The Armory
A sermon series designed to prepare us for what’s to come (hopefully a season of intense disciple-making!). It’s a study Ephesians 6:10-20 and we’re almost done – I promise!
Ephesians 6:17 describes the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Helmet of Salvation
What does Paul mean by salvation here? He’s talking about the amazing gift God gives those who place their faith and obedience in Jesus Christ. He explains it as:
1. An adoption (1:5)
2. A resuscitation (2:1-7)
3. A present (2:8-9)
In this letter he desperately wants Christians to fully understand how amazing the gift is (see 1:18-22 and 3:14-19 if you don’t believe me).
Here’s a list of all the benefits Christians receive with salvation that Paul mentions in the first couple of chapters of Ephesians:
– sainthood
– grace
– peace
– every spiritual blessing
– holiness
– blamelessness
– adoption as sons and daughters of God
– redemption
– forgiveness
– inheritance rights
– sealed assurance
– hope
– riches of glory
– surpassingly great power
– God’s great love
– life
– identity with Jesus
– good works prepared for us to walk in
– nearness to God
– oneness with other believers
– peace with people
– reconciliation
– citizenship in heaven
– membership in God’s household
– access to the Father
– boldness
– confidence
– giftedness to minister to others
We need to put our heads in this. We need to grow in our understanding and application of this. Because one of Satan’s schemes is to fill our churches with unsaved people who think they’re saved and saved people who live like they’re not.
The Sword of the Spirit, Which is the Word of God
Paul doesn’t guilt us about how seldom we read our Bibles here. Instead, he gives us the key to wielding it valiantly like a sword: The Holy Spirit.
This is the first mention of direct assistance from God in the armor list. The same Holy Spirit that enabled uneducated fishermen to write scripture enables Christians to use scripture. The Holy Spirit writing the Bible through the vocabularies and pens of average people was a miracle. The Holy Spirit guiding you as you read it is another miracle.
To wield scripture in the battle, depend on the Holy Spirit to enable you to read it, understand it, hear God’s voice in it, and respond to it.
Discussion Starters
· Paul uses adoption (1:5), resuscitation (2:5), and gifts (2:8) to explain salvation. Which analogy is most meaningful to you? Why?
· Based on the above analogies, who initiates salvation? What are the implications of this for evangelism?
· Work together to list all the benefits of salvation Paul mentions in Ephesians 1 and 2.
· Share your experience with the Bible. What have been the challenges to reading it regularly and hearing God’s voice therein?
· How might a greater dependence upon the Holy Spirit change your experience with the Bible?
· How can we as individuals take up the helmet of salvation? As a church?
· How can we as individuals take up the sword of the Spirit? As a church?
· How can you serve each other as a group in light of this passage?
· How can your group pray for you this week? Pray together.
