Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a Mighty Man from Kabzeel with many exploits to his credit: he killed two famous Moabites; he climbed down into a pit and killed a lion on a snowy day; and he killed an Egyptian, a giant seven and a half feet tall. The Egyptian had a spear like a ship’s boom but Benaiah went at him with a mere club, tore the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with it. (I Chronicles 11:22-23 The Message)
Fear Not.. Then Use the Enemy’s Weapons
God’s people do not fight physical giants today. Today, our giants are of a different sort. We face media empires intent on discrediting the church. We face over-reaching governments intent on removing God from our choices. We face an entrenched education system intent on deriding the very existence of God. We face the common acceptance of common sin. We face the physical effects of unrighteousness displayed in deteriorating immune systems, spreading illnesses, and exhaustion. We face a level of spiritual warfare that our community does not even acknowledge, let alone fight.
Benaiah stood in front of a giant. And in the moment of battle, he knew his club was not sufficient… even wielded by his skills and toned by his experience.
He chose to use, instead, the enemy’s weapon. A spear big enough to hold a ship’s sail. A terrifying tool that he was untrained to use. A weapon out of his control as the gigantic giant himself.
And that weapon felled the giant.
We do not fight giants these days. Beings like Goliath and the Egyptian giant are gone. But our enemies are no less terrible.
Without avoiding any unrighteous activities, perhaps it is time to reach for the giant’s spear.
God’s enemies today effectively wield education as a weapon. Atheists and agnostics have infiltrated our education system and have used it to discredit God’s Word. We wield against it our small schools, home schools, and independent study. And those are good ‘clubs.’ But perhaps it is time to take back the spear of the university.
God’s enemies today effectively wield the news media as a weapon. Humanism and Statism are woven into the stories of today’s news like weeds and have all but choked out HIS story. We wield against it our small study groups, conversations, and internet sites. And those are good ‘clubs.’ But perhaps it is time to take back the spear of the media.
The gospel, of course, will triumph. But this story makes me think…
Fear not, then use our enemies’ weapons.