Advice From A Veteran

Here are the suggestions of David, the great veteran warrior for God, on engaging the enemy in spiritual warfare:

1. Focus on God, not your fear. (Psalm 27:1-3)

Notice how David extols God first. Then, in comparison to God, he has no need of fearing his enemies.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?"

"The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Undoubtedly one of the greatest hurdles to overcome in battle is fear.

David did not let fear take the song out of his life.

Author Max Lucado shares the story of a parakeet named Chippie who had a very bad day. It began when the bird’s owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum cleaner. She was almost finished when the phone rang, so she turned around to answer it. Before she knew it, Chippie was gone.

In a panic she ripped open the vacuum bag. There was Chippie, covered in dirt and gasping for air. She carried him to the bathroom and rinsed him off under the faucet. Then, realizing that Chippie was cold and wet, she reached for the hair dryer! Chippie never knew what hit him.

His owner was asked a few days later how he was recovering. "Well", she replied, "Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He just sits and stares."

Have you ever felt like that? One minute you’re whistling through life, and the next you’re caught up in a whirlwind of stress. Life sucks you up into its vortex and just when you think you’ve recovered from one trouble another wind of adversity blows in your direction.

Don’t be like Chippie the parakeet. Don’t let the song go out of your life.

But how is this possible? It becomes possible when we focus on who God is, how great He is, and what He means to us.

He is our light. He is our salvation. We are no longer living in the darkness of sin. No enemy can take God’s salvation from us!

David said in verse 2 and 3, "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell."

"Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."

Spiritual warfare requires confidence. But that confidence is not solely in our strength and abilities. If that were the case we would have occasion to be afraid.

Our confidence in God is what challenges the enemy. Our enemy begins to see our confidence and becomes the one experiencing fear.

Psychological warfare plays a tremendous role in our battle with the enemy. If Satan and his demons can get believers to fear, they know they have gone a long way in winning a spiritual battle.

David, the veteran warrior for God, knew the secret to winning the fear game - focus on God.

He also knew another secret to success in battle...

2. Practice consistent fellowship with God. (Psalm 27:4-10)

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple."

When David says "all the days of my life" he is talking about constant communion with God. He is not talking about coming to God only when he’s in trouble!

David puts it this way in verse 5, "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock."

Why did David have assurance in times of trouble? Because before trouble ever got to him, he had been dwelling in God’s house "all the days" of his life.

One of the greatest mistakes you can make in spiritual warfare is to wait to train for battle in the midst of battle. The time to train is before the battle ever begins.

It is not by accident that David mentions several titles for God’s house when he talks of consistent fellowship with God. Some of our greatest training for battle takes place in the house of God.

David says, "That I may dwell in the HOUSE of the LORD all the days of my life", in verse 4, and "to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his TEMPLE."

In verse 5 he mentions the TABERNACLE and refers to it again in verse 6:

"And now shall mine head be lifted up above my enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his TABERNACLE sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD."