Who’s Battle is it Anyway?
1 Sam 17:45-47 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel's armies— you have defied Him. 46 Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I'll strike you down, cut your head off, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, 47 and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's. He will hand you over to us."
David and Goliath: -- This familiar dramatic story has much to teach us. One lesson only is our present consideration -- David's heroic and victorious faith. "Time would fail me," said the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews in his beautiful chronicle of the worthies of faith, "to tell of Gedeon and of Barak, and of Sampson and of Jephthah; of David also." And when does his faith shine with such lustre as when, having single-handed slain Goliath, he "turned to fight the armies of the aliens"? In this narrative we see --
I. Identify the Enemy
Christians, Your Enemy Is Over There!
Before Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States, he served as a major general in the Tennessee militia. During the War of 1812 his troops reached an all-time low in morale. As a result they began arguing, bickering, and fighting among themselves. It is reported that Old Hickory called them all together on one occasion when tensions were at their worst and said, “Gentlemen! Let’s remember, the enemy is over there.”
His sobering reminder would be an appropriate word for the church today. In fact, I wonder if Christ sometimes looks down at us and says with a sigh, “Christians, your Enemy is over there! Stop your infighting! Pull for one another. Support one another. Believe in one another. Care for one another. Pray for one another. Love one another.”
—Charles R. Swindoll, Hope Again (Word, 1996), p. 45.
Ephesians 6:12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
Eph 1:21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Eph 3:10 This is so that God's multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens.
1 Peter 3:22 Now that He has gone into heaven, He is at God's right hand, with angels, authorities, and powers subjected to Him.
II. Identify HINDRANCES TO FAITH.
I. People around us
1 Sam 17:28 David's oldest brother Eliab listened as he spoke to the men, and became angry with him. "Why did you come down here?" he asked. "Who did you leave those few sheep with in the wilderness? I know your arrogance and your evil heart—you came down to see the battle!"
II. Worldly things
1 Sam 17:38-40 Then Saul had his own military clothes put on David. He put a bronze helmet on David's head and had him put on armor. 39 David strapped his sword on over the military clothes and tried to walk, but he was not used to them. "I can't walk in these," David said to Saul, "I'm not used to them." So David took them off. 40 Instead, he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pouch, in his shepherd's bag. Then, with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.
III. Over confidence in Self!
Prepared for War
A Wycliffe Bible translator writes: “I went to the Amazon jungle in 1963 among the Apurina people. I was the first to challenge Satan’s dominion over this people. My purpose was to transfer them from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
“Unfortunately, in spite of a Master of Theology degree, I was not aware of these truths [about spiritual warfare]. I got clobbered! Satan wiped the floor with me. I didn’t understand what was happening.
“I knew that Satan and demons exist; the Bible is clear on that score. But I knew very little about how they operate and virtually nothing about the use of our weapons, whether for defense or offense. My professors transmitted the idea that demonic attack wouldn’t be a problem for us.
“[But] the warnings in the New Testament about conflict with Satan and demons are all addressed to believers. We are involved whether we want to be or not. And the stakes are high—the glory of God. Our enemy is committed to making us ineffective in our personal lives and in our ministries.
—Timothy M. Warner in Spiritual Warfare. Men of Integrity, Vol. 2, no. 3.
III. THE ARGUMENT OF FAITH. Faith has varied arguments. God's promises are one. God's character is another But experience is the argument of David. This he urges with Saul. A valid argument is that of experience. Has God ever forsaken David. even when life depended upon well-aimed blow against wild beast? As He had never forsaken him, so he never would. One victory carried with it the assurance of another. One enemy slain that all enemies should be destroyed. We too have personal memories of deliverance. These are to be cherished. They are silent promises. To the listening heart they speak of goodness to come as well as past. "Jesus Christ" is "the same yesterday, today, and forever."
1 Sam 17:33-37 But Saul replied, "You can't go fight this Philistine. You're just a youth, and he's been a warrior since he was young." 34 David answered Saul, "Your servant has been tending his father's sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God." 37 Then David said, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine."
1 John 2:14 I have written to you, children,
because you have come to know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, God's word remains in you, and you have had victory over the evil one.
Ephesians 6:12-13 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
God’s Massive Wall
Some fifty years ago, one bitter January night, the inhabitants of the old town of Sleswick were thrown into the greatest distress and terror. A hostile army was marching down upon them, and new and fearful reports of the conduct of the lawless soldiers were hourly reaching the place.
In one large, spacious cottage dwelt an aged grandmother with her widowed daughter and her grandson. While all hearts quaked with fear, this aged woman passed her time in crying out to God that he would “build a wall of defense round about” them, quoting the words of an ancient hymn.
Her grandson asked why she prayed for a thing so entirely impossible as that God should build a wall about their house, that should hide it; but she explained that her meaning only was that God should protect them.
At midnight the dreaded tramp was heard, an enemy came pouring in at every avenue, filling the houses to overflowing. But, while most fearful sounds were heard on every side, not even a knock came to their door; at which they were greatly surprised. The morning light made the matter clear; for, just beyond the house, the drifted snow had reared such a massive wall that it was impossible to get over it to them.
“There!” said the good woman triumphantly: “do you not see, my son, that God could raise up a wall around us?”
(All Scripture Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers.)
