Wednesday, December 30, 2015

128. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY LIFE? – How do I protect Jesus’ life within me against Satan’s attacks? (i)

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.

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