From
Meditation 120 onward we have seen that the full armour of God is a divine
gift to all God’s children. The apostle Paul takes the armour of a first
century Roman soldier to show us how we can protect Jesus’ life within us
against Satan’s attacks. We have already spoken about girding our waist with truth, putting on the breastplate of
righteousness, shoeing our feet with the preparedness of the Gospel of peace, and taking up the shield of faith.
“Take (or receive) the
helmet of salvation...” (Ephesians 6:17**)
The helmet was
an essential piece of the Roman armour, usually made of bronze. It should
protect the soldier’s head from being hit by any of the enemy's weapons.
Twice in his letters, Paul uses the Roman helmet in a figurative sense as a
means of protection against Satan’s assaults.
Here,
in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus (Turkey), he speaks of the ‘helmet of
salvation’. In his first letter to the church in Thessaloniki (Greece) he
writes: “... let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a
breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8**)
From where does the
apostle take the idea to link the image of the Roman helmet with the concept
of salvation?
Bible
teachers are clear about the fact that Paul has taken this expression “helmet
of salvation” from one of Isaiah’s prophecies. This man of God lived around the 8th
century BC in the kingdom of Judah. The prophet writes in chapter 59 verse 17*: “He (i.e., God) put on righteousness as His body armor and placed the helmet
of salvation on His head. He clothed Himself with the robes of vengeance and
godly fury.”
Interestingly,
in this text God does not wear His armour to defend Himself. On the
contrary, here God is on the move to attack all the unrighteousness of His people, Israel. Let us read the entire passage to see verse 17 in its context: “Listen!
The LORD is not too weak to save you, and He is not becoming deaf. He can hear
you when you call. But there is a problem-- your sins have cut you off from
God. Because of your sin, He has turned away and will not listen anymore.
Your
hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your
mouth is full of lies, and your lips are tainted with corruption. No one cares
about being fair and honest. Their lawsuits are based on lies. They spend their
time plotting evil deeds and then doing them. They spend their time and energy
spinning evil plans that end up in deadly actions. They cheat and shortchange
everyone. Nothing they do is productive; all their activity is filled with sin.
Violence is their trademark. Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit
murder. They think only about sinning. Wherever they go, misery and destruction
follow them. They do not know what true
peace is or what it means to be just and good. They continually do wrong, and
those who follow them cannot experience a moment's peace.
It
is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God
doesn't punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we
expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom. No wonder we grope like
blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as
though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous
young men! We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for
justice, but it is nowhere to be found. We look to be rescued, but it is far
away from us.
For
our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what
sinners we are. We know that we have rebelled against the LORD. We have turned
our backs on God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully
planning our deceitful lies.
Our
courts oppose people who are righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth falls dead in the streets, and fairness has been outlawed. Yes, truth is
gone, and anyone who tries to live a godly life is soon attacked.
The
LORD looked and was displeased to find that there was no justice. He was amazed
to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So He Himself stepped in
to save them with His mighty power and justice. He put on righteousness as His
body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on His head. He clothed Himself
with the robes of vengeance and godly fury. He will repay His enemies for their
evil deeds. His fury will fall on His foes in distant lands.
Then at last
they will respect and glorify the Name of the LORD throughout the world. For He
will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD. 'The
Redeemer will come to Jerusalem,' says the LORD, 'to buy back those
in Israel who have turned from their sins. And this is My
covenant with them,' says the LORD. 'My Spirit will not leave them,
and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on
the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD,
have spoken!'" (Isaiah 59:1-21*)
God
addresses through the mouth of Isaiah the desolate situation of His people. He cries
out: “Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy
with sin. Your mouth is full of lies, and your lips are tainted with
corruption.” (Isaiah 59:3*)
Without
a doubt, God is able to save His people from all their sins. Yet, if they rebel
against Him and don’t want to listen – He will turn His back on them: “...
your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, He has turned away
and will not listen anymore.” (Isaiah 59:2*)
God
waits for the moment His people will repent and become conscience of their despicable
situation: “It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us.
That is why God doesn't punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in
darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom.”
(Isaiah 59:9*)
As
God realizes that there is nobody to deliver His rueful people, He Himself interposes:
“He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So He
Himself stepped in to save them with His mighty power and justice.” (Isaiah
59:16*)
God
puts on His armour to deliver His people from their oppressors and to pass judgment on His enemies: “He put on righteousness as His body armor and
placed the helmet of salvation on His head. He clothed Himself with the robes
of vengeance and godly fury. He will repay His enemies for their evil deeds.
