The Helmet of Salvation
A Sermon on the Helmet of Salvation from Ephesians 6:17
Originally preached June 17, 1962
Scripture
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Sermon Description
Every part of the body must be covered for defense in warfare. In this sermon on the helmet of salvation from Ephesians 6:17, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asserts that the spiritual application of the helmet of salvation is meant to deal with the whole of Christian life. A common problem is weariness or tiredness but Paul said to the Galatians, “Be not weary in well doing.” The campaign is long, the warfare is constant, and it can cause exhaustion. It is easy to be tempted to discouragement. A classic case is the psalmist looking at the wicked prospering and being tempted to give up on righteousness. The difficulty in life is to keep standing; the danger is to faint of weariness. How does one deal with it? The helmet of salvation is not just an awareness, but the hope of salvation for the Christian personally — not something being enjoyed now, but something that is coming. It is the hope of Christ’s coming and all that is contained in that teaching. There are steps and stages in salvation: “I am saved, I am being saved, I will be ultimately saved.” Whatever the strength and power of the enemy in this fight, the Lord’s is greater and ultimately triumphant and that is the final hope.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is describing the armor of God that Christians need to fight spiritual battles.
- The helmet of salvation refers to protecting our minds and understanding.
- The enemy attacks our minds by telling us our struggles are in vain and to give up our faith.
- We can become weary in doing good through the constant struggles of life and faith.
- The helmet of salvation is the hope of salvation - our ultimate redemption and glorification.
- Salvation has a past (justification), present (sanctification), and future (glorification) tense.
- The hope of salvation means knowing we will ultimately be perfected and with Christ.
- The hope of salvation means knowing God will complete the work He started in us.
- The hope of salvation means knowing nothing can separate us from the love of God.
- Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him - we must do the same by focusing on our hope.
- Hymns portray the Christian life as one of battle now but ultimate peace and rest.
- We must stand firm in our faith despite the noise of battle, knowing the victor's song is coming.
- Jesus understands our troubles and weariness, but the end of sorrow will be near His throne.
- John Bunyan's pilgrim knew foul fiends could not daunt him because of the life he would inherit.
- We must not give in to the temptation to quit when the enemy attacks our minds about our faith.
Sermon Q&A
What is the "Helmet of Salvation" in Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 6:17?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Ephesians 6:17, the "helmet of salvation" refers primarily to the Christian hope or "hope of salvation" that protects our minds when we face discouragement in the spiritual battle. Here's a comprehensive explanation of this concept.
What does the helmet represent in Paul's armor analogy?
The helmet protects the head, which Lloyd-Jones interprets as representing "the mind, the brain, the understanding, the thinking of the Christian." While other parts of the armor protect against attacks on emotions or specific doctrines, the helmet specifically guards the Christian's overall strategic perspective on the faith.
What specific attack does the helmet of salvation protect against?
The helmet protects against what Lloyd-Jones calls a "strategy" level attack where Satan tries to make believers:
- Become weary in the entire Christian battle
- Feel hopeless about the whole campaign
- Question whether Christianity itself is worth continuing
- Consider abandoning their faith altogether
As Lloyd-Jones explains: "It's that one tends to become weary and tired and to feel hopeless about the whole campaign itself."
How does this differ from other spiritual attacks?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes this from "tactical" problems with specific doctrines:
"Here we are concerned not so much with our understanding of particular doctrines as with our whole attitude towards the faith...It's not a question of tactics here. It's a question of giving up the whole campaign."
What exactly is the "helmet of salvation"?
Lloyd-Jones interprets this as "the hope of salvation" based on 1 Thessalonians 5:8, which describes "for a helmet, the hope of salvation." It's not just about present assurance but about future hope:
"Our salvation is nearer now than when we believe...What the apostle means by salvation is the Christian hope, or what he calls elsewhere, the hope of glory."
How does this hope protect believers?
This hope protects believers by reminding them of:
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The certainty of complete redemption: "We are going to be absolutely perfect, free from sin, free from all vestiges of evil, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing."
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Assurance of personal inclusion: "Knowing that you are involved in that, knowing that you're no longer in the world, knowing that you've been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ."
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God's faithfulness to complete His work: "He having ever set his love and his affection upon us, and ever having called us, will never let us go."
What biblical examples illustrate this truth?
Lloyd-Jones points to numerous biblical examples including:
- The Hebrew Christians in Hebrews who were tempted to return to Judaism
- Christ himself who "for the joy set before him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2)
- The Book of Revelation which gives Christians hope despite tribulation
How should Christians apply this teaching?
When Satan attacks with discouragement, Christians should:
- Remember the "tenses of salvation": "The past is justification. The present is sanctification. The future is glorification."
- Keep their eyes on the ultimate victory: "Let's answer him. The hope, the certainty of it, the glory of it."
- Stand firm in God's promises: "Neither death, nor life...shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
As Lloyd-Jones concludes: "That's the only way in which this battle can be fought...Put on the helmet of salvation."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.