Climbing Into Battle | 1 Samuel 14:13-23

Vince Miller Podcast

Are you climbing into a battle today?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 14. I've titled this chapter "A Contrast Of Leadership Between Jonathan and Saul."

At this point in the chapter, Jonathan and his armor-bearer have slipped away from the Israeli camp. They trekked over the Philistines and decided that they were the only ones who could take down the enemy. We left off last time with their preposterous plan to expose their position and see if the Lord would give them an opening to take them down. Next, we will see how this plays out first in verses 12-13:

And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. — 1 Samuel 14:12-13

Two details capture my attention here. First, they have to scale a cliff, which requires using their "hands and feet," which would be a very exposed position. Second, the call to "come up" has two perspectives with the same intended result. The Philistines call Jonathan to "come up" with the intent to kill the two of them, and Jonathan calls his armor-bearer to "come up" to kill the Philistines.

This captures me because this is the challenge in just about every spiritual battle in life. Every spiritual battle has the same goal on either side: to win. But on one side of the fight, there is God; on the other, there is not. When we engage, we need to be sure we are "coming up" or "climbing" into the right side of the battle. As we have seen, Jonathan did. He consulted God before he came up and climbed into this mess.

But let's continue:

And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land. And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic. — 1 Samuel 14:13-15

As far as we can tell from the text, this was a small outpost of the Philistines a little away from the main camp. They occupied a small landing by the rocky crags, and Jonathan and the armor-bearer slaughtered them.

But what happened next rattled the Philistines. The timing of the attack, the victory, and the earthquake were all bad omens to the rest of the Philistine camp. It sent them into a freakish panic, so much so that it awakened Saul and the Israelite army.

There are times in our lives when we will experience events like this. When I experience them, I feel like I am walking in perfect step with the Lord and his Spirit. As I take the steps, I feel like God has me hedged in. He is walking before, beside, and behind me. I look up before me and see God doing what only God can do.

As believers we should know the experience of these moments. These experiences were not intended only for Jonathan. We are told about these moments because God wants us to know these moments in our own lives. But to experience them, we must fight our spiritual battles differently. We need to consult the Lord. We must ask him for signs. We have to trust him in faith. We must act in obedience. Then, when it comes time to fight, we must let his will be done and his glory reign regardless of the outcome.

But here is how this concludes in verses 16-23:

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was dispersing here and there. Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel. Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, every Philistine's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven. — 1 Samuel 14:13-15

We discover that Saul sees what is happening and realizes what Jonathan has done. But you will notice two things happen before Saul gets to the battle. First, some Israelite turncoats had joined forces with the Philistines. Once they see what Jonathan has done, they turn on the Philistines. This would look like chaos because it was impossible to tell actual Philistine fighters from turncoat fighters. Second, Israelites hidden in surrounding areas came out to join the fight. This means that Jonathan's faith-filled action stirred momentum inside and outside the Philistine ranks.

I have seen this happen so many times in this life. It only takes one faithful believer to stir up a movement for God, and God could use you. But the important thing to remember if God does use you is this closing line in the text today: "So the Lord saved Israel that day."

The battle, resources, strategy, and victory belong to the Lord. Climb into the battle with him, and when he wins, give him all the glory.

#FaithInAction, #SpiritualLeadership, #TrustInGod

Ask This:

1. How do you discern whether you are "climbing" into the right spiritual battles in your life? What steps can you take to ensure you are consulting God before engaging in these battles?
2. Can you recall a time when a single act of faith inspired others around you? How can you cultivate the courage to take such faith-filled actions in your daily life?

Do This:

Climb into the battle with the Lord.

Pray This:

Lord, give me the courage to step out in faith like Jonathan, trusting that You are guiding my every move. Help me to seek Your will in every battle I face and to rely on Your strength for victory. Amen.

Play This:

Surrounded (Fight My Battles).