Tuesday, May 29, 2018 – Eph 6:17

The Armor of God, Pt. 24,

 The Helmet of Salvation, Pt. 3,

 Present and Future Salvation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHmTl2v-sYE

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Vs. 17, “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Past, Present, and Future Salvation, (continued).

Salvation refers to the estate of one who has been made whole, which is both an active process and its resultant effect, both a verb (save) and a noun (salvation). Therefore, salvation is past, present, and future. The one who is in Christ has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved. Salvation has reference to the believer’s past, present, and future. The Biblical images we see for salvation describe what God has done, is doing, and will do on behalf of men and women who suffer from the misery, mortality, and meaninglessness of the human condition inside Satan’s cosmic system.

  a. The Past Tense: This salvation is the one you received at the moment you believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This salvation is the release of the guilty from the penalty of sin, which is wholly accomplished for all in the work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. This salvation occurs at the time when anyone believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior, Luke 7: 50; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15; 2 Tim 1:9. That Jesus accomplished salvation is a past fact: His death delivered us once and for all from the penalty and power of sin, John 19:30; Rom 5:8; Titus 3:5-7; Heb 9:12. Justification, redemption, reconciliation, etc., are faits accomplis.

  b. The Present Tense, This salvation is an ongoing and progressive present experience that differs from our past salvation or conversion at the moment we believed in Jesus Christ. Those who have died with Jesus have also been raised with Him, and so share his life and his Spirit. The believer’s walk in salvation is living the life of being saved; living the life of salvation. 

That is why Christians are sometimes described in the NT as “those who are being saved,” Acts 2:47; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15. This means that their “past salvation” has released them from the power of sin, and salvation is being accomplished now in those who exercise faith, John 17:17; Rom 6:14; 8:2; Gal 5:16; Phil 2:12-13.

We have been freed from sin and the hold of Satan over us from the moment we believed that Jesus was our Savior. Now, we need to walk in that freedom. Not a freedom to sin, but a freedom not to sin. Yet, our present salvation is much more than not sinning, although without that we would not be able to have a present salvation. Freedom from sinning means freedom to know and walk with God presently! It means to live by His great plan and desire for your life. To walk in our present salvation is to glorify Him, as we keep His mandates for our lives out of love for Him, as we love and serve one another, Rom 6:5-14; 1 John 2:1-6; 5:1-5, 12-13; 1 Peter 2:2.

2 Cor 2:15, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

1 John 5:12, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

The “present tense” Salvation is the message of Titus 2:11-14.

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; ¹⁴who gave Himself for us, in order that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

  c. The Future Tense, This is the second commonly thought about aspect of salvation; our translation to eternal glory. This future salvation releases the believer from the very presence of sin when he is translated to heaven upon his death or the Rapture of the Church, Rom 13:11; Eph 2:5-7; Phil 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 3:1-2.

Rom 13:11, “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.”

1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The full meaning of salvation will be known to us only at the last day, when the renewing process is complete and God throws off this body of sin we are currently living in and He provides a new, eternal, resurrection body of perfection, 1 Cor 15:20-58; Phil 1:6.

Phil 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you (Past) will perfect it (Present) until the day of Christ Jesus (Future).”

Both the OT and the NT express hope for a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem, Isa 65:17-25; 2 Peter 3:13; Rev 21:1-4. The prophets anticipate a second exodus which will bring about a greater deliverance than that from Egypt and usher in the kingdom of God, Isa 51:9-11; Hosea 2:16-23. The NT envisioned a second coming of Christ, Heb 9:28; Rev 22.

Heb 9:28, “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.”

Therefore, salvation is also a future hope that one will be spared from the Divine wrath, 1 Thes 5:8-9; cf. Rom 5:9-10.

1 Thes 5:8-11, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”

Rom 5:9-11, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, (Present Tense Salvation), we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him, (Future Tense Salvation). ¹⁰For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, (Past Tense Salvation), we shall be saved by His life, (Future Tense Salvation). ¹¹And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Present Tense Salvation), through whom we have now received the reconciliation, (Present Tense Salvation).”

The eternal life associated with the kingdom of God is simultaneously present in Christ and future with regard to its glorious manifestation, John 3:16; 5:25; 11:25-26; 14:18-20; 17:24-26. The full privileges that belong to God’s adopted children, the inheritance guaranteed by one’s possession of the Holy Spirit, is “reserved in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:4-5; v Eph 1:13-14.

1 Peter 1:4-5, “To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Sunday, May 27, 2018 – Eph 6:17,

The Armor of God, Pt. 23,

The Helmet of Salvation, Pt. 2.

Past and Present Salvation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6WBk2Ph8-4&t=2s

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Vs. 17, “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

 

In His first advent, the Lord demonstrated the armor of God we now have the privilege and opportunity to put on, Isa 59:17. He wore the Armor of God to accomplish salvation for the entire world.

Isa 59:17, “He (the Lord) put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

What ultimately protects believers is that God has already rescued us from bondage to the prince of the power of the air and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms, Cf. Eph 2:1-10. Thinking of our salvation in terms of a fait accompli, we gain confidence in our everyday walk in Christ. Christ, in providing salvation, has already defeated Satan, sin, and death. Then, by giving us this salvation, we have been given the victory over Satan, sin, and death. By appropriating this salvation as our helmet, we have every reason to be confident of the outcome of the battle, and every confidence that we can win the tactical battles within our soul. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we cannot lose the tactical battle for our thinking, we cannot sin, 1 John 3:1-11.

What adorns and protects the Christian, which enables him to hold up his head with confidence and joy, is the fact that he is saved. He is one of the redeemed, translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. If we were still under condemnation, if still estranged from God, a foreigner, and alien, without God and without Christ, we could have no courage to enter into this conflict. Yet, it is because we are a fellow citizen of the saints, a child of God, a partaker of the salvation of the Gospel, that we can face even the most potent enemies (temptations) with confidence, knowing that we will become more than a conqueror “through Him that loved us,” Rom 8:37.

As such, we are to put on the hope that we have in Christ. To resist the Devil, we must be assured of our eternal salvation. We need to go to God daily and be reminded of the great object of our faith: Christ. Our hope is in Him. If you are trusting in Him, then do not listen to the Devil’s lies. Say to the evil one, “I have been saved from sin’s penalty, I am being saved from sin’s power, and I will one day be saved from sin’s presence.” Say to him, “I am alive with Christ, redeemed, forgiven, reconciled, raised with Christ, and seated with Christ.” Put your helmet on, and do not let the evil one get to your head.

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; ¹⁴who gave Himself for us, in order that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

The putting on of the helmet means trusting in your given salvation, and as a result committing yourself fully to the commencing struggle against the sinister powers which seek to prevent salvation.

The general doctrine of salvation includes the following lesser doctrines: substitution, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, conviction, calling, election, predestination, sovereignty, free will, grace, repentance, faith, regeneration, forgiveness, justification, sanctification, preservation, and glorification.

Salvation refers to the estate of one who has been made whole, which is both an active process and its resultant effect, both a verb (save) and a noun (salvation). Therefore, salvation is past, present, and future. The one who is in Christ has been saved, is being saved, and will be saved. Salvation has reference to the believer’s past, present, and future. The Biblical images we see for salvation describe what God has done, is doing, and will do on behalf of men and women who suffer from the misery, mortality, and meaninglessness of the human condition inside Satan’s cosmic system.

  a. The Past Tense: When we hear the word “salvation,” this is the aspect that immediately comes to mind and sometimes is the only aspect, except maybe for the last aspect - the future tense. “Past tense” salvation is the one you received at the moment that you believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This salvation is the release of the guilty from the penalty of sin, which is wholly accomplished for all in the work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross. This salvation occurs at the time when anyone believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior, Luke 7: 50; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15; 2 Tim 1:9. That Jesus accomplished salvation is a past fact: His death delivered us once and for all from the penalty and power of sin, John 19:30; Rom 5:8; Titus 3:5-7; Heb 9:12. Justification, redemption, reconciliation, etc., are faits accomplis.

  b. The Present Tense, This is the most neglected aspect of salvation in the Bible. Because most Christians think they are saved in the Past, and will be with God forever in the future, they do not think about this aspect of salvation as being very important, or they take it for granted, or they neglect it altogether.

This salvation is an ongoing and progressive present experience that differs from our past salvation or conversion at the moment we believed in Jesus Christ. Those who have died with Jesus have also been raised with Him, and so share his life and his Spirit. The believer’s walk in salvation is living the life of being saved; living the life of salvation. 

Though salvation is a past fact, it must not be “neglected” in the present, Heb 2:3, but rather be “held fast,” 1 Cor 15:2, and humbly “worked out,” Phil 2:12.

Heb 2:3, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.”

1 Cor 15:2, “By which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”

Phil 2:12-13, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. ¹³for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

That is why Christians are sometimes described in the NT as “those who are being saved,” Acts 2:47; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Cor 2:15. This means that their “past salvation” has released them from the power of sin, and salvation is being accomplished now in those who exercise faith, John 17:17; Rom 6:14; 8:2; Gal 5:16; Phil 2:12-13.

