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WHAT IS OPPRESSION?
Acts 10:34-38
Preaching to Cornelius Household
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in
every nation whoever fears im and wor!s ri"hteousness is accepted #y im. 3$ The word
which God sent to the children of Israel% preachin" peace throu"h &esus 'hrist(e is )ord of all(
3* that word you !now% which was proclaimed throu"hout all &udea% and #e"an from Galilee after the
#aptism which &ohn preached: 3+ how God anointed &esus of ,a-areth with the oly .pirit and with
power% who went a#out doin" "ood and healin" all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
im.
What is oppression? The word oppression is found in Acts10:38. In Peters sermon to the
hoseho!" o# $orne!%s& he s'(s& )Ho* +o" 'no%nte" ,ess o# N'-'reth *%th the Ho!(
+host 'n" *%th .o*er: *ho *ent '/ot "o%n0 0oo"& 'n" he'!%n0 '!! th't *ere o..resse" o#
the "e1%!2 #or +o" *'s *%th h%m.3 This word )o..ress%on3 is taken from the two Greek
Words the first word denotes something that is dominating or manipulating. The second
word Dunamis refers to a power that is explosive.
he first word WWhaOppression is a force that comes to powerfully dominate and manipulate. It
was to be precise used to portray awicked dictator or an evil kin who forcibly imposed his will
on his sub!ects. The "%ct'tor to!" the .eo.!e *h't the( *o!" e't& *here the( *o!" !%1e& 'n"
*h't 4%n" o# mone( the( *o!" m'4e. He %m.ose" h%s *%!! on them '0'%nst the%r *%shes.
When a person is oppressed" his mind and emotions are manipulated and dominated by an
outside source. The devil" like a wicked dictator" comes to oppress the person by tellin him what
his future will or will not hold" what his self#imae is" and whether or not he has any hope of
advancement in life.
$omebody $hout the %evil is a &ie''''''
5t *hen ' stronghold %n the m%n" rem'%ns nch'!!en0e"& %t *%!! e1ent'!!( trn %nto '
ser%os c'se o# oppression. An" *hen o..ress%on sets %n& the en" res!t %s hopelessness.
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SA67ATION PROTE$TS 8O9R :IN;
When the helmet of salvation is wrapped tihtly around your mind" the devil(s strateies to take
you captive cannot work' That is why salvation is depicted in )phesians * as a defensive
weapon. It(s a weapon that protects your mind from such hellish assaults.
When a stron knowlede of your salvation is wrapped around your mind" you will never aain
fall prey to the devil(s deceptive tactics. With the helmet of salvation fitted tihtly in place" your
mind is in safe#keepin. +ou are protected.
,emember" the devil knows that if he is oin to attack you" he must bein his attack in your
mind" since it(s the strateic control center of your entire bein. If the enemy can et a foothold
in your mind" he can et a foothold in your body. -ut if he has no say#so in your mind" then he
has no say#so in your body" in your family" or in your finances. That mind of yours is extremely
important! God ave you a brain" and .e didn(t ive it to you so you could set it on the back
burner. God wants you to use your mind.
That(s why /irst 0eter 1213 tells you to ird up the loins of your mind. God is sayin" Gather
up the loose ends of your mind" and et your mind into ood shape'
If the devil can wear you out in your mind" you will lose out in the lon run. If he plants a seed
of unbelief in your mind and you allow it to row" you will end up in a dismal condition. That
mind of yours is vitally important" and God did not leave it unprotected. .e ave you a helmet"
and .e called that oreous" elaborate" ornate" intricate piece of defensive weaponry salvation.
When ' stron0 4no*!e"0e o# (or s'!1't%on %s *r'..e" 'ron" (or m%n"& (o *%!! ne1er '0'%n #'!! .re( to
the "e1%!s "ece.t%1e t'ct%cs.
+our helmet of salvation provides you with all kinds of Godiven attributes and benefits. It ives
you deliverance from sin" salvation from hell" divine protection" preservation" healing"
wholeness, and complete soundness of mind. In other words" God has iven you all that you need
to withstand every assault of the reat deceiver" $atan himself'
WHAT IS A SO9N; :IN;?
