Wars and weapons.
God has called us to be at peace with each other and not at war. Wars are provoked in many ways, either because of disagreement or because of ambition. James says that we war against each other because of we lust against each other (Ja4:1). Someone always wants what you have and therefore because we know that human instinct, we will purchase a gun and defend ourselves. NBC News reports that “U.S. gun sales have almost doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic started, rising from an average of 1 million guns sold monthly in 2019 to nearly 2 million a month in 2020, according to data from the FBI and Small Arms Analytics, a firearms research and consulting company based in South Carolina.” Physical weapons are now more than ever easier to come by then in times past, but what about the spiritual weapons? The bible teaches us that our weapons of warfare are not carnal(2Cor10:4), meaning that we are fighting a spiritual battle.
1 Chronicles 21:1-3
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
King David and his people went through a period of time where they engaged in back-to-back wars, and each included enemy’s that were far stronger and bigger than they. But David had set a standard for fighting against physical enemies that were bigger than they. For example, the giant Goliath came against the people of Israel and defiled them (1Sam17:8), shouting and taunting them to battle for forty days. His men learned the lesson for fighting and wining giants and in three occasions when war broke out, they have victory. For example, war broke out in Gezer with the Philistines and Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued (1Chr20:4). And because he was a child of the giants, and maybe not as big though still giants David’s men slew him. Another example, yet larger in size was Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite who was slain during another war by Jair (1Chr20:5). And then there was the battle in Gath with a giant who was huge that had 12 toes and 12 fingers, who Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him (1Chr20:6-7).
The giants got larger and larger in scale, but no matter how large they got David’s men were able to slay them because God was with them. These were giants that they were able to physically see and fight, but David came across one that he could not see which included the giants of giants, Satan. When he least expected it, Satan came to tempt him and caught him off guard. One weapon Jesus used against the tempter when he came against him was the word of God (Mt4:4). David did not discern the scheme that came across the thought that Satan put in his mind and obeyed it. The bible tells us that we need to discern the spirits (1Jo4:1) to see if they are of God. Physical battles are hard to fight, but spiritual ones are even harder because we wrestle against spiritual forces from darkness.
James 4:1
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Corinthians 10:4
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
1 Samuel 17:8
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
1 Chronicles 20:4
5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.
1 Chronicles 20:6-7
And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot and he also was the son of the giant.
7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.