Fight or Flight?

2nd Sam 23:11,12 11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory

As we go back to our main passage we will focus in on the fact that the Israelite soldiers deserted Shammah as they abandoned the mission and fled as cowards. The text says: "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).

Now, before I am too hard on the Israeli soldiers I must admit that their opposition was fierce. I already told you how hard the Philistines trained and how intimidating their army could be. But I also need to point out that these were soldiers, not civilians, and they should have been accustomed to combat. These were also highly skilled and qualified warriors who had been through many hard-fought battles already and more importantly, their God had proven to be there for them time and time again. Even if they did not have confidence in their own ability, they should have maintained their confidence in their God. Why? Because we serve a God who will never leave us nor forsake us; who will always be there for us in the time of trouble.

Not only did these Israelites know God to be a God of battle for themselves, but they also had a great history of battles where the Lord manifested His glory on behalf of the nation. The Israelites were big on passing down history by word-of-mouth and I am sure these soldiers knew of the time when Moses stood on the top of a hill with his rod lifted up to God as Joshua led the Israeli army in gruesome combat against the Amalekites. As long as the rod was lifted up to God - as a symbol of prayer, of getting God involved in the battle - Joshua and the rest of the army was winning. But whenever Moses' arms got tired and he let down the rod the Amalekites would get the advantage.

Ultimately, two helpers (Aaron and Hur) assisted Moses in holding up the rod and the Lord helped the Israelites secure a mighty battle that day. When it was all said and done Moses built an altar and called it "Jehovah Nissi," which means "The LORD is my Banner" or "The Lord who will fight for us" (see Exodus 17). I am sure Shammah and the rest of the army said they knew God as Jehovah Nissi, but it is one thing to say it with you lips and quite something else to believe God to show up for you pressure is on, the battle is real, and the enemy is advancing!

Shammah chose to fight while the others chose to flee!

So what does this mean to you? It means that you must be completely convinced now - before the fight - that God is your Jehovah Nissi. When humans experience acute stress or danger our bodies release adrenaline, which is referred to as the "fight-or-flight hormone." When the pressure is on and adrenaline is flowing, it is too late to attempt to build your confidence in God. Shammah was obviously convinced BEFORE the Philistines arrived; and because of it he was ready to fight when the adrenaline flooded his system. The others, however, were obviously not as convinced and when the adrenaline hit they ran like cowards.

What will do you when the pressure is on and adrenaline floods your system? Will you fight or flee?

If you don't establish your confidence in God NOW I assure you that you will flee! But if you build your confidence in God BEFORE the fight you will be able to STAND and experience a Godly victory!

Father, I declare, by faith, that You are my Jehovah Nissi. You have fought for me and with me in the past, and I am completely confident that You will do the same in the future. Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but I trust in the name of the Lord my God. My confidence is in You and Your ability. With Your ability working with me I am able to do much more than I could have ever done alone. Because I know that You are on me, in me, with me and for me, I will never back down. I am ready to fight and with You I am ready to win! Even when adrenaline floods my system and it causes me to have physiological inclinations to flee, I declare that my spirit man will rule over my soul and tell my body to stand, to withstand, and to fight!

In Jesus' name. Amen!