The Shield; Helmet and Sword
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:16-17
Scripture
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Sermon Description
What does it mean to put on the whole armor of God? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:16–17 titled “The Shield, Helmet, and Sword,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his exploration of what the apostle Paul calls the armor of God. Scripture tells the Christian to be strong in the Lord, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones maintains that the strength the Lord provides for His people is in putting on the armor of God, piece by piece with prayer. Christians need every piece of armor God provides, beginning with the integument and continuing with further protection. Christians add faith to their defense so as to quench the enflaming thoughts and ideas of the enemy—the shield. This is the capacity to take particular truths from God’s word and apply them appropriately. Then they think on their final salvation and deliverance from sin—the helmet. This is the Christian’s blessed hope and certainty in complete victory. Finally, they take up the ultimate defensive protection in the Spirit—the sword. God provides His word to defend against spiritual warfare in hand-to-hand combat. If it comes to such a point, they lean upon the phrase, “the Bible tells me so.” This completes the full armor of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul warns Christians about spiritual conflicts and the importance of spiritual armor.
- The first pieces of armor are the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel of peace. These represent knowing God's word, being justified by faith in Christ, and being at peace with God.
- The shield of faith and the helmet of salvation provide further protection. The shield of faith means applying God's word through faith and seeing beyond worldly troubles. The helmet of salvation refers to the certainty of our ultimate redemption.
- The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, allows us to defend ourselves in close combat with the devil by quoting Scripture.
- Truth refers to general revelation, the shield of faith refers to applying doctrine, and the sword of the Spirit refers to quoting specific Bible verses.
- We must use all pieces of the armor, especially the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, to overcome spiritual attacks. Failure to do so leads to spiritual depression.
- The Christian life is a constant battle against evil spiritual forces. We must rely on God's power and armor, not our own strength.
- Non-Christians remain outside the church because Christians fail to manifest the power of the Christian life.
- To revive the church, we must discover the causes of spiritual depression and powerlessness. Failure to understand our spiritual battles is one cause.
- We must know God's word, stand on Christ's righteousness, and have peace with God to overcome the devil's attacks.
- The shield of faith means applying God's word to specific situations and seeing beyond worldly troubles to spiritual realities. We must believe in God's promises and see the eternal glory awaiting us.
- The helmet of salvation refers to the certainty of our ultimate victory and redemption in Christ. Though facing difficulties now, we will persevere to the end.
- The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, allows us to defend ourselves in close combat with the devil by quoting Scripture. We can defeat the devil using God's word.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers About Spiritual Warfare from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main cause of people staying outside the Christian church?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "the main cause of the fact that the masses of people are outside the christian church is the failure of christian people truly to manifest the christian life in their daily life and living." He identifies this as a key reason for examining spiritual depression and the causes of lack of power in Christian living.
What are the first three pieces of the Christian's armor mentioned in the sermon?
The first three pieces of armor Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses are: 1. The girdle of truth - which represents the whole biblical revelation 2. The breastplate of righteousness - which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith 3. The preparation of the gospel of peace as sandals - which means preparedness, readiness, alertness, and swiftness to respond
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define the "shield of faith" in practical terms?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines the shield of faith as "the capacity to apply the particular truth that is necessary and relevant in any given situation." It's the ability to take the truth you already know and apply it appropriately when attacked by the enemy. The shield allows believers to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" by holding up specific biblical truths against specific temptations or attacks.
What are the "fiery darts" the enemy throws according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the fiery darts represent "thoughts, desires, suggestions, sights, persons, these various things that are very definitely hurled at us and thrown at us." They are things that "inflame" the passions, lusts, and desires that remain in our bodies. These can strike unexpectedly, even when reading the Bible or praying, and burst into flame within us without our realizing it.
Why is the "helmet of salvation" necessary according to the sermon?
The helmet of salvation is necessary because it protects the mind when Christians become tired and weary in the spiritual battle. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that it represents "the Christian's hope, the Christian's blessed hope of the certainty of the final triumph and the final victory." When believers are hard-pressed and begin to wonder "Can I hold out to the end?" the helmet of salvation reassures them of their ultimate salvation and final victory in Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while both relate to salvation, they represent different aspects. The breastplate of righteousness represents our present justification and standing with God through Christ's righteousness. The helmet of salvation, however, represents "our final salvation, our ultimate redemption" - the certainty of our complete deliverance from sin in every form when we are glorified and stand perfect before God.
What is the "sword of the Spirit" and how should Christians use it according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
The sword of the Spirit is identified as the Word of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones views it primarily as "the ultimate defensive weapon" rather than an offensive one. He explains that when the enemy comes in so close that you can't use your shield effectively, you must use Scripture directly against him. He cites Jesus' wilderness temptation as the perfect example, where Christ simply quoted Scripture ("It is written") against Satan's direct attacks.
What is the relationship between spiritual depression and spiritual warfare according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that spiritual depression often results from failing to understand spiritual warfare. When Christians don't recognize they're in a battle or don't know how to use God's armor properly, they become vulnerable to the enemy's attacks, which leads to depression, lack of power, and ineffective witness. Understanding and properly using God's armor is key to overcoming spiritual depression and maintaining spiritual vitality.
Spiritual Depression
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.