Facing Opposition - Part II

We were introduced to Jashobeam the Hacmonite and Eleazar son of Dodo. They are the first two of David's three mighty men listed in scripture. The Bible then goes on to say: "Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory" (2nd Sam 23:11,12). In the last message we focused on the "Opposition" Jashobeam and Eleazar faced. In this message we will take a look at the opposition Shammah faced. So let's take a closer look at this text. The text tells us that:

The enemies were Philistines: To understand the awesomeness of what Shammah did we must understand the enemy he faced. The Philistines were no rag-tag group, but rather a highly skilled and dedicated army. little boys in Philistine grew up playing "war," with hopes and dreams of becoming elite soldiers in their elite army.

History tells us that Philistine soldiers were normally quite tall (they only picked the best), clean-shaven, they wore breastplates, carried small shields and fought with straight swords and spears. The most famous of these soldiers was one who stood over 9 feet tall. This giant was killed by Shammah's leader (David). His name was Goliath. I bring this out because I don't want you to think that Shammah was up against a group of rookies. These were highly skilled, highly trained, highly motivated and highly dangerous men.

What can we take-away from this?

1) There will be times in our Christian journey that we will have to fight (the difference is that today our fight is spiritual),

2) The enemy will come at you with the best that he has; don't expect rookies or scrubs; and 3) As a believer you should never back down, never shirk, never shudder, and never ever quit!

They gathered together at Lehi: These guys were not just coming together for a picnic. The words "gathered together" in the original Hebrew have a military connotation. Another translation says, "They mustered for battle." The Philistines assembled their army and they prepared - checking their soldiers, inventorying their equipment, assessing their readiness - for the upcoming fight.

The point is that they did not come without preparation. This was no fly-by-night organization and this was no willy-nilly attack. The Philistines carefully thought through what they were going to do and how the were going to do it. What can we take-away from this portion of the text?

1) We are up against a skillful enemy. The kingdom of darkness has been tracking you all your life and they know your strengths and weaknesses. Don't expect anything less than total preparedness from your spiritual enemy.

2) Our enemy will plot and scheme. While I don't want to glorify the devil and his kingdom, I do want us to be aware of his craftiness. The kingdom of darkness often comes prepared and most believers are often not, making themselves easy prey for the enemy.

So what does this mean to you ? It means that we must recognize the fact that we are up against a formidable foe. Paul taught us that if we are not aware of the enemy's tactics that he will get an advantage over us (2nd Cor 2:11). So be aware, be sober, be vigilant, and be ready! Reignite your Warrior Spirit and enter every day ready to fight AND WIN!

Father, I thank You for Your grace, mercy, and truth. Your Word and Your Spirit help expose the enemy and his devilish ways. By Your grace I am prepared for today and every day. I enter this day dressed for success. I have on the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith. I am dressed and ready to resist the enemy at all cost. Furthermore, I also have the only offensive weapon in the Armor of God and that is the Sword of the Spirit. I walk in the Word and I speak the Word daily. Your Word is the ruler by which I judge every decision. By walking in the Word and the Spirit I am prepared for today and every day! In Jesus' name. Amen!