you you Hallelujah Praise Him Hallelujah Very good. Thank you so much. Well, how many of you saw the sunshine this morning? No No, it shines just for about 30 seconds this morning. But what a wintry day Thank you so much for being here and we're praying As we look in God's Word as the choir sings as we sing that our heart would be renewed how many of you come today with the burden on your heart something you're praying for so many things that we need to pray for so many folks even our congregation and Several have COVID and bronchitis and some sickness, and we're praying that the Lord would allow us to minister to so many. Let's pray. As I begin, I want you to, where you're seated, pray, and then decide right now. I'm gonna enter into the service. I'm gonna take that hymn book. I'm gonna sing along. I'm gonna prepare my heart in worship to hear the word of God. Let's pray together. Father, this morning, Lord, we acknowledge that we're needy. Lord, we acknowledge that we're weary. Lord, we acknowledge that, Lord, just to be quite honest, sometimes we're frustrated in our walk. And we pray today as the word of God is preached, Lord, we'd be reminded of your strength. We'd be renewed in our inner man. And Lord, we pray for those that couldn't be with us today due to sickness and Lord, those that we care for and love so dearly here in our congregation. Lord, we pray that you'd touch their body, bring them health and bring health and healing to them. Lord, give us your joy as we enter this service. Give us your enthusiasm. Help us to be reminded of your goodness in all things. In Jesus name, amen. How many of you ever said amen in church? Say it right now. Amen. Very good. Stand to your feet and let's sing first hymn number 319. His brother Mike comes along 319. When the redeemed are gathering in. I am thinking of the laughter in that merciful moonlight When the renegade are gathering in I will raise the heavenly anthem and let it sing in the sky When the renegade Joy to the world! Joy to the world! Joy to the world! There will be a great collection over on the streets of New York. With the reading, New York at reading, New York at reading, New York music, New York singing, and that city will be rocked. With the reading, New York at reading, New York at reading, With the reeding, our gathering day. Hearts like storks, and good foxes. Howls will shout, and howls will sing. With the reeding, our gathering day. Now, folks, listen. We're gonna sing that last verse and listen what the words we're singing. When the redeemed are gathering in, no more rain, no more tears, no death. We'll be gathering in to worship Him forever and ever. Let's sing that last verse. Here we go. ♪ Then the Savior will give orders to prepare the hungry heart ♪ With reading, again reading ♪ And we'll hear His fingertips come infested of the heart ♪ With reading, again reading ♪ Oh, with reading Thank you. Be seated. you We vowed we'd ride through the night We vowed we'd ride through this way Amen, very good. Stand one more time and let's sing hymn number 205. Hymn number 205 there, Wonderful Words of Life here as Brother Mike comes along this morning. All right, let's sing again, folks. Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life. Let me more of their beauty see Wonderful words of life ♪ Words of life and beauty ♪ Teach me faith and duty ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words ♪ Wonderful words of life ♪ Beautiful words, wonderful words ♪ Words of, verse three now. They echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life. Call for pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life. Jesus, only Savior, sanctified forever. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Thank you, be seated. Thank you so much. Thank you, choir. Thank you, Brother Mike and Miss Kim. Wonderful this morning. Thank you so much for attending the Tabernacle Baptist Church. If you're visiting today, I'd love for you to take a visitor's card and fill it out and give us a record of your visit. We'd love to meet you in the lobby, have a gift for you when we are dismissed here in just a little while, but thank you for coming our way. And we're asking God to use our time together to help our hearts that we would grow in him. Over these last several days, we have emphasized prayer in the month of February. And so in your bulletin, you'll notice a prayer request card, and I'm challenging everyone in our church family to submit a prayer request. It may be an unspoken, it may be a health concern, it may be Just what you want us to pray for your family, but what we're gonna do tonight in our evening service I'm going to bring a devotion I would say I bring a short sermon, but I've never done that so I'm gonna call it a devotion So it may be short it may be long it kind of open-ended But I'm gonna talk about prayer just for a few moments And then all the prayer requests have been turned in over the last two weeks We're gonna just lay them here at the altar and as we end our service tonight. We're gonna have a prayer meeting And so I want to challenge our folks, if you fill this out, you can hand it to me after the service, you can put it in the offering plate as it comes by, but we're doing our very best to emphasize prayer this month. And I can't tell