Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
For most of us, the word ‘war’ refers to something that happens on TV. 
A contemporary song writer has captured this modern day scenario in this way:
Hey bartender over here - Two more shots and two more beers
Sir turn up the TV sound - The war has started on the ground
Just love those laser guided bombs - They're really great for righting wrongs
You hit the target and win the game - From bars 3000 miles away
We play the game With the bravery of being out of range

By and large, we live in a society that views war as something that happens over there, wherever that may be.   
And regardless of how realistically war is served up to us on TV, when we have had our fill, there is no blood on us, and we just switch it off and reach for a few more chips.  
We play the game with the bravery of being out of range.    Private Tim O’Donnell  

But no such luxury is possible with the war that Paul is describing here in Ephesians 6.  
1.	Firstly, as believers we are never just spectators.  
a.	Spiritual warfare is not something we can watch.  
b.	Every one of us is in combat; is on the front-line.  
2.	And secondly, in the warrior’s wardrobe there is no such thing as laser-guided bombs that can be launched from 3000 miles away.  
a.	On the contrary, as we saw in v12, Paul describes the battle as a ‘struggle,’ borrowing a word from the world of hand to hand wrestling.  
b.	Similarly, the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms are not computer generated images that we can zap with our Xbox controllers.  
i.	They are the living, present, and active forces of the evil one.  And they are intent on preventing and disrupting an intimate relationship between God and mankind. 
c.	We fight a close up battle, against very real forces, with very real results. 

Knowing then, that we must take up the full armour of God for this battle, we have talked, already, about the items of the warrior’s wardrobe that must be worn.  There are some parts of the armour that must not be taken off; we always need them to defend ourselves against the devil’s schemes.  
•	We talked about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the sturdy, studded boots that ground us in the gospel of peace. 

But then there are those elements of the warrior’s wardrobe that we need to take up and wield.  
Unlike the first three items, these three are taken up and wielded, which means used skillfully, in response to the specific attacks of the evil one.
•	Last time we were together, we looked at the first of these; the shield of faith.  
o	We saw that the devil, constantly, but some times with even more ferocity than usual, fires flaming arrows of temptation, distraction, doubt, and trial in our direction.  
o	And the only way we may withstand this barrage is through faith in the promises of God’s Word.

Well, today we turn our attention to the last two pieces of the warrior’s wardrobe; the helmet and the shield.  Let’s see, then, how these two elements of the warrior’s wardrobe further equip us to stand against the devil’s schemes.  
Firstly then, Paul says, “Take the helmet of salvation.”  
1.	Now, whether we talk about the full face Roman soldier’s helmet or any other helmet, I think we all understand a helmet’s purpose.  A helmet is worn to provide its wearer with protection from injury and to inspire confidence where it might otherwise not exist.  
a.	For example, last year, Felipe Massa, a Spanish Formula 1 driver for Ferrari, was traveling behind another car when a metal coil spring came loose and bounced into the air.  The spring collided with Massa’s helmet as he was traveling 220km/h.  Now, as little as 1 year before the accident, the spring would have traveled through the helmet thus ending Massa’s life, instantly.  But now, each helmet is made of 18 layers of carbon fibre.  They can withstand a flame of 800 degrees centigrade, for 45 seconds, and have a visor that can withstand a projectile fired at 400 km/h.  Each helmet costs $30,000.  And all this meant that Felipe Massa, though injured, survived and is now confidently racing and winning again.  
i.	That’s what helmets do.

2.	Well, Paul, just as he did with the breastplate of righteousness, quotes from Isaiah 59:17 in reference to the helmet of salvation.  
a.	But there, both of these elements are taken up by God Himself as He fights on behalf of His people.  Here, it is we who are to wield the helmet of salvation.  

