When your day goes wrong and the problems of life weigh you down where do you turn? When something is broken deep within and you need that solution others can’t give where do you go? Where does your spiritual battle rage? Often it is within our minds that Satan is most active and sadly most effective. Planting thoughts, inserting temptations and blinding the thought process is what he seeks to do. (2nd Corinthians 4:4)
A little history: The head is was a prime target in warfare, because an opponent knows, a direct hit would finish the enemy. Therefore, the Roman legions were equipped with helmets to protect the head from enemy swords or arrows. The helmet would protect the cheeks, ears and even the neck not to mention the skull. It was quite effective in keeping a solider taking greater risks. Why? Well because he was equipped with the best and that brought a level of confidence that was unparalleled. In the same way, we are to take up our helmet, the covering of our mind, with the salvation of Christ. Pul in I Thessalonians describes the hope of salvation as our helmet.
“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (I Thes. 5:8-9)
What a remarkable promise we have in scripture, salvation! We need to learn to trust and rejoice in the hope of our eternity, when we are engaged in warfare. Whatever our circumstances, we have eternal hope, eternal confidence. Our home is not in this world, what is the worst that can happen to us? Death is nothing compared to spending an eternity with Christ in Heaven.
My son, Nathan, understood this more than I realized. Just today as were painting a room on our church facility together he said, “Dad when you die, you die right?” “Right son but that is not the end Nathan”, “Dad when you die you get to see Jesus, right?” “Yes son.”, “Well I am excited to see Jesus, but you and mom are going to die first and see him before I do!” “Thanks allot son, but I suppose your right!”
To him death is a non issue, it’s not even an event, it’s a passage to being with Jesus and he can’t wait cause not only will get to see His LORD, but he also said “I will have many dogs in heaven!”. To him it is like one day you go to sleep and the next day you wake up in heaven!
This understanding calms fears and allows us to live life well here for God’s sake. It gives you the power to live for God. What did Jesus give you through the cross and in salvation? Well….
1. He gave the power to overcome self through brokenness.
(Galatians 2:20) “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This means you come to the place of desperation each day. “A man on his face can never fall from that position” (Larry Stocksill)
The second thing He gave was….
2. He gave the power to overcome your flesh through holiness.
(Galatians 5:24) “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” How? Crucify your flesh, you kill it!!! You stop playing around with it. You get radical, crazy for Jesus and stop entertaining sin. You don’t give it an inch, you don’t put it on the couch and ask for it’s feelings about the situation, you don’t coddle it, you KILL IT! You give it an inch it will take miles
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, Cost you more than you want to pay, And keep you longer than you want to stay.”
And finally He gave us…
- He gave the power to overcome the world through separation.
(2 Corinthians 6:17-18) “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
On Sunday I was not able to complete my message so these are the following points that come as a result of salvation. Read through them, ponder them and apply them to your life, since you are saved! If you are not, I encourage you to make that decision today and say the prayer I have included.
"Lord Jesus, I am sorry for my sin. I turn from it right now. I thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sin. Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart, fill me with the Holy Spirit, and take control of my life. Guide and direct me in my daily walk with you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you that my sin is forgiven and that I am going to heaven. In Jesus' name I pray, amen."
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