His fury will fall on His foes in distant lands.” (Isaiah 59:17-18*)
Finally,
the entire world will know our Triune God. They will glorify Him as they see
how God the Son, Jesus the messianic Redeemer, will come to His people and deliver
all those who repent of their rebellion against God. With them God will make a
new and eternal covenant. This messianic covenant entails the gift of God, the
Spirit, to those who acknowledge Jesus as their personal Saviour: “Then at
last they will respect and glorify the Name of the LORD throughout the world.
For He will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD. 'The
Redeemer will come to Jerusalem,' says the LORD, 'to buy back those
in Israel who have turned from their sins. And this is My covenant with
them,' says the LORD. 'My Spirit will not leave them, and neither
will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of
your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!'" (Isaiah
59:19-21*)
Isaiah’s
prophesy focuses on God’s people Israel. However, the New Testament shows us that everyone in the world who trusts Messiah Jesus for deliverance from God’s
righteous judgment of their sins will also be part of this new messianic
covenant.
On
the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter called on his Jewish audience to
repent: “‘Let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made
this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah!’ Peter's words
convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles,
‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Each of you must turn from your
sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah)
for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles
(i.e., the nations) -- all who have been called by the Lord our God.’” (Acts
2:36-39*). Peter bases this part of his message to Israel and the nations on
texts like Isaiah 32, 44 and 59, Jeremiah 32, Ezekiel 36, 37 and 39, Joel 2 and
Zechariah 12.
Years
later, the apostle Paul appeared before king Herod Agrippa (11 BC – 44 AD) and
spoke of his ministry to Israel and the nations, saying: “I preached first
to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea (i.e., the
Jews), and also to the Gentiles (i.e., the nations), that all must turn from
their sins and turn to God-- and prove they have changed by the good things
they do.” (Acts 26:20*)
Many
believe that God has rejected His people Israel forever and put the Church in
its place. However, Paul declares in his letter to the Christians in Rome: “Did
God's people (i.e., Israel) stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not!
His purpose was to make His salvation available to the Gentiles (i.e., the
nations), and then the Jews would be jealous and want it for themselves. Now if
the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God's offer of
salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews
finally accept it.” (Romans 11:11-12*)
In
Romans 11:25-27, Paul explains to the non-Jewish Christians in Rome that God’s people
Israel definitely has a future in God’s plan of salvation! He bases this divine
revelation on Isaiah 59:20 and the texts we referred to earlier when we quoted the
apostle Peter’s Pentecost message (see the above-mentioned passage Acts 2:36-39*).
The apostle Paul writes: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery,
brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening
in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel
will be saved, as it is written (in the above-mentioned Old Testament
prophecies): ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away
from Jacob (i.e., Israel). And this is My covenant with them when I take away
their sins.’” (Romans 11:25-27**)
Now
let us go back to our original subject. As we said before, Isaiah 59 promises
that God the Son, Jesus the messianic Redeemer, will put on righteousness as His
body armour. He also will place the helmet of salvation on His head and deliver
His people Israel from their rebellion against God. Moreover, He will liberate them
from their oppressors. He will make a new and eternal covenant with them and
give them His Spirit.
Furthermore,
the apostle Peter adds that all messianic believers worldwide will also be
saved from their sins and God’s judgment (see the earlier quotation of Acts 2:36-39).
God will include them in the messianic covenant which He made with His people
Israel. The apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus (Turkey): “God's
purpose was that we (the messianic Jews) who were the first to trust in Christ should
praise our glorious God. And now you (the gentile believers worldwide) also
have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed
in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He
promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us
everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. This
is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.” (Ephesians 1:12-14*).
Let’s
come to the point. We have tried to set Paul’s command in Ephesians 6:17 in its
Old Testament perspective: our Triune God has put on the helmet of salvation to
fight for our salvation and give us Jesus’ life by His Spirit. Now it is up to
us to receive God’s helmet of salvation which protects Jesus’ life within us against
any satanic assault.
Have
you put on God’s helmet of salvation?
Translations: * New Living
Translation; ** New International Version.
About “God’s messianic
and eternal covenant with Israel and the nations”, see Meditation 33.
About “ Satan and our
rebellious lives”, see Meditations 19-21.
About “What must I do
to be saved?”, see Meditations 22-26.
About “The Holy Spirit and His
ministry”, see Meditations 27-34.
About “God’s major project:
transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ”, see Meditations
45-48.
About “Do not bring sorrow to God’s
Spirit”, see Meditations 49-55.
About “Personal Christlike love for
the Father and His Son”, see Meditations 56-64.
About “How to overcome
the power of sin in my life and in my church?” see Meditations 101-121.