3.	And as we think about all we have read in Ephesians, and what the helmet symbolizes, it becomes clear what specific attack of the evil one this piece of armour needs to be wielded against.  
a.	Paul writes to Christians who are discouraged and doubting.  
i.	They had such high hopes for Paul’s own work, but now see him stuck in a miserable prison, likely soon to be executed.  And so, in chapter 3:13 he said to them, “I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you.”  
ii.	Paul writes to Christians who know all about the wonderful things that Christianity entails, but who increasingly doubt the reality of them.  
1.	And so, in 1:18 he prays that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened to know the hope to which they have been called, and the riches of his glorious inheritance.  
2.	In ch’s 2&3 he painstakingly reminds them about the glorious church that Christ is building.  
iii.	Very simply then, the attack of the evil one that requires the helmet of salvation is an attack on the assurance of salvation.

b.	And to us also, this is a favourite weapon of his.  
i.	Constantly, he parades before us our sins, our failings, our weaknesses, our fears, and the hardships and trials of life to force us to question the reality of our salvation.  
1.	Can you really be a child of God, considering how angry you often get?  
2.	If you really are a child of God, why do you still find it so hard to read your Bible, regularly?  
3.	If God really loves you so much, why are you so depressed, again?  
4.	If God really cares for His children, why has He let him or her be so sick for so long?  
5.	If God really builds His church, why does yours seem so small and ineffective?  
6.	If God is really a God to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments, why do your children have no interest in the church at all?  
ii.	And as we take his suggestions and make them our own thoughts, we too are so easily discouraged or begin to doubt our salvation.

c.	And it is at times like this when our only hope is the helmet of salvation.  
i.	Like the Ephesians, we must force ourselves to remember passages in God’s word such as Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved.”  
1.	You see, the Greek word, translated as “saved,” is past tense.  Paul’s message to his readers is that their salvation is done, at the cross, and worked in you at the moment you are born again by the Holy Spirit.  And it cannot be undone!
2.	But that word, “saved,” is also in the passive voice.  
a.	You did not save yourselves; You cannot save yourselves.  You have been “saved,” by a loving God, through the cross of Jesus, despite the fact that you are sinners!  
3.	But that word, “saved,” is also in the perfect mood.  
a.	And the perfect mood means something done at a point in the past that has ongoing effects.  
4.	Thus, it means this: “For it is by grace you were saved by God, and continue to be saved by God, and always will be saved by God!”  
5.	And that’s the helmet of salvation that must be wielded.  

ii.	That’s why Job, who lost his children, all his possessions, and suffered an agonizing illness could say, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes-- I, and not another.  How my heart yearns within me!”  

iii.	That’s why Habbakuk who knew that death and destruction and exile would soon come to him and the Lord’s people could say, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”  

iv.	That’s why Paul could say in 2 Timothy 1:11-12, “Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.  That is why I am suffering as I am.  Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.” 

v.	So in the face of devilish attacks, and to the devil, we must wield the helmet of salvation by repeatedly saying, “I am saved!  I am a child of God!  I am saved!”

d.	And Why is salvation such a wonderful helmet when it comes to attacks on assurance by the devil?  
i.	It is because it forces us to look away from him, away from ourselves, away from others, and towards Jesus.  
ii.	It forces us to obey Hebrews 12:3, “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  
iii.	It forces us to turn our attention away from the doubts and discouragements of sin, failings, weaknesses, fears, hurts, and the hardships and trials of life to rest in the completed, certain, and secure salvation that we have in Jesus Christ.  
iv.	The helmet of salvation helps us to rest in the words of Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”     Amen??

There remains, then, one more element of the warrior’s wardrobe to consider.  With the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the studded boots of the gospel of peace firmly in place, having taken up the shield of faith in one hand, and placed the helmet of salvation on our head, the final thing we must wield is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

1.	Now, there is debate about which elements of the armour are intended for defensive purposes and which for offensive purposes.  
a.	After all, much damage can be done by a swinging shield or even a head butt from a helmeted head.  It seems though that it is not until we get to the sword that we have a weapon that while useful for defense clearly has offense in mind also.  

