#535 Make Sure You're Defeated Before Going Into Battle

In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.

2 David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought him tribute.

3 Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at[a] the Euphrates River.4 David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6 He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

7 David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebah[b] and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and various bronze articles.

9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold, of silver and of bronze.

11 King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

David’s Officials

14 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek[c] son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side. 1 Chronicles 18 NIV 

Even as a young boy, when all Israel shook before just one Philistine, David feared God rather than man. It is a consequence of fearing all else, that I cannot conquer anything. What shall we say then, do we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Who is with this David, Who is in the heart of every believer? Am I tempted, yes, in so many ways, like every other man, is there someone who I can find less deserving than myself, no, it will not matter, for God is HOLY. The Philistines have scared and beaten us before, and yet we fall a thousand times, get up again. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, but don't stop there, for it is yet more wonderful than just that, we shall be more than conquerors, it says, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Men are so obsessed with their liberty, so defeated by their enemy that they will call him their friend, and allow the Philistine to mock them from across the way. "I dare you to call this sin, I would love to see you try and repent, what a joke." You know what, you may question my strength, you may poke holes in my integrity, find fault in my person, but I am not here to face the Philistines on my own goodness, in my own strength, this is not about my honor. 

“Come here,” he called to David, “and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45But David saidto the Philistine, “You come against me with a dagger, spear, and sword, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts,the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.…

The Moabites, who were once a shame unto Israel, are now a homage. They have become the "I use to", I use to be bound by lust, use to be a slave to needles, use to worship the image of self, but I have laid it down over there. Here are the shields of the Syrians, that use to be a wall against us, the bronze that will be the basin of our cleaning rather than the idols of our foolishness. I may not build this church, like Abraham did not see the time of the law, nor all of his offspring, but by faith I will gather the supplies, I will prepare the hearts. David reigned over Israel, bringing justice and preparing the way for his son. The rule of law is a blessing in the hands of those who fear God and set out to make right for the people.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.