Today's Bible Reading: 2 SAMUEL 2:1-3:5, 23:8-39; 1 CHRON 3:1-4, 11:10-47
2 Samuel 23:9-10
And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain.
The Christian life is a battle. It is an ongoing conflict with society, sin, Satan and self. Sometimes we are valiant and victorious. At other times skirmishes leave us scared and scarred. We try to stand. We strive to win. But too often we give up. We retreat. We bail. We concede. We flee, rather than fight. We surrender.
Eleazar was a man to emulate. He was someone whose example encourages us. He was a mighty man of David. He was singled out for his valor. He was one who fought when others fled. He stood when others scattered. He battled when others bailed. His story inspires. His faith fosters ours.
All Israel went to battle. Each one of them encountered the enemy. They were cohorts and comrades. They experienced the same conflict and engaged in the same struggle. They faced identical foes. It is no different for us. We all face similar trials and temptations. The same enemies pursue each of us. Oh, the specifics may be different, but the struggles are the same. Satan oppresses us. Society opposes us. Sin overtakes us. Self overwhelms us. We face the fight daily. We become weary and worn. We want to give up and give in. Some don’t, but many do.
Eleazer didn’t. The battle was fierce. The enemy was formidable. Like others he was “weary”. Like others he had to decide to remain or retreat. He had to determine whether to concede or continue. Yet unlike the others he remained. His strength was exhausted and his body was failing, but he fought on. His tenacity brought him triumph. His trust proved him trustworthy.
We too have a sword for our battles. It is not fashioned from steel, but forged by the power of the Spirit and the pen of the saints. It is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17). God’s word is the offensive weapon of our spiritual armor. It is the weapon we are given to defend ourselves and defeat our foes. Society, sin, Satan and self cannot stand against the one who welds their spiritual sword. We must like Eleazer prepare ourselves for the battle. Our diligence and discipline in understanding and utilizing the Scriptures will determine our fate in our spiritual struggles. Eleazer was skilled in the use of his sword; we must become schooled in the use of ours. We must have a firm grasp on our spiritual sword to survive our daily skirmishes.
The Christian life is not just about commitment as much as it is continuance. The Israelites were committed till the conflict become difficult. They fled the battle, but Eleazar fought on. Committed he continued. He rose. He picked up his sword. He pressed into battle. Weary, he clung to his weapon. His hope was not in what was in his hand, but whose hand guided his. His hand was on his sword but his hope was in his Savior. The key was he stayed. He fought. He trusted. Mediocre men concede, Mighty men (and women) continue. Our hand must cling to our sword and count on our Savior to secure victory in our struggles.
Today be mighty by trusting the Almighty. Commit afresh to get a firm grasp on God’s “sword”. Make time to train for the battles of today and tomorrow by meditating and memorizing scripture. Ask God to help you to be diligent and disciplined in your daily time in His word. Ask Him to help you be one of His mighty warriors who uses His “divine power to destroy strongholds” and takes “every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:4-5). Be a mighty man (or woman) of God.
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