you all the ways that we have already seen Prairie Quest answered and God working on behalf of people and people's hearts are being stirred. And we as a people need to be prepared in the matter of prayer. I find it interesting, we've been preaching through Ephesians and at the very end of Ephesians, Paul challenges them after the armor, he challenges them to be interested in prayer. He challenges them to be prepared for the opposition. So we're talking about prayer here at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. You'll notice each week I have a letter to the church and we're emphasizing prayer. several announcements and other things going on. Tomorrow, we'll have our Monday Minute. If I can remember all the right buttons to push, we'll have a Monday Minute out there again on YouTube. It'll be emailed to your inbox, those that are part of our church communication system. I hope you're enjoying those Bible verses and those little devotions each Monday, something to give us a charge for the week ahead. This Thursday, we have a Valentine Fellowship planned for our senior saints at the Mad Greek Restaurant. located here in Kingsport. We'll begin there at 1130. If you could sign up today, we're trying to finalize all of those things. And Miss Susie's helping me take care of all these things. So if you plan on coming and being part of that with us, you want to bring a friend, bring a guest, bring a neighbor, that'd be just fine as well. If you'll mark that down, we want to be a good host and look forward to that. We have a revival coming up this spring. I'll tell you some more about that towards the end of the month. One thing I do want to make mention of is we have a church database system. How many of you have a cell phone you have a cell phone. How many of you have a smart phone a smart phone. Well what we're trying to do is called church community builder. It's nothing over the top or fancy but basically all we're trying to assimilate all of our churches information. And each church member would have access to that information. It would basically be an online directory. You could upload a picture just like you would on Facebook. It would have your address and your birthday. And so folks, even today, you look around, someone's sick, if you had that app on your phone, you could pull up their information, put a little get well card, thinking of you card in the mail. But we need our church family to fill that database out or that information card. And I've asked Robbie Davenport to kind of oversee that and help me enter all that data and kind of assimilate all that information. So if you have any questions about that, you can see Brother Robbie there. As the minute come forward, we'll take our morning tithes and offerings. Thank you for all of those that give faithfully each week to the Tabernacle Baptist Church to see the gospel move forward. Next Wednesday, not this Wednesday, but the following Wednesday, we'll have a missionary with us. This Wednesday, we go back to Nehemiah, Nehemiah chapter number six this Wednesday, and then next Monday, we're gonna feed the Kingsport City Police. A lot of good things the Lord's allowing us to minister and be a part of here in our own community, and we're trusting God. Brother James Sampson, do you care to pray and bless our time and offering this morning? Father, thank you again for this privilege to be back in your household, and most of all, to be a part of your family. Lord, thank you for loving us like you you What song is this? He loves me. I have a dear, precious friend. He's a black gospel singer. His name's Reggie Sadler. You may have heard about him. And he says he just likes to go outside in the morning on a pretty day and just reach up and just play like he's hugging God's neck and thanking him for all he's done. We're gonna sing that little chorus, Christ is all I need, and we'll do it twice. And God has helped us do some things. It just makes, it squeezes your heart to where it runs out your eyes, I guess. But the Lord loves us. Let's sing that again. Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Christ is all I need. Thank you. Thank you so much. In just a moment, we'll look at Ephesians chapter six. If you have the word of God, you can go ahead and turn there, Ephesians chapter six. We made it up to the helmet of salvation this morning. I want to say thank you to Brother Gavin. He took care of the prayer meeting for us on Wednesday night. Did a tremendous job with the Bible lesson. And I'll never have him preach again. I had like seven people text me how good it was. I've never had a text when I got done tell me how good it was, man. But no, honestly, I appreciate Gavin taking care of that. And then he taught the teen Sunday school this morning. Thank you, Brother Gavin. Thank you to the church. I was able to go to a pastor's conference this week. I was in Jacksonville, Florida, and I just want you to know, on Friday afternoon, it was 84, and I was at a sunny, beautiful beach in Florida, and preparing this sermon. Actually, I told Paddy I could really get used to studying there, and I had a Starbucks in my hand, the water was coming in, and then these sand fleas, or what are they, these ants, I don't know what it was, but I was eaten alive, and so it was very