We have been freed from sin and the hold of Satan over us from the moment we believed that Jesus was our Savior. Now, we need to walk in that freedom. Not a freedom to sin, but a freedom not to sin. Yet, our present salvation is much more than not sinning, although without that we would not be able to have a present salvation. Freedom from sinning means freedom to know and walk with God presently! It means to live by His great plan and desire for your life. To walk in our present salvation is to glorify Him, as we keep His mandates for our lives out of love for Him, as we love and serve one another, Rom 6:5-14; 1 John 2:1-6; 5:1-5, 12-13; 1 Peter 2:2.

2 Cor 2:15, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

1 John 5:12, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

The “present tense” Salvation is the message of Titus 2:11-14.

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; ¹⁴who gave Himself for us, in order that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

In our next lesson, we will learn about our “Future Tense” Salvation.

Thursday, May 24, 2018 - Ephesians 6:17

The Armor of God, Pt. 22. 

The Helmet of Salvation, Pt. 1.  Introduction.

Lesson # 18 - 056      

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZlKoL1lmr8&feature=youtu.be

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.  

Vs. 17, “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

In this verse we have the last two, fifth and sixth, pieces of armament from God that allow us to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil;” the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. We will begin with the “helmet of salvation.”

In the NASB translation, “helmet of salvation” is capitalized to indicate that it is a quote from the OT. In this case, it is from Isa 59:17, which also speaks about the “breastplate of righteousness,” as we have noted above.

Isa 59:17, “He (the Lord) put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.”

The humanity of our Lord put on the armor of God, so that He could go to the Cross to defeat Satan, sin, and death, thereby providing salvation for the entire world. For those who believe in His saving work, they too can put on the armor of God including the knowledge of their own personal salvation through Christ and all that entails, as we will note below.

We begin with the exegesis of this verse. The first word is “and,” which is the Coordinating Adjunctive use of the Conjunction KAI that can be translated, “and, even, or also,” Here, it emphatically links the helmet and sword with the other piece of armament provided by God in the “Full Armor of God.” We translate it “also.”

“Take,” is the Verb DECHOMAI, δέχομαι in the Aorist, Middle Deponent, Imperative, 2^nd Person, Plural, for “you all take.” It can mean, “take, receive, accept, approve, etc.”

In vs. 11, we had “put on,” ENDUO, “dress, clothe oneself, put on,” for the full armor of God.

In vs. 13, we had, “take up,” ANALAMBANO, “take up, take on board,” for the full armor of God.

In vs. 14, we had, “put on,” ENDUO once again, for the Breastplate of Righteousness.

In vs. 16, we had, “taking up” ANALAMBANO once again, for the Shield of Faith.

In vs. 17, we have, “take” DECHOMAI a synonym of ANALAMBANO that can mean to “take or receive.” If we had a passive construction, we would translate it “receive,” but we have a Middle Deponent with an Active sense, so we translate it, “take.”

DECHOMAI is used extensively in the NT and Greek literature. It essentially means “to receive, to accept”; from that there are many shades of meaning. In our passage it means, “to take hold of or seize” the Helmet of Salvation.

The Constative Aorist tense is used to view the entirety of the action of taking the helmet of salvation and putting it on for combat inside the Angelic Conflict. Under the constative principle, we have the helmet of salvation which includes the 40+ things we receive at the moment of our salvation. We are to use them, and all that is associated with salvation, to protect our souls from the attacks of Satan’s cosmic system.

The Middle Deponent voice has an active meaning. The believer takes the helmet for himself.

The Imperative mood is for yet another command to take the armor of God. This is a command to believers only, as they, and only they, have already received salvation and only the believer can wield salvation.

This command comes after a string of Participles used regarding the first four pieces of armor that emphasized the command in vs. 13, to, “take up the whole armor of God.” Now that we are concluding the original command, the Imperative is brought back in.

The first thing the believer is commanded to take is, “the helmet,” HO PERIKEPHALAIA, περικεφαλαία, which is a Noun in the direct object Accusative case that means, “protective armor covering the head or a helmet.” It is only used here and in 1 Thes 5:8, regarding the same armament.

1 Thes 5:8, “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

“Hope,” is the Greek word ELIPIS that means, “hope or expectation.” In 1 Thes 5, we have added emphasis to the helmet of salvation. We are to be confident in our salvation and have a great expectation of what it means, both in time and eternity. We will discuss this further below.

The Greek word for “helmet,” PERIKEPHALAIA, is made up from the Preposition PERI, “around or about,” and the root word KEPHALE that means, “head or authority.” So, we see a sense of authority, leadership, or rulership wrapped around the head, i.e., associated with this helmet.

As you know, the head is the most fragile and the most important part of the body. It is the place where your soul resides and you do your thinking. The head controls the entire body. The head is the leader or ruler of your body and soul, just as Jesus Christ is the head of His body, the Church, Eph 5:23.

