Memories Pizza, Indiana, Christianity, and How Not to Win Spiritual Battles (Part 12)

 

“Run for your lives. There are too many Philistines! We’ll all be slaughtered,” yelled the Israelites.

The soldiers dropped their weapons en masse and fled the battlefield for the hills surrounding the area. Clouds of dust marked their scrambling footsteps, heading toward safety.

“Don’t leave us! Help!” cried the left-behind wounded soldiers, scattered about the field. Their pleas echoed off the backs of the retreating men because it was every man for himself that day.

Four Israelites remained in the middle of the battlefield. They formed a small square with their backs to each other and their swords pointing out at the advancing Philistine army.

“What’s the plan, my king?” shouted Eleazar over his shoulder.

King David laughed. “Our God is for us,” proclaimed the king “Let’s continue fighting until all of these uncircumcised Philistines are either dead or retreat from the battlefield.”

 

The above fictionalized version of 2 Samuel 23:9-10 and 1 Chronicles 11:12-14 is a perfect snapshot of spiritual warfare. It depicts a few believers willing to trust God and His words to fight Satan and his army while the bulk of Christianity sits on the sidelines, watching from a safe seat.

No one can determine for sure ahead of time which believers will stand with us in our spiritual battles. That depends on spiritual maturity and the mercy of the Lord. But we can prepare ourselves ahead of time by learning as much as possible on how to fight spiritual warfare.

Why is this so important?

Look what eventually happened because David and the three soldiers continued fighting after all the other Israelites fled the battlefield:

…The Lord brought about a great victory; and the people returned after him only to plunder. (2 Samuel 23:10)

(The above is an excerpt from Storming the Kingdom, an eBook from Amazon.)

 The #4 Rule in Spiritual Warfare: Make up your mind to sink or swim, live or die, on the battlefield. So, plant your feet and stay there until victory is achieved or they carry you off.

(Continued in Part 13)