b.	And for a picture of the sword of the spirit in use, we need look nowhere else than to the Lord Jesus Himself in Matthew 4.  Please turn there with me.  
i.	Having fasted for 40 days and nights, the devil tempted the hungry Saviour, saying, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  
1.	But Jesus wielded the sword, defensively, and replied, “It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”  
2.	Unlike hungry Israel in the wilderness, Jesus trusted in the provision of God and resisted temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.  
ii.	“Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple.”  And here we see the devil casting doubt, “If you are the Son of God,” and prompting pride, “throw yourself down.  For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"”  
1.	And note how the devil even quotes the Bible as an aid to his work!  
2.	Essentially, he says, Come on Jesus, show me, show them, just how important you are!  
3.	But again, Jesus wielded the sword, defensively, and replied, “It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”  
4.	Again, unlike Israel who demanded water from the rock and had to be rebuked by Moses for putting God to the test, Jesus resists temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.  
iii.	Lastly then, “the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."”  
1.	Why go to the cross, Jesus, says the devil, to win the gentile nations that currently are under my control, when a little painless bowing to me will get you what you want!  
2.	Imagine, Brothers and Sisters, this young Messiah, who knows the scorn, pain, hatred, and death that lies ahead of Him; fully God, yes, but very much, also, fully man.  And one slight nod of the head could take away all the agony.  
3.	But see Him, instead, wield the sword, this time offensively, “Away from me, Satan!  For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'”  
4.	Again, unlike Israel who continually sought after idols, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13.  
iv.	And notice the result of Jesus’ sword flashes: v11 says, “Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him.”

Well, the Word of God has been to the fore with every one of the elements of the warrior’s wardrobe.  We know what they are only by God’s word.  We understand them only by God’s Word.  We see how they work only by God’s Word.  As we close then, let’s see why the Bible is so powerful and how it is to be wielded by the believer.

1.	Firstly, why is the Bible so powerful?  Well, its power rests, ultimately, in its author.  
a.	And in terms of who wrote the Bible, John Wesley said there are only 5 possibilities; “The Bible must have been written by God or by good men or good angels or by bad men or bad angels.  But bad men and bad angels could not write it because it condemns bad men and bad angels.  And good men and good angels would not deceive by lying about its authority and claiming that God wrote it.  And so the Bible must have been written as it claims to have been written – by God who by His Holy Spirit inspired men to record His words using the human instrument to communicate His truth.”  
i.	And this is exactly what the Bible itself reveals: “All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16)”; “No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.  For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21-22).”  
ii.	(hold up the Bible) These are, this is, the Word of God.  

b.	And because it is the Word of God it is without error; Psalm 19:7-9, “The law of the LORD is perfect … The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy … The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.”
c.	Because it is the Word of God it is the authority for all things regarding faith and life; the prophet Isaiah, in chapter 8 says that whatever men might say, “If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”  
d.	Because it is the Word of God it is the only way to come to salvation; in Romans 10; faith comes by hearing.  In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul points Timothy to the study of God’s word saying, “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
e.	Because it is the Word of God it is clear; Psalm 119:130, “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
f.	Because it is the Word of God it is effective; Isaiah 55:11, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
g.	Because it is the Word of God it alone brings true happiness; Proverbs 8:34, “Blessed is the man who listens to me.”
h.	Because it is the Word of God it alone generates spiritual growth; 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”
i.	Because it is the Word of God it brings true comfort and hope; Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
j.	But most importantly, given the spiritual battle we are engaged in, because it is the Word of God it brings victory; 1 John 2:14, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

2.	So how then must this book, the Word of God, be wielded?  
a.	Well, all that has just been stated about the Word of God, together with all we have discovered about the armour of God reveals that if it is to be of any use to you against the attacks of the evil one, you need to know it.  And Brothers and Sisters, young people, and boys and girls, we come back to this time and time again.  The Christian life flourishes in direct proportion to the amount of time we spend in God’s Word.  
i.	Now, you might say, “I want to read it, but I can never find the time.”  
1.	But you need to remember, because of what it is, the Word of God, and because of its power, one of the devil’s chief weapons is to keep you and this book apart.  He doesn’t mind them in your house, so long as they stay on the shelf.  
ii.	Or, you might be like the young believer who was discouraged with his attempts to read the Bible.  He said, “It’s no use.  No matter how much I read, I always forget what I have just read.”  A wise pastor replied “Take heart.  When you pour water over a sieve, no matter how much you pour, you don’t collect much.  But at least you end up with a clean sieve.”  
iii.	As Charles Spurgeon once said, “The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”  
iv.	But beyond all of these cute truisms, God says in Deuteronomy 32:46-47, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day … They are not just idle words for you-- they are your life.”  Read your Bible.