In our verse, we see that our head needs protection. It needs a form of a helmet to protect it from the schemes of the devil. In reality, the protection for our head is Jesus Christ and His Word, summed up in the word “salvation,” as we will see below.

In the ancient world, (comma) the PERIKEPHALAIA (comma out) was generally a bronze or iron cap with leather attachments, or of leather strengthened with metallic plates, 1 Sam 17:5, 38; 2 Chron 26:14, and had a long flap to cover the cheeks and ears. It generally offered some protection to the neck, cheeks, and chin. On marches, it was slung on a strap. But when the enemy was near, it was put on. Therefore, “putting on the helmet” marked the beginning of battle. Because we are in the battle of the Angelic Conflict, and the main skirmish of this warfare is the control of your soul, the head must absolutely be protected, so that sin and Satan do not control it.

The most ornamental part of ancient armor, yet hardly less important than the breastplate or the shield, was the helmet. This means that the helmet in particular, was adorned or decorated. This is analogous to adorning our souls with Bible Doctrine, the Word of God, and in particular, the Doctrine of Salvation. Without the Word of God being resident within your soul, you will be a casualty on the battle field of the Angelic Conflict. The unbeliever is already a casualty positionally, because they are without Christ and without His Word in their soul, but can be saved at any time. Likewise, the believer in reversionism or without Bible Doctrine in his soul, is easily defeated and a causality experientially, and can rebound and recover at any time.

Therefore, the helmet is used figuratively to express the idea of “protection” or “safety” in its only two occurrences in the NT, as we are in the battle of the Angelic Conflict. The helmet represents the opportunity for a certain hope, (confident expectation), with no chance of disappointment, Rom 5:5.

Rom 5:5, “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

The strength of the soldier’s helmet was based on the strength of the bronze, iron, or leather it was made from. The believer’s strength of the helmet is “of salvation,” HO SOTERIOS, σωτήριος, which is an Adjective in the substantive Genitive singular that means, “delivering, saving, salvation, etc.” It was used to denote the act of “saving, delivering, or preserving,” but here, it means the salvation itself. In ancient Greek, it was used “in the sense of an acutely dynamic act in which gods or men snatch others by force from serious peril, and denotes “deliverance” from judicial condemnation.” (Theological Dictionary of the NT). In the NT, it is always used for spiritual salvation.

Its root word is the Verb SOZO that means, “save, keep safe, preserve, rescue, make well, etc.” It is used in Luke 2:30; 3:6; Acts 28:28; Titus 2:11.

The righteous man Simeon said regarding the infant Jesus in Luke 2:29-32, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word; ³⁰For my eyes have seen Your salvation, ³¹which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

John the Baptist, quoting Isa 40:3-5, preached in Luke 3:4-6, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'make ready the way of the lord, make his paths straight. ⁵every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; the crooked will become straight, and the rough roads smooth; ⁶and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'”

Paul preached in Acts 28:28, “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”

Paul also wrote in Titus 2:11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.”

We have noted the cognate nouns SOTERIA, σωτηρία; SOTER, σωτῆρ; in Eph 1:13; 2:5, 8; 5:23.

Eph 1:13, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”

Eph 2:5, “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

Eph 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Eph 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”

And in our passage, Paul notes that we are to take this helmet of salvation and put it on to fight the evil temptations of Satan and his cosmic system, especially those that tempt you to not trust in the salvation God has given to you.

The book of Psalms uses the word “salvation” more than any other; over 60 times. Isaiah is second, with over 25 usages. The other books use it only a handful of times. In addition, in the LXX, (Septuagint), it is used as a substantive to refer to the “peace / thank offering,” Lev 3:1-16, which the translators of the Septuagint understood it as a “salvation offering.”

In Eph 6:17, the context tells us that these saints were already “saved,” in the sense that they were justified. The salvation spoken of here must therefore be salvation from the power of sin in this present life, salvation from the onslaught of Satan and his cosmic system. To have salvation from the onslaught of Satan and his schemes, the believer must remember his salvation founded in Christ. Satan wants to attack your mind, your thinking, the way you think, the same way he defeated Eve in the Garden, Gen 3; 2 Cor 11:1-3.

2 Cor 11:3, “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God. It is too bad that many Christians have the idea that the intellect is not important, when in reality, it plays a vital role in Christian growth, service, and victory. When God controls the mind, Satan cannot lead the believer astray. The Christian who studies his Bible and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led astray very easily. Therefore, we need to be “taught in Him as the truth is in Jesus,” Eph 4:21. We are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” 2 Peter 3:18. Wherever Paul ministered, he taught the new believers the truths of the Word of God, and this helmet protected them from Satan’s lies and deceptions.

