Not Defenseless

“But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.”  (1Samuel 13:20)

When the Philistines ruled over the Israelites, they didn’t permit the Israelites to learn how to smith or to have any smiths. “Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:” (1Samuel 13:19) Smiths were workers in metal that would forge it by heating and hammering the metal.

A couple of years after Saul became king, (1 Samuel 13:1) his son Jonathan attacked a garrison of the Philistines. (1Samuel 13:3) The Philistines gathered men, horsemen and chariots to come against Israel. (verse 5) And Saul gathered three thousand men, two thousand with him and a thousand with his son Jonathan.

This was when the kingdom was taken from Saul.  He got antsy because he knew he had to have the blessing of the Lord, but Samuel hadn’t shown up yet. So, he performed the function of the priest. (1Samuel 13:8-14) By this time Saul only had five hundred men left. When Samuel had delayed, the men left Saul. (verse 8)

What great lessons we can learn from this. We may get antsy about the enemies threatenings against us. Like Saul, we may feel inadequate without any way of protecting ourselves, defenseless. We may lack faith, act in the flesh and do something foolish that the Lord has not allowed us to do and suffer the consequences as Saul did. But unlike Saul, we are not defenseless. The enemy may have tried to make us believe that we are defenseless, but the Lord has given us everything we need for the battle.

Jesus has defeated the enemy. “And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15) Don’t panic and don’t do something that God doesn’t want you to do.  The Lord wants us to trust in Him and trust in His work over the enemy.  The enemy may be threatening, but he can do nothing.  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1Peter 5:8) There are those he can devour.  They are without the protection of the Lord. They are not covered in the blood of the Lamb nor clothed in Jesus. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27) We are to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh. (Romans 13:14)

It's Jesus Who has conquered the enemy.  And the enemy cannot harm us.  His threatenings are just that, threatenings. Threatenings that are idle.  “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) What a comfort it is that if we stick close to the Lord, the devil will flee. He flees from us not because of anything pertaining to us but because of the Lord Who has conquered him, Who is with us, in us and on us.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:10-18). God has given us His Truth, His righteousness, the Gospel, Faith, salvation and the Word of God.  All these protect us from the enemy’s lies. But the Word of God, which is alive and powerful is able to perform what God says. (Isaiah 55:11) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12)

Moreover, we have power to help our brothers and sisters in the Lord by praying for them. (Ephesians 6:18) We can speak the Word of God over them, affirming to the Lord, what He has said about them. Unlike Saul, we are not defenseless.  The enemy may have us believe that like Saul we will succumb to his lies and sin.  “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1) We can obey God when the enemy comes against us with his lies. We can be bold and courageous.  And like Paul we can say, “...If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)