short-lived. It was a beautiful, picturesque moment, And then I got out of there quickly. But thank you to the church for allowing me to go to that conference. My own inner man was refreshed and had these classes in the morning and the evening preaching services and it helped me so, so much. And thank you for the church for the liberty to attend that conference. This morning, my wife Patty's gonna come along and share in song and as soon as she's concluded, we'll look at the Helmet of Salvation. what gift of grace is jesus my redeemer there is no more for heaven now to give he is my joy my righteousness and freedom my steadfast love my deep and boundless To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus, for my life is wholly bound to His. Oh, how strange and divine, I can sing, all is mine, yet not I, but through Christ in For by my side, the Savior, He will stay. I labor on in weakness and rejoicing, For in my need, His power is displayed. Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome, yet not I, but through Christ in me. No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven. The future sure, the price it has been paid. For Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon, and He was raised to overthrow the grave. To this I hold, my sin has been defeated. Though the chains are released, I can sing, I am free, yet not I, but through Christ in me. With every breath, I long to follow Jesus, for He has said, Complete, fill my list. And when my race is complete, still my lips shall repeat, yet not I, but through Christ in me. And when my race is complete, still my lips shall repeat, yet not I, but through Christ in me. Yet not I, but through Christ in me. So much. Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians chapter six. Every time I take the pulpit and have the word of God here, I'm overwhelmed and excited as we look into God's word Ask the Lord to use our time together today to help us. Ephesians 6, we come today to the helmet of salvation. For several weeks we have walked through this book of Ephesians and we're nearing the end of our time in Ephesians and we have went over the armor of God. We started with the belt of truth. and then the Breastplate of Righteousness, and then the Gospel Shoes of Peace, and then last week, those are like the first three, and then the last week, we had the Shield of Faith, and today, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, and they're both in verse 17. One is a defensive weapon, or a defensive piece of armor, and one is an offensive weapon, if you will, and today, we wanna just single in on the Helmet of Salvation. Now, by way of review, Paul riding to the church in Ephesus, Paul is locked up and in house arrest, and as Paul looks out his window, he is riding to these believers in Ephesus. The believers in Ephesus is a church, or several churches rather, and it's a circulatory letter. So Ephesus, the letter of Ephesus would be read at this church, then be passed along and read at this church, then be passed along and read at this church. But the mindset is what Paul addresses early on in the book of Ephesians. He talks about our doctrinal standing. He reminds us that we are adopted. He reminds us that we are redeemed. He reminds us, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, for by grace are ye saved through faith. that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And early in the book of Ephesians, he is reminding them of their position in Christ. As you near the end of the book of Ephesians, he shifts in chapters four, five, and six, and he begins to speak. of relationships, husbands and wives and servants and masters and children and parents. And then he comes down here to the very end of Ephesians and he gives a stern warning to these believers at Ephesus. He understood that they're from different backgrounds and different cultures and they have worshiped false gods and the goddess of Diana. and all these temple sacrifices and all these wicked pagan things are in their background and he brings them to a realization that they need to have Christ and Christ alone at the center of their life. And as he ends the book of Ephesians, he gives a strong warning of opposition. He gives a strong warning of persecution. He gives a strong warning of the evil one and those that would oppose the gospel work of Jesus Christ. Read with me or follow along there, Ephesians 6, verses number 10 through 20, and we'll actually key in, or our key verse is verse 17. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rules of darkness of this world. Get spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, taking to you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. And this is where the armament is introduced here, verse 14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of gospel of peace, and above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. by way of introduction, by way of review, the belt of truth. All of the pieces of armor have a spiritual tag that Paul adds to them. Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, this morning helmet of salvation. The helmet is only good when you take it. The helmet is only good when you use it. Now Harold's told me several times, he used to ride a motorcycle a lot. Now let me just tell you, I want four wheels, six wheels, eight wheels, as many wheels can be on the ground, more than two is what I want. This past week I was in Florida and they do not have a helmet law, I think them in South Carolina. And I thought, number one, you're an idiot for riding that motorcycle. Number two, I would have a humongous, this kid's just riding down the freeway, no helmet on. And I'm thinking, I would want a helmet. The helmet is for protection. The helmet is for safety. The helmet does not help. when it is not worn. About weight reduction, here's a supplemental outline. Verses 10 through 13, Paul gives a warning, and in that warning, he gives a caution. And in verses 14 through 17, Paul addresses a wardrobe, and not only does he have a caution, but he has concern. And then verses 18 through 20, Paul talks about a willingness, and he talks about care. Paul is reminding these believers at Ephesus that salvation is only of Jesus Christ by faith. The helmet of salvation. Paul reminds them that persecution will come. Paul reminds them to be prepared. Paul reminds them that we are in a daily battle. Early on in the text we read, he talks about the tempter and all the different adjectives that he describes of the opposition that will come against us. Previously in the letter, he's addressed doctrine, he's addressed unity, he's addressed relationships, and he's addressed the position As Paul finishes the letter, he speaks of the battle. As Paul finishes the letter, he speaks of opposition. As Paul finishes the letter, he gives a warning to take the whole armor of God, every piece. Every piece has a spiritual application to it. The Bible uses the term we wrestle. It was a close combat. You know, today we have missiles and And I was gonna make a comment about balloons, but I'm gonna leave that alone. But we have missiles and rockets and ammunition and firearms, but in biblical days, it was more of a hand-to-hand combat in close quarters. They would have a sword that was about four foot long, three or four foot long, and it would take both hands, and they're wielding that sword. They would throw rocks and spears and arrows and clubs, and no doubt you would want a helmet to protect. Can you imagine being in a close combat situation and not having a helmet on? Can you imagine the trauma? Can you imagine the head wound? Can you imagine a rock or a boulder or a club or a spear or something coming at you? Paul emphasizes this helmet. He tells us here in verse 17, and I circled this word, take. It's imperative, it's not implied, it's imperative. And you, and you take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Each piece is important. The helmet and the sword, 1 Peter, five, six through 11, it gives us the thought of being prepared and it gives us the thought of a warning. The helmet here is not a suggestion. I kind of just wrote this verse out and I marked a few things just by way of introduction. He says, and take, he's giving a command, take the helmet of salvation, I wrote this down, we should put on the hope of salvation. Let me ask you this, tomorrow morning when you get up and you leave for the day and you're going to Eastman, you're gonna take care of things, you're leaving the home and you put on the hope of salvation or the helmet of salvation and you are reminded of Jesus Christ and what he has done for you, do you not think that will help you deal with all opposition all day? The answer is what? Sure. He says, take the helmet of salvation, put on the hope of salvation. In order for you to receive something, it first must be given. So he says, take, take the helmet of salvation, the helmet of salvation, serves as a defense. The Helmet of Salvation serves as a guard. The Helmet of Salvation serves as protection. The Helmet of Salvation serves as a preventative measure. Without the Helmet of Salvation, we would all be vulnerable. Without the Helmet of Salvation, the wound that we take in battle could be fatal. 1 Thessalonians chapter five and verse eight, I've marked it here in my text, 1 Thessalonians chapter five and verse eight. But let us who are of the day be sober, put it on the breastplate of faith and love for and helmet the hope of salvation. He is referring to this helmet of salvation, salvation. is in Christ. It's the idea of redemption, the idea of that we have been saved, our salvation is in the Lord. Scripture clearly teaches us that salvation is in Jesus Christ in you by faith. The thought here is to put on the hope we have in Christ to resist the attack of Satan. A Christian should go to God daily and be reminded of the great object of our faith, and the object of our faith is Jesus Christ. Put on your helmet. Don't let the evil one get in your head. Some of these thoughts have overlapped here with the armor, but the helmet would protect in battle. The helmet would protect in injury. The helmet of salvation, when we don't put on, when we don't take up, when we don't apply the helmet of salvation, Satan will take over. will attack our mind. Hold your place here and turn with me to 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter number. 