4 primary emphasis of this chapter is to see what the helmet of salvation does for us. In $econd
Timothy 125" the Word of God says" /or God hath not iven us the spirit of fear6 but of power"
and of love" and of a sound mind.
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What is a sound mind? One translation says" sensible thinkin. The word for sound mind or
sensible thinkin is taken from the Greek word sophroneo. It is a compound of the word sodzo"
which means saved or delivered" and the word phroneo" which refers to intelligent thinking.
0ut the two words toether" and the new word means to have a saved mind or a delivered mind.
In other words" this describes a mind that has been set free and is thinkin correctly.
+ou miht say that this is a picture of saved brains' When your mind is uarded and renewed by
the Word of God" you will think saved thouhts. When you have a renewed mind" it seems
perfectly rational to walk by faith. When you think with a renewed mind" it sounds perfectly
logical to obey God with your money.
It is as thouh 0aul is sayin" Timothy" why are you allowin fear to control your mind and
emotions? God hasn(t iven you this spirit of fear" but of love and of power 7 and .e has iven
you a mind that has been delivered'
/ When you are walkin in the full knowlede of your salvation" you think and talk like a saved
man or woman.
/ When your mind is renewed with the Word of God concernin all the blessins contained in
your salvation" you think and talk like a saved man or woman.
/ When your mind is filled with the oodness of God because salvation is tihtly wrapped around
your mind" you think and talk like a saved man or woman.
$ome people have been saved for years" but they do not think or talk like saved people. $ome
8hristians have more unbelief about what they think God cant do than they have faith in what
.e can do. This is what happens when saved people don(t walk in the knowlede of their
salvation.
On the other hand" when a believer meditates on the Word of God and beins to comprehend the
multitude of blessins contained in his salvation" all he can think or talk about is what
God can do'+ou think differently when you wear your helmet of salvation. Why is this
important? -ecause when you bein to live a life of faith 7 when you reach out to do the
impossible 7the enemy will try to assault you mentally and emotionally in an attempt to stop
your proress.
The devil may speak to your mind and say" !"ou cant do this! "ou cant do that! This doesnt
make sense! Dont you know that you have a car payment to make# $hat will your family and
friends think of this#% .e may try to pave a road into your mind
so he can play mind ames with your head and ultimately succeed in deceivin you. That(s why
it is so important to make certain that you are rowin in the knowlede of your salvation. Take
care to uard your mind with the Word of God" and wear your helmet of salvation by fillin your
mind with the Word of God.
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When you walk in your helmet of salvation" you think like God thinks" you reason like God
reasons" you believe like God believes" and you act like God acts'
In ,omans 92*" 0aul says" /or to be carnally minded is death.... In Titus 121:" he restates this
when he says" ...;nto them that are defiled and unbelievin is nothin pure6 but even their mind
and conscience is defiled. 4lthouh these verses are about a lost man(s mind" there are plenty of
believers out there who still walk around with their natural" carnal minds controllin them.
It doesn(t matter how many years you have been saved. If you take off your helmet and stop
walkin in the knowlede of
When (o )*'!43 %n (or he!met o# s'!1't%on& (o th%n4 !%4e +o" th%n4s& (o re'son !%4e +o" re'sons& (o
/e!%e1e !%4e +o" /e!%e1es& 'n" (o 'ct !%4e +o" 'cts<
your salvation" you will end up with a mind that is contaminated and defiled.
%o not underestimate the importance of fillin your mind with the proper understandin and
knowlede of your salvation. $alvation is a powerful piece of weaponry. If it is allowed to
function correctly in your life" it will defend your mind from every mental attack the enemy
miht wae aainst you'
.owever" the moment you take off your helmet of salvation" the devil is oin to start hittin
your mind and emotions and toss you here and there. 4nd if you don(t put that helmet back on"
you will eventually start habitually vacillatin 7 believin God one moment and doubtin .im
the ne<t'
In a very real sense" you will become spiritually deformed if you do not walk throuh life
wearin your helmet of salvation.
%o you want to live life spiritually deformed? If not" you(d better place your helmet of salvation
tihtly around your mind and make sure it stays there'
WHAT ;OES THE WOR; =SA67ATION :EAN?