Stopped here will continue on Sunday.

What ultimately protects believers is that God has already rescued us from bondage to the prince of the power of the air and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms, Cf. Eph 2:1-10. Thinking of our salvation in terms of a fait accompli, we gain confidence in our everyday walk in Christ. Christ, in providing salvation, has already defeated Satan, sin, and death. Then, by giving us this salvation, we have been given the victory over Satan, sin, and death. By appropriating this salvation as our helmet, we have every reason to be confident of the outcome of the battle, and every confidence that we can win the tactical battles within our soul. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we cannot lose the tactical battle for our thinking, we cannot sin, 1 John 3:1-11.

What adorns and protects the Christian, which enables him to hold up his head with confidence and joy, is the fact that he is saved. He is one of the redeemed, translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. If we were still under condemnation, if still estranged from God, a foreigner, and alien, without God and without Christ, we could have no courage to enter into this conflict. Yet, it is because we are a fellow citizen of the saints, a child of God, a partaker of the salvation of the Gospel, that we can face even the most potent enemies (temptations) with confidence, knowing that we will become more than a conqueror “through Him that loved us,” Rom 8:37.

As such, we are to put on the hope that we have in Christ. To resist the Devil, we must be assured of our eternal salvation. We need to go to God daily and be reminded of the great object of our faith: Christ. Our hope is in Him. If you are trusting in Him, then do not listen to the Devil’s lies. Say to the evil one, “I have been saved from sin’s penalty, I am being saved from sin’s power, and I will one day be saved from sin’s presence.” Say to him, “I am alive with Christ, redeemed, forgiven, reconciled, raised with Christ, and seated with Christ.” Put your helmet on, and do not let the evil one get to your head.

Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; ¹⁴who gave Himself for us, in order that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

The putting on of the helmet means trusting in your given salvation, and as a result committing yourself fully to the commencing struggle against the sinister powers which seek to prevent salvation.

Sunday, May 20, 2018 – Ephesians 6:16

The Armor of God, Pt. 21

The Shield of Faith, Pt. 5

The Flaming Arrows, Satan's Temptations, Pt. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWNpUNziq_Q

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.

Eph 6:16; Psa 7:13; 11:2; 18:30; 28:7; 30:5; 57:4; 58:3-7; 64:3; 76:3; Prov 26:18

Vs. 16

Eph 6:16, “In addition to all (the first three pieces of armor), taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”

The thing that has been put on fire is “arrows”, or “missiles”, or “darts,” which is the Greek noun BELOS, βέλος that means, “dart, arrow, javelin, etc.” It is only used here in the NT; a hapaxlegomena. It comes from BALLO, “to throw.” It is a projectile such as an arrow, javelin, or dart hurled deliberately and with purpose. If we were writing this letter today, we would probably use the word, “bullet” or “explosive shells,” a projectile sent by an explosion or fire. Missile is also a good imagery here. But back when the Bible was written, they did not have bullets, but they did have arrows, darts, and javelins. Therefore, the “flaming arrows,” refer to arrows tipped with tow, pitch, or such material that were set on fire before they were discharged. Sometimes they were missiles fitted with combustibles.

The one who is hurling these flaming arrows at us is “the evil one,” which is HO PONEROS. PONEROS, πονηρός is an Adjective, and with the article HO, it acts like a noun or pronoun. It means, “painful, serious, grievous, bad, wicked, evil, or depraved.” It means evil in a moral or spiritual sense, wicked, malicious, and mischievous. But here, it is a title for Satan to describe his personage, as well as his actions. We noted this word for Satan and his attacks back in vs. 13, “the evil day.” Here it tells us of the one who shoots the “bullets” at us. Therefore, the flaming arrows represent the temptations with which Satan attacks the saints. And, it is these temptations that we will extinguish when we put on the “Shield of Faith.”

When Paul wrote Ephesians, the PUROO BELOS was among the deadliest weapons developed for warfare. He used it figuratively for satanic temptations. We draw attention to several particulars in which this figure is specially instructive and warning.

1. The arrow is one of suddenness with which Satan attacks us. Satan’s temptations were designed to come swiftly and suddenly, and from directions we were not expecting. In other words, many times we do not see his attacks coming. This is the “shock and awe” effect of this weapon. That is why we always need to be at the ready, walking in faith, so that no matter what comes or from where; we are able to handle it in faith.

2. The arrow was designed to hit one specific area and penetrate deeply to cause the greatest amount of damage to that area. Likewise, Satan tempts us in a one specific area at a time, trying to hit your most vulnerable area to cause you to sin or get involved in a system of human good works.