11, 2 Corinthians chapter number 11. I wanna develop this thought here. Look with me at verses one through three. We're talking about the hymn of salvation. We're talking about the attack of Satan. It says this, what to God you could bear with me a little in my folly for indeed bear with me for I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy for I've espoused you to one husband that I present you as a chaste virgin to Christ but I fear "'lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve "'through his subtlety, "'so your minds should be corrupted "'from the simplicity that is in Christ.'" The thought I'm trying to draw out here is the thought that Satan attacks the Christian's mind. Satan attacked Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan causes doubt. When Satan attacks our mind, it leads us to be emotional. When Satan attacks our mind, it leads us to live on our feelings. When Satan attacks our mind, it leads us to doubt the work of a holy God in our lives. When Satan controls the mind, he will lead the believer astray. Have you ever met saved folks? that don't act like saved folk? I would submit to you, you can't see the helmet on, but I would submit to you somewhere along the way, they didn't take the helmet of salvation. I don't believe the helmet of salvation is actually referring to a redemptive picture here. There's no way you could have the breastplate of truth, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and not be a saved individual. See what I'm saying? I'm gonna try to develop that at the end. I'm kinda jumping around here in my notes. That's what happens when you study at the beach and drink Starbucks. When God controls the mind, Satan can't leave a believer astray. When we know the word of God, we will not be led away astray too easily. but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever, amen. 2 Peter 3, 18. This verse opens up with the word take. To accept from the hand of another. To accept this free gift. Now, I'm still in my introduction. We're talking about what does this helmet look like or how does it apply? Here's a few things. Number one, the helmet was for protection. The helmet was for protection. And I've already talked about this. Rocks, clubs, arrows, swords, spears, they all attack The head, the idea of a trauma or a head wound, the idea that it was close combat, the idea that they needed protection, the idea that the helmet covered the entire head. These helmets many times were made of bronze or brass. I even read in one article this week that they were made of iron. And as time went along, they developed these cheek plates, or you've seen them probably in some form of a movie. There's a helmet here, there was a plate on the back to protect their neck, and there were pieces that came down the sides to protect their cheekbones, if you will. So the only thing really exposed were their eyes and nose. The thought here is this, that Paul is driving home is the helmet of salvation helps protect our mind against the attack of Satan and the influence of Satan, because Satan targets the mind of a person. 2 Corinthians 4, 4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Your helmet provides hope. Your helmet provides security, and Satan wants to steal that and disarm you and I. Satan wants to bring doubt to your mind. If you doubt God, will you have joy? No. Satan wants people living a defeated life, a joyless life. If you doubt God, will you be telling others of him? No. Do you not see the picture why it's so important we buckle on or put on the helmet of salvation? So many people today are Christians. I'm not getting people to, I don't wanna try to get someone to doubt their salvation, the work of regeneration Jesus did in their own heart. But so many people today are Bible believers, but they've allowed the work of Satan to distract them, and they're living a joyless Christian life, and they say things like, well, if God really loved me, he wouldn't have cancer. If God really cared for me, he'd answer this request. If God really, and then we get to the place where we treat God like a genie in a bottle. Well, if God did this, if God did that, if I went here, if I had this, the helmet of salvation, protection. 1 Thessalonians 5, 8, I read this verse earlier. I'm sorry. Excuse me. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. Satan leads Christians away through deception. We're talking about now the helmet of salvation, the helmet is for protection. Salvation comes from Jesus Christ and salvation changes a person because Christ is in our heart and in our thoughts. There are some things that shouldn't be in our heart and thoughts and we should be growing in the Lord. Philippians 4.8. If you don't have this verse marked down, mark it down. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, excuse me, whatsoever things are honest, and then whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, what's he say? Think on these things. Another warning on our mind, another warning on the attack of Satan, Philippians 2, 2-5. Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. The thought that we are in accordance with a holy God. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Verse four, look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. It goes on to say, who being in the form of God thought not Robert to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. Do you not see the importance now of the helmet of salvation for protecting, to protect our mind? Satan is attacking people, Satan is attacking homes, Satan is attacking churches. The helmet of salvation, the helmet, by way of introduction, it was for protection. The helmet, number two, I like this one, the helmet was for identification. Identification. There was a, in the army or in the military now, they have a, if you see some folks there, they have stripes or they have insignias on the sleeve of their uniform and it signifies their rank. It signifies their status. It signifies their corporal, general, lieutenant, sergeant. You understand that their position that they are in. The helmet of salvation as I read this week and read several many articles on a helmet in biblical times and a Roman helmet many times the helmet was for identification and that there was a crest or there was a color there was insignia there was a plume you ever seen a marching band in a parade and they have their hat. and then in their hat there's something that sticks up out of their hat like a feather or something, are you tracking with me? This helmet of salvation was for identification because whoever was in charge, their plume, their helmet would look different, follow me, follow me, and you would look to them to get your instructions. Identification. Hey, when you and I put on the helmet of salvation, we should look totally different than an unregenerated world. People went nuts over this Grammy thing last week. I watch Andy Griffith. They had this, what I could gather on social media, they had these people come out and they were dressed like Satan and act like Satan, had some kind of satanic type situation there on the Grammys. Unsaved people, I'm gonna shock you, unregenerate people are gonna act like unregenerate people. Here's the problem. Saved people ain't acting like saved people. And we've got okay with it. The helmet, that was all free, not even in my notes. The helmet was for identification. The hymnal is for protection, the hymnal is for identification. In the same manner, our salvation should identify us as children of God and we should be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Because we've been saved, because he's regenerated our inner man, we people should see Jesus Christ in us. Our lives should be marked, our lives should be different. It was for protection, it was for identification. Not works of salvation, the thought that he's totally changed us, and it's obvious. Write down Galatians chapter five, verses 22 through 23. I don't have time to turn there, but love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness. The helmet was for protection. The helmet was for identification. Number three, by way of introduction, the helmet was for, and I referenced this previously, it was for direction. You could tell who was in charge. You could tell the general. You could tell the commander. You could tell what the next steps the soldier needed to take. leaders with the helmet have maybe a different color crest or a different color plume and they shout the orders and who was giving the instructions and what you were supposed to do in battle. Our salvation provides clear direction for us because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and we should be obeying his commands in his word. John 14, 15, if ye love me, do a few of my commands. If you love me, take a few of these suggestions. No, no, no, it says, if you love me, what's it say? Keep my commandments. Protection, identification, direction. I like this one. The helmet was for, y'all are getting nervous. This is still my introduction. You're getting nervous. The helmet was for beautification. So the men would go away to battle. They've had their gospel shoes on, they've had their cleated shoes, they've had their shield of faith, they had the sword of the spirit, they had their helmet on, and when they won, when they came back victorious, there was always a victory parade. The spoils they would march in, and their spoils, or what they had taken in battle, was marching along with them. It was said before the victory parade, many of those men would polish, many of those men would adorn, excuse me, many of those men would wipe the blood and the nastiness of the battle away, and that helmet could be seen glistening in the sun. Beautification. Hey, when you and I know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, when you and I have the helmet of salvation on, when you and I are living for the Lord and have a testimony for Him, it should be a beautiful thing. You know, people in the break room at work, ought to know you're a praying Christian, and they ought to be able to come up to you and say, hey, hey, Robbie, I need you to pray with me about this. Hey, I've got a need, I want you to pray with me about, hey, I know, do you know why people do that? because they've seen some identification and they've seen some beautification and whether you understand or not, they've seen a little bit of Jesus Christ in you because you chose that day to take, receive the helmet of salvation, wear it to work. The soldiers would take pride in their helmets before this victory parade. It set them apart and we should have the beauty of our salvation in the way we live, in the words, in the actions that we have. Psalm 90 verse 17, let the beauty of our Lord, our God be upon us and establish all the work of our hands upon us. Yea, the work of our hands, establish thou it. Paul says this, take, take the helmet of salvation. The salvation we receive in Christ should change our thinking. But we have a new mind. We have a new master. But the enemy is after us every day. And this helmet protected the head and we need to protect our mind every day. Because our mind determines our actions. Here's an application. That was all introduction. Now here's my sermon, I got five things. Paul right into this church. No doubt Paul is right into a church at Ephesus, and many of them are already saved individuals. And so he develops the thought process of the belt of truth. It begins with truth. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is truth. It begins with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, today the helmet of salvation. Here's five practical things I wrote down about this helmet. When you and I have the helmet of salvation, or when you and I take the helmet of salvation, when you and I apply, if I can use the term, apply the helmet of salvation to our daily lives, the helmet, here it is, number one, should guide our lives. The helmet should guide our lives. We are his children. We are saved individuals. We are Christians. Our salvation is guiding our life. Yes, we have freedom in Christ, but we also have a testimony for Him. We have freedom in Christ and a testimony for Him. This helmet should guide my thoughts. This helmet should guide my relationships. This helmet should guide my interactions in my everyday life. This helmet should give direction and bring protection. Number one, the helmet should guide my life. Number two, the helmet of salvation. Number two, the helmet should guard our thoughts. The helmet should guard our thoughts. Now, I'm used to preaching for years to teenagers. And we would talk about your thought life and things that are a lust for sensual nature and you need to guard against those things. And the truth is, grown adults need that same talk as well. But the idea that in our thought life is where we harbor jealousy, in our thought life is where we harbor bitterness, in our thought life is where we doubt a holy God, in our thought life, if Satan can get you wrong in some stinking thinking, you will not be living for Jesus Christ. Guard your thoughts. This helmet, this helmet, it guards. It guards. will guard against discouragement. The helmet will guard against depression. The helmet will guard against comparison. Man, we live in a world today and you look at your neighbor's car, you look at your neighbor's house, you get on social media and they did this, they went there, they had this, I wish I had their money. Do you not think God's gave you everything you need? This is for me too. Guard our thinking, the helmet. The helmet should protect my thoughts and my thinking. I'm reminded of my salvation in Him. I have this helmet on and I've strapped it down and it's protecting me and I'm reminded of my salvation in Him. The helmet should move me to a greater confidence in Him. I don't know about you, but if I went to battle and didn't have a helmet, I'm not volunteering to be anywhere near the front. You know, I'm handing out the peanut butter sandwiches at the back of the line. But can you imagine a soldier who has all his armament on, he has confidence, he's ready for battle. Number three, the helmet. The helmet should give me confidence. Not only does it guard and guide, the helmet should give confidence. Can you imagine going into battle without a helmet? Going into battle unprotected, We have confidence in our salvation. The day I asked Jesus Christ in my heart to forgive me of my sins as a 14 year old boy, it was not a hope so thing. I was confident he did what he said he could do and I just confessed my sin to him. He did it all. The helmet will bring confidence. Not only confidence in our salvation, but confidence in the one who provided that salvation. Confidence in battle, confidence in the midst of opposition, confidence in the midst of a hard season. Hey Christian, hey believer, hey one that's in a tight spot in a difficult place, let me remind you, God is who he said he is, God can do all things, God can change my situation. Remember that. Check your chin strap right there on that helmet of salvation. The helmet should give us confidence. Too many Christians are living a defeated life and have forgotten our salvation. Let me just tell you, you got a bad day today, that's as bad as it's ever gonna get. Because one day we'll be with him in heaven for eternity. Number four, the helmet should govern our lives. Not only does it give us confidence, but the helmet should govern our lives as Christians. My life has changed. My inner man is different. The things that attracted me or the things that were in my life have changed. My salvation governs my life to stay away from sinful things and to live for Him. Do you know again and again and again what Paul is really trying to tell these believers at Ephesus, and we have to be reminded of this every day ourselves, that you and I have a testimony for Jesus Christ, the helmet of salvation. Too many Christians are living defeated, governs our lives. Does your life, does your life reflect