=ow let(s look at the word salvation. This word literally means saved or delivered. In the
broadest sense of the word" it means to be brought into a safe place. It is taken from the Greek
word soterios" which means to be saved" to be delivered from danger" and to be brought into a
safe place.
$o we see that when a person is saved" he is delivered from danger and brought into a safe
place. .e is rescued from a place of danger.
-ein spiritually lost is a danerous condition to be in" for a lost person is under the dominion of
$atan. -ut when he is saved" he is brouht out of that danerous place and brouht into a place of
safety. 4nd the knowlede of the Gospel messae sets his mind free'
A TRANS>OR:E; :IN;
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It is very pertinent that 0aul viewed your salvation as a helmet upon your mind. 4fter all" when
you were saved" God rescued you 7 not !ust spiritually" but mentally.
0rior to our salvation" we were members of $atan(s slave market and our minds were accustomed
to thinkin !ust like the rest of the world. -y nature" the -ible says" we were all the children
of wrath >)phesians ?23@. That word wrath means we were bent out of proportion. What a
pliht we were in'
What the devil had done to us was incredible. .e left his marks and scars all over our minds and
emotions durin the time we were under his control. -ut now that God ...hath delivered us from
the power of darkness" and hath translated us into the kindom of his dear $on >8olossians
1213@" we must allow .is power to work in our minds and renew them to riht thinkin 7
to saved thinkin.
God doesn(t want even one area of your mind to think like the world 7 the way it used to think.
God doesn(t want one cell in your brain to have unbelief in it. That is not .is will. Instead" God
intends for every cell in your mind to be dominated by your new birth. .e intends for your mind
to think like a mind that is controlled by the .oly $pirit'
+ou may ask" .ow do I et my mind into that kind of condition? /irst" et in touch with the
power of God. That(s the prereAuisite to walkin in spiritual armor. )phesians *21B says"
-e stron in the &ord. When that strenth comes to you" it will clothe you with spiritual armor.
-ut there is a second thin you have to do. In )phesians *215" 0aul says" 4nd take the helmet of
salvation.... The word take is translated as the word receive CB times in the =ew Testament.
Thus" the verse would be better translated" 4nd receive the helmet of salvation.
God is not oin to force a renewed mind on you6 you have to receive this helmet of salvation.
That means you have a part to play in the savin of your mind.
.ow do you do that? +ou put on salvation. +ou put the helmet of salvation on your head by
studyin what the -ible has to say about salvation. Dnow what the -ible teaches about Eesus(
redemptive work to deliver" heal" preserve" and ive a sound
+o" %nten"s #or e1er( ce!! %n (or m%n" to /e "om%n'te" /( (or ne* /%rth.
mind to you. =ever stop meditatin on those truths" even after you know all that your salvation
includes" inside and out'
Wrap that knowlede of salvation around your brain" and let it protect your mind. 4s you do" you
will bein to be transformed.
/ +ou will no loner think and talk like an individual who is constantly sick.
/ +ou will no loner think and talk like an individual who is poor.
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/ +ou will no loner walk throuh life like an individual who is continually defeated.
What will make the difference? +our mind will be filled with the knowlede of salvation"
and that new knowledge will begin to change not only the way you think and talk, but also the
way you experience life!
The devil wants to rob you of every blessin that God has prepared for you. $atan wants to take
every ood thin from you that he can. $o it(s up to you to fill your mind with all that God has
done for you. &et that knowlede of salvation and all of its benefits become like a helmet of
bronFe on your head to protect your mind from the battlea<e of the enemy.
4s you faithfully meditate on the Word of God and allow it to work in your thouht life" your
mind will be renewed. $alvation will become so real to you 7 you will become so convinced of
your salvation and of all its benefits 7 that your mind will be able to rest securely in God" no
loner capable of bein penetrated by doubt and unbelief.
Those Auestionable areas in your mind that the enemy used to attack reularly will no loner be
attackable' With the helmet of salvation firmly in place" you will be completely surrounded 7
both mentally and emotionally 7 by the unassailable truth of all that is yours in Eesus 8hrist.