3. The arrow was designed so that once it penetrated the intended target, it could not be easily removed without causing further damage. Likewise, Satan’s temptations are designed to stick in your soul, so that you cannot change your ways and repent back to God. Satan wants to keep you in his clutches.

4. The flaming arrow spreads its destructive intent, as Satan’s temptations are designed to affect your entire soul, it sets the soul on fire in a negative way. In other words, when temptation is thrown at you, it is designed by Satan to ignite a spark of sin or human good in your soul that consumes the entire soul.

5. The flaming arrow disperses its destructive force. Likewise, Satan’s temptations are designed to cause widespread sinning, human good, or evil in your life. If one sin is allowed to catch fire, it will ignite other sins in your soul causes a chain reaction of sinning or human good in your life.

6. Even when the flaming arrow did not hit the body and was caught by the shield, it hurled the flames all over the shield and around it with the intent to cause fear or a panic. Likewise, Satan’s temptations, though initially handled in your soul, (caught or deflected), by faith, are designed to weaken your resolve to fight the battle raising doubt, fear, worry, or anxiety about your spiritual walk, leaving you vulnerable to future attacks.

7. The flaming arrows causing panic in the soldier because their shield was blazing fiercely, could lead them to throw down their shield and be vulnerable to the next arrow that was hurled at them. Likewise, Satan’s temptations are designed for the Christian soldier to throw down his shield of faith and become vulnerable to the other attacks or temptation that may come. That is what Satan is trying to do to you. He sends one temptation to get you to throw off your faith in God and His Word, so that he can throw something else at you leading to sin or human good.

The burning arrows represent every type of assault devised by the evil one, not just temptation to impure or unloving conduct, but also false teaching, human good, persecution, doubt, despair, etc. Faith is the power which enables you to resist them all and triumph over such attacks.

“Flaming arrows” are also featured in the OT in Psa 7:13; Prov 26:18. These both speak of Satan’s attempts through the reversionist, who because of his unrepentant heart becomes part of Satan’s cosmic system, to hurl temptations at believers.

Psa 7:13, “He has also prepared for himself deadly weapons; he makes his arrows fiery shafts.”

Prov 26:18, “Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death.”

Because the Greek and Roman gods of passion, called Eros and Cupid, respectively, were said to strike with flaming arrows, some of Paul’s readers may have thought specifically of the temptation of sexual lust here. Yet, it is intended to cover more than just that danger, cf. Psa 11:2; 57:4; 58:3-7; 64:3; cf. Psa 120:1-4; Prov 25:18.

Psa 11:2, “For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.”

Psa 57:4, “My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.”

Psa 64:3, “Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow.”

Psa 58:3-7, ^“The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth. ⁴They have venom like the venom of a serpent; like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear, ⁵So that it does not hear the voice of charmers, or a skillful caster of spells. ⁶O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD. ⁷Let them flow away like water that runs off; when he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.”

Notice that the arrows are defined as “words” that come from the mouths of evil men. Therefore, we see that the temptations that Satan hurls at us are many times those from the tongue: gossip, maligning, slandering, lying, insults, false witness, false flattery, enticements, etc. The arrows of Satan are not only sharp and penetrating, but what makes them more destructive is that they are fiery, designed to cause the maximum amount of damage to our souls.

Therefore, to combat these evil words that are sharp and penetrating to our souls, we need the righteous Word of God resident within our souls to apply in faith to the various forms of temptations. To combat an emphatic foe, we must put up the Shield of Faith, which will be found more than capable of not only halting their penetration, but of quenching their dispersing heat. The Christian’s shield effectively counteracts the danger of such diabolical missiles not merely by stopping or deflecting them, but by actually quenching the flames to prevent them from spreading further damage or destruction.

And our Lord is the one who gives us the victory over these temptations through His Word and Spirit being functional within our souls, Psa 76:3f.

Psa 76:3, “There He broke the flaming arrows, the shield and the sword and the weapons of war. Selah.”

Satan shoots these “flaming arrows,” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, burning desires for sin, etc. If we do not by faith quench these arrows, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. And we never know when Satan will shoot an arrow at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.

We have a shield to protect us from the attacks of the enemy when we put on Christ, believing the promises of God. The combination of Bible doctrine in your soul plus the trigger called faith, becomes the basis of protecting you against Satan’s super weapons. The great overall principle of this verse is that there is no power which belongs to Satan that is great enough to destroy those believers who are holding up the shield of faith. You must carry the shield with you wherever you go. Believers should never be without the shield of faith. 

When the demon armies start throwing these fiery darts at you, you have had enough Bible doctrine through the function of GAP, you have accumulated doctrine in the soul, you have built an altar in the soul, you have put on the full armor from God, and the result is that you are able to meet all of the attacks of the unseen enemy, the demon army.

