As I’ve been reading a book on spiritual warfare and standing firm in the faith, I’ve also been reading through 1 Samuel. Together, these resources have opened a window for me to see more clearly the nature of the spiritual battle, while witnessing firsthand how David learned to stand and fight in the strength of the Lord rather than in the arm of the flesh. Instead of leading