Arise And Contend In Battle

What prevented Saul from obeying the divine instruction he received? Samuel explained it to him in 1 Samuel 15:23 ‘For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft; and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…’ Saul did not arise and contend against the spirt of rebellion which is a manifestation of the spirit of witchcraft in operation. Saul did not bother to arise and contend against the spirit of stubbornness and anything that will want to take the place of God in his life. Hence when they struck, he fell prey to them. May this not be our portion in Jesus mighty name. Amen! The other thing that affected Saul and made him disobey God was that he was so caught up in pleasing people and trying to impress people (1 Samuel 15: 24-31). Saul was more concerned about pleasing the people rather than God. The opinion and feelings of the people mattered more to him than that of God. If you are concerned with what people think and say of you, you will miss it! You will end up pleasing people but dishonouring and displeasing God.

3. The third category of people that need to arise and contend in battle are those that God has handed over or entrusted certain things to them.

In Deuteronomy 2:24 God told the Israelites ‘look I have given into your hand Sihon, the Amorite, king of Hesbon and his land.’ What is our own Sihon, the Amorite, King of Hesbon and his land God has handed over to us, God has entrusted to us?

James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift comes from above. There are some good gifts God has handed over to us. If you have a wife, you have a good gift because Proverbs 18:22 says he who finds a wife, finds a good thing. If you have a child or children, you have a good gift from God. Psalm 127:3 says children are the heritage of God, they are a gift, a blessing from God. If you have a family you have a good gift God has handed over to you. And what does Nehemiah 4:14 say we should do if we have a family? ‘Fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ The devil will want to take them away from you, make you sorrow over them, do things in your family that will cause you pain, heartache and stress. This is why we must arise and contend in battle for our family.

One of the most tragic and painful experience a parent can go through is to have to bury your own child. In one day, Job buried his seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:2, 18-19). David buried three of his sons (2 Samuel 12:15-19, 2 Samuel 13:28, 2 Samuel 18:33). Naomi buried her two sons (Ruth 1:5). As it happened in Biblical times, it is happening today. The enemy is attacking families and making parents be the ones to bury their children. Some people will say you can die young and be fulfilled, after all Jesus died at 33 years and accomplished great things. Yes, it’s true, but if we look at some of the young people that have gone in recent times, even the ones in scripture mentioned above, it wasn’t a case of them fulfilling their purpose and God called them home. Many are actually attacks on families. I pray God will give us grace to arise and fight for our families so we don’t bury our young; we don’t bury our children, that they live to fulfil the length of their days (Exodus 23:26).