Just as the shield would break the arrow’s force and cause them to fall harmlessly to the ground, so does your faith in God and His Word resident within your soul cause the attacks or temptations of Satan to be null and void within your soul, because truly God is your shield, Psa 18:2, 30, 35; 28:7; 33:20; 35:2;59:11;91:4; 115:9-11; 144:1; Prov 30:5; cf. Gen 15:1; Psa 18:2;

Psa 18:30, “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”

Psa 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.”

Prov 30:5, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

Just as the soldier could not afford to be without his protective shield at any time, the follower of Christ, the Christian soldier, cannot for one moment afford to be without faith, to be without God.

Psa 144:1, “Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.”

The shield of faith is the confident trust in and receptiveness to Christ and his power that protects the whole person who claims it is, “an objective, Divinely given reality.” Faith takes hold of God’s resources in the midst of the onslaughts of evil and produces the firm resolve which douses anything the enemy throws at you, Mat 8:5-13; 1 Thes 5:8-9; 1 Peter 5:8-9.

In Mat 8, we see the example of the Roman centurion who came to Jesus asking Him to heal his servant. Jesus said in vs. 10, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” And He replied to the centurion in vs. 13. “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.”

1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

And remember,

Psa 7:10, “My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.”

Rom 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Eph 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”

Thursday, May 17, 2018 Ephesians 6:16

The Armor of God, Pt. 20

The Shield of Faith, Pt. 4

The Flaming Arrows, Satan's Temptations, Pt. 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GogqeaVFRqI

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher, Jim Rickard

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Stand in Warfare – Eph 6:10-20.

3. The Equipment, vs. 13-17.

Eph 6:16; Mat 12:20; 25:8; Mark 9:48; 1 Thes 5:19; Heb 11:33-34; 1 Peter 1:6; 4:12; 5:10

Vs. 16

Eph 6:16, “In addition to all (the first three pieces of armor), taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”

The shield that the Christian soldier uses inside the Angelic Conflict is faith, a present faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for victory over sin and Satan’s cosmic system. This is the only part of the full armor of God for which Paul indicates the effect it has, as he says next, “with which you will be able,” EN HO DUNAMAI.

DUNAMAI, δύναμαι is a verb that we are familiar with that means, “to be able, have power to do, or have capacity for.” It expresses the ability and capacity to accomplish something in deed, attitude, or thought. This is indicating the inherent power or ability we will have when we operate by faith in our Christian walk. We saw this word in verses 11 and 13, for the inherent ability we have to fight and be victorious in the Angelic conflict, when we put on the full armor of God. Here, with the “shield of faith,” we have a specific ability we can exercise and effect against the attacks of our enemy to be victorious in the battle.

In our passage, DUNAMAI is in the Future, Middle, Indicative, 2^nd Person, Plural. 

The Future tense tells us that subsequent to picking up and utilizing the shield of faith, we will have the ability to defeat the attacks of our foes. 

The Middle Deponent voice, is active in meaning. When we seize the shield of faith, we will be able to thwart the enemy’s aggression towards us. 

The Indicative mood is for the dogmatic reality of having this inherent power against Satan and his cosmic system, when we walk in faith.

Next is the ability or effect we have, “to extinguish,” which actually is the last word in this sentence in the Greek. It is the verb SBENNUMI, σβέννυμι that means, “to extinguish, quench, suppress, restrain, subdue, or stifle.” It is also used in Mat 12:20; 25:8; Mark 9:48, (and added in vs. 44, 46 in later copies of the gospel); 1 Thes 5:19; Heb 11:34. Here it is in the Aorist, Active, Infinitive. 

The Culminative Aorist views the action as completed, “to extinguish” the flaming arrows. 

The Active voice, the faithful believers are the ones who are able to extinguish these satanic arrows. 

This is an Infinitive of results, indicating the results or accomplishment of putting on the Shield of Faith; you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows.

This verb is used in three primary ways in classical Greek literature. Literally, it is used of extinguishing a fire. Similarly, it is used of liquids that “dry up,” and as a figure of speech, it can be used of anything that is checked, quenched, or quelled. We could also say “offset.” Therefore, when temptations to sin or perform human good come your way, you can offset them by walking in faith, i.e., apply God’s Word to the situation, whatever it may be.

In Mat 12:20, from the prophecy of Jesus Christ in Isa 42:3, it is said, “A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.” His faith carried Him to victory at the Cross. Regardless of the temptations hurled at Jesus, He would not be denied His faith walk in God the Father’s plan for salvation for the human race. Jesus would not waver or falter!

In Mat 25:8, regarding the foolish virgins, (i.e., unbelievers), having not enough faith, they will miss the 2^nd coming of the Lord. “The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out’.” The unbeliever does not have faith in God or Jesus, and therefore will miss His coming.

In Mark 9:48, quoting Isa 66:24, it again speaks to the unbeliever who will be tormented for forever in the Lake of Fire, “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Because of their rejection of Jesus Christ during their life here on earth, because of their lack of faith in Him, they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire where the sensation of burning will never stop. If they had just a little faith in Jesus Christ, they would avoid an eternity of faithlessness.

In 1 Thes 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit,” the believer is commanded to not fall into reversionism or apostasy, which is a direct result of a lack of faith, leading to “quenching,” halting or stopping the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in their lives.

In Hebrews 11, it is used to demonstrate the power faith gave to the visible heroes of the OT.

Heb 11:33-34, “Who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

Like Daniel, his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, received the power of God by faith to accomplish such things. The true power behind all of these was not man’s, but the power and ability (DUNAMAI) of God and His Word resident within their souls. When they appropriated by faith God and His Word in their lives, they accomplished great things. Therefore, as we see in our verse, Eph 6:16, we will be able to quench, (stop or overcome), the attacks (temptations) by Satan and his cosmic system.

In Lev 6:9 and others places, this word is used in the LXX to refer to the fire on the sacrificial altar which was never to be quenched. It was the imagery of the Christ’s sacrifice for our sins that is all sufficient and never revoked. It “burns” continually, meaning His one sacrifice endures forever and through it we have eternal security. His completed work for our salvation is what we are to trust in and rely upon for our daily walk, post-salvation.

Conversely, four times in the OT we are warned that the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished, Job 18:5-6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 24:20. Because of their lack of faith, God will bring their lives to a conclusion.

Therefore, as we see in the usage of the word SBENNUMI, “extinguish,” throughout the Bible, we see that by faith in God, His Word, and Jesus Christ, man can extinguish the flames of hell and the flaming arrows Satan hurls at him. On the other hand, if man does not have faith in God then the flames of hell last eternally and the flaming arrows of Satan will penetrate leading to destruction of the soul.

The thing we will be able to “quench” or “stop” is, “all the flaming arrows,” which in the Greek is, PAS HO PUROO HO BELOS. In the Greek, BELOS comes first, then later comes PUROO. But we will follow the English reading.

“Flaming” or “fiery,” is the Verb PUROO, πυρόω that means, “set on fire or burn.” Figuratively, it means, “to burn with desire, glow with heat, test, etc.” It is the 2^nd to last word in the Greek sentence. It is in the Perfect, Passive, Participle, Accusative, Plural.

The New Testament uses PUROO only in the passive, “to be set on fire, burn up, to be ignited, kindled, to burn, or flame.” It is used in 1 Cor 7:9; 2 Cor 11:29; 2 Peter 3:12; Rev 1:15; 3:18. It is closely related to the noun PUR, which from the time of Homer (8th Century B.C.), refers to “fire” in its various forms whether in nature or produced by man. In our passage, it is used to describe the intensity of the temptations Satan and His cosmic system hurl at you.

The Intensive Perfect tense, is for completed past action where the results continue to the present. In other words, these arrows have already been set on fire by Satan and continue to burn. It is part of his overall master plan to thwart God’s overall Plan for mankind and His plan for your life. He set his evil plan in motion long ago, and when it involves you, it is just as intense as it was at the foundation of the world. In this we see Satan’s master plan of temptation of “appetite, beauty, and ambitious pride,” 1 John 2:16; cf. Mat 4:1-11; Gen 3:6.

The Passive voice, means the arrows received the burning fire by another, in this case, Satan.

In the OT, PUROO is used in the LXX, usually referring to the process of smelting or refining by fire, e.g., Psa 12:6; Zech 13:9. The smelting or testing process establishes the product as approved and makes it more pure. So, this PUROO in regard to “flaming arrows,” alludes to being tempted by Satan, which in fact, is a testing by fire. When these flaming arrows come at us, our soul is refined by their fire when we apply faith, either reproved or purified, 1 Peter 1:6f; 4:12; 5:10; cf. James 1:2

1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.”

1 Peter 1:6, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials.”

1 Peter 5:10, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Therefore, the flaming arrows hurled at us by Satan are a testing process for our souls, to refine it to be purer and purer as God draws us closer to Himself. This was the case of the humanity of our Lord, as seen in the results of Rev 1:15, which also should be ours, Rev 3:18.

Rev 1:15, “His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.”

Rev 3:18, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined (PUROO) by fire (PUR) so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”

As Psa 119:140 tells us, we should love the Word of God, because it has already been made pure, and therefore becomes power and strength for us when we are tempted by Satan.

Psa 119:140, “Your word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it.”

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