your salvation? If you have not taken the helmet of salvation, it won't reflect him. There's some saved folk that don't act like saved folk. Number five is this and we'll hustle. The helmet of salvation, the helmet of salvation gives us the guarantee of his presence. Does that not comfort you? In battle, in a hardship, In a difficult season, you find yourself in life. The hymn of salvation guarantees his presence. He's with you. He's with you in hardship. He's with you in trial. He's with you in opposition. Paul says this, take, take. It's my responsibility to receive. It does me no good Listen, that conference they handed out free stuff, I took it all. I mean, pens, paper, books, they're giving it away, give me three. They had donuts every morning that were fantastic. I took plenty of them. Take. The helmet, the helmet is only useful when you take it, when you wear it, when you apply it, when you use it. I've got four, Concluding questions. Question number one is this. How many of us would be honest to admit, I haven't taken the helmet. Here I am in battle unprotected. Here I am in battle and I'm defeated in my mind. Here I am in battle and I'm frustrated in my life. Here I am in battle, just give out all the time. So I didn't take the helmet of salvation. Number two, some people in the room this morning could say this, honestly, you know, pastor, I've allowed Satan to control my thinking. I've allowed Satan to defeat me in discouragement. I've stayed frustrated. I haven't applied the helmet to my life. Lastly, if we're honest, some in this room could say, you know, Pastor, this part of the armor has not been part of my daily wearing. Take the helmet of salvation. I believe Paul is addressing this church at Corinth, excuse me, this church at Ephesus, and he is reminding them that in opposition we have all we need in the person of Jesus Christ. He's trying to encourage those to prepare for the wiles of the devil. But maybe there's one here this morning that does not know the Lord Jesus Christ in the matter of salvation. You say, pastor, week after week after week you come and I don't quite understand sin and the payment of my sin. God the Father in heaven sent his son Jesus Christ to this earth. We celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the sinless son of God who lived a perfect life. But because man was sinful and you are sinful and I am sinful, the payment for that sin was that perfect son, Jesus Christ on the cross. His blood was shed, that was the payment for mine and your sin. He went into a borrowed tomb and had a three-day stay. But on the first Easter morning, you've been at Easter services, he came up out of that grave alive forevermore. And you and I can have confidence in him, the helmet of salvation. Father in heaven, I thank you for your word. God, I thank you for the hope we have in you. And Lord, just some simple thoughts this morning on the helmet of salvation. And in my own life, I've lived defeated. In my own life, I've allowed Satan to dictate some thoughts and some negativity in my heart. And God, this morning, I'm reminded of my salvation that's in you. God, I'm reminded of the victory that's in you. Lord, I pray for believers this morning that are defeated and Lord, they need to be reminded of this helmet of salvation and what we have in you. Lord, if there's one this morning that doesn't understand salvation and the payment for their sin, would your Holy Spirit draw them this morning? We ask all this in Jesus' name. Amen. Would you stand to your feet for a song of invitation as Miss Kim plays and Brother Mike sings? Is there one that would come this morning and ask the Lord to help them? I can hear my Savior calling. I can hear my Savior calling. I can hear my Savior calling. Take thy cross and follow me. Sing one more verse. Follow me. Where he leads me I will follow. Where he leads me I will follow. Where he leads me I will follow. I'll go with him. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here on a nasty, nasty, wintry morning. I appreciate your faithfulness to God's house. I've so enjoyed this armor of truth. Next week, the sword of the spirit, an offensive weapon, and then we'll kind of wrap up our time together. I love the fact that we're emphasizing prayer this month. And when you go home right after he talks about the armor, notice in verse 18, he talks about prayer. and being prepared for what's ahead, having your own self ready. So I know, did you guys know there's a little football game tonight over in Arizona? I don't know if anybody heard about that, watched it on TV or in the news, but we're having church here tonight at six o'clock, choir practices at five o'clock, and we're going to have a time of prayer. I'm going to bring a thought on prayer, I'm trying to emphasize prayer and on my trip I read a small book by Ian Bounds called The Power Through Prayer and some things that I want to share with you out of the book, some quotes and some different scripture references on prayer and then honestly we're just gonna have a prayer service and we need to pray for one another, pray for God to use us as we serve him together here at Tabernacle Baptist Church. We'll be so grateful for the work he'll do. Brother Rodney, do you care to lift your voice and dismiss us in prayer?