Troublesome Topic: SPIRITUAL LESSONS FROM CHIVALRY IN ANCIENT COMBAT

Be prepared, but trust in God

Warriors in ancient times had to be well prepared (in good physical condition and capable with their weapons) or they would lose their lives. At the same time, most of them worked on their farm or for an employer in the city; being a soldier was something they did on the side.

It is similar for us; we fight spiritual battles every day even while working to make a living, and investing time into raising a family, etc. It is not easy to do well in both the spiritual life and the physical life, and yet we must. To achieve that balance, I am convinced we need to be purposeful about eliminating anything that hinders our walk with God and even things that seem OK, but are really clutter, consuming time, space energy and money that could be used in ways that give God glory instead of satisfying self.

At the same time, we need to trust in God, not in our level of preparedness. If these battles were simply a matter of human preparedness, we would soon find ourselves in a conflict we simply cannot win. If we are in a spiritual battle, and we are, we need spiritual help or we will be doomed to fail.

Never rely on improper methods even if the odds are against you.

In most of the stories in this study series, the odds were against “our man”. But they trusted in God and allowed God to do something extraordinary through them. However, God would not have honored them if they had used nefarious means to make up for any disadvantage they felt.

 Likewise, we cannot fight good battles the wrong way and expect God to honor us. Even if victory seems impossible, do things the right way. God wants us to have to trust in Him rather than our own abilities.

Use what you have.

Just like one-on-one combat in ancient times required that the fighters use whatever weapon they came with (Samson could not bend down and grab a sword to replace the donkey’s jawbone), we likewise must use whatever God has placed in our lives to fight our battles against Satan, temptation, personal weakness and worldliness. We cannot fight using someone else’s weapons or strengths. For each of us, the way we fight spiritual battles will look a bit different, although certain things should be present in each of us, namely the study of God’s word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and obedience to what we learn.

Defend your ground.

Just like Eleazar and Shammah defended a physical location, we need to work purposefully to retain any spiritual ground we have gained; if not, we will lose it. The difference is that losing ground in a military conflict is visible and obvious, while losing ground spiritually often happens imperceptibly, one tiny step at a time in the wrong direction. So be tenacious about maintaining a strong and intimate relationship with God, and be on the look out for negative spiritual influences in your life.

Your family is also part of the ground God wants you to defend. If you are a husband and a father, you are responsible before God to protect your family, not only from physical danger, but also from spiritual and moral dangers. So be alert and watchful for the spiritual dangers which are subtle, deceptive and even attractive. Be wise in leading your children in God’s way; don’t lead them with a forcefulness and brashness which will turn them against the Gospel. And most of all, be a good example to them.