b.	And once you get into a regular habit of reading God’s word, meditate on it and study it.
i.	Joshua 1:8 says, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  
ii.	The author, Jerry Bridges said, “Reading gives us breadth, but studying gives us depth.”  
iii.	For example, if you have a study Bible, look up the cross references in the margins, read the notes down the bottom.  Have the Bible on one side and a commentary on the other.  But also take a key verse or section and meditate on it.  Savour each word and phrase, let them bring to mind other Bible passages, and see how they might apply in your life or answer your questions or strengthen faith, etc.  Pray the verse.

c.	Beyond reading and studying God’s Word, however, the best tool for wielding God’s Word against the evil one is memorization.  
i.	The Greek word, translated as “word,” that Paul uses here is not the more common word, logos, but the word rhema.  And it suggests individual words and phrases rather than a general knowledge about the whole Bible.  
ii.	In his commentary, John MacArthur says, it emphasizes “the precision that comes by knowledge and understanding of specific truths.”  
iii.	Another commentator says, “[Memorizing Scripture is] the daily habit of supplying the subconscious with God’s material to chew on.”  

iv.	How was Jesus able to defeat the devil’s temptations?  
1.	Because He had spent time memorizing the Bible and was able to draw on the Word of God in His time of need.  
v.	How was Jesus able to so incisively and surgically defend Himself against the accusations of the Pharisees?
1.	Because He had spent time memorizing the Bible and was able to draw on the Word of God in His time of need.  
vi.	You see, only the Word of God provides an effective defense against the attack of the evil one.  But you need to know its specific phrases to be able to quote it to the devil when he comes with temptations of one sort or another.  
vii.	But it is also powerfully offensive.  
1.	Again, how did Jesus go on the attack and reveal the wickedness and falsehood of the Pharisees?  
2.	How was Paul able to speak before the learned Greek philosophers in Athens?  
a.	Because they had spent time memorizing the Bible and were able to draw on the Word of God when needed.    

3.	Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  
4.	Yes we must show hospitality to others, yes we must take care of their physical needs, yes we must know how to communicate winsomely and logically, and yes we must live godly lives, but declaring the Word of God from the pulpit, in our family, to our friends, to fellow students, to workmates, at the foodbank, in the rest homes and hospitals, in counselling, in political or scientific debate, is the most powerful weapon in the whole universe, against which Satan cannot stand.  

5.	One commentator puts it like this, “Face the truth – we are at war, and our razor sharp weapon is God’s Word, and we are fools to keep it in the scabbard simply because our culture says it cannot cut.  That is what the enemy wants us to believe, that it is ‘irrelevant’ and ‘archaic’ and ‘not understandable,’ so to keep it in the sheath, where it is, of course, harmless.”  

6.	But God’s command is “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”  

7.	And in regards to the offensive, attacking, truth declaring use of God’s Word, remember these two encouragements from God’s Word.  
a.	Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.  At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”  
i.	If we are Spirit-filled and Word filled, Spirit-led and Word-led, Spirit-driven and Word-driven, God will speak His powerful Word through us to accomplish His purposes.  
b.	And be like Nehemiah when the opportunity comes.  
i.	You see, Nehemiah was seeking opportunity to speak to the king about his desire to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  And when the king asked him a question that presented the opportunity, we read, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.”  
ii.	Pray that God may give you the words.  And then rest in the comfort of knowing that He will use them for His glory. 
Brothers and Sisters, young people, and boys and girls, now that we have completed our look at the full armour of God, we must return to the opening words of v10.  
There is a lot for us to do, a lot for us to be busy with, a lot of armour to wear and to wield.  
But the battle is the Lord’s.  As Ephesians has reminded us, our hope rests in the God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us.  And His power is the saving, forgiving, and life transforming work of Jesus Christ.  So, “be strong IN THE LORD and in His mighty power.  Amen.