heart the Holy Spirit will use it to convict you in times of testing. Jesus said, “If My Word abides in you, you will bear much fruit and so, prove to be My disciple.” If you want to bear fruit in your lifetime, hide His Word in your heart. Take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
In my study at home, I have a picture on the wall of the Gutenberg Bible. It’s a framed picture of a Gutenberg Bible at the Huntington Library in California. Of course, you’ve all heard of the Gutenberg Bible. Gutenberg Bibles were printed in the 15th century by Johannes Gutenberg who invented the printing press and pretty much changed the course of history. From 1452 to 1455 there were 190 Gutenberg Bibles. Today about 47 Gutenberg Bibles remain in varying conditions. The one at the Library of Congress is almost perfect. It’s been appraised at $10 million. What makes a Bible a treasure? What makes the Bible so valuable? It’s the fact that it’s the Word of God and it’s God-breathed. It’s got the breath of the Spirit upon it.
Prior to Gutenberg and the Gutenberg Bible, hardly anybody had a Bible. Prior to the invention of the printing press, hardly anybody had a Bible. In those days throughout many parts of Europe in the Middle Ages, Bibles were referred to as “catenatus” and that is a Latin word which kind of roughly means, “chained.” Bibles WERE chained. Did you know that? They were chained. They were possessed only by the wealthy, and they were chained in mansions of the wealthy. Or in ecclesiastical buildings they were chained to pulpits or some other place. They were all handwritten in beautiful script and the covers were adorned with jewels. But the average person didn’t have a Bible. Thank God for the printing press. Thank God for Wycliffe. Thank God for Martin Luther and thank God for all of those who suffered that we might have the Bible.
Today when you go home… Some of you brought your Bibles. That’s kind of cool but when you go home, all of you have Bibles in many different translations but what good are they if you don’t open them. They might as well still be chained. They might have well still only be possessed by the rich. What good are they if we don’t open them? So, we open the Bible which is the Sword of the Spirit and we engage the enemy.
The Bible is used to guide us. The Bible is used to convict us. The Bible is used to comfort us. The Bible is a Sword that is used defensively and to protect us. It’s also a Sword that’s used offensively as we take Christ to the nations and we share the truth of the Gospel.
Shod your feet with the equipment of the Gospel of Peace. Put on the Belt of Truth unabashedly in the midst of a world of lies. Put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Let the righteousness of Christ cover you and hunger and thirst after His righteousness. Take the Shield of Faith. Trust God. That’s how you quench the flaming darts of the evil one. Of course, put on the Helmet of Salvation. If you don’t have the Helmet of Salvation the rest of the Armor of God is not very useful. Then finally take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Let’s look to the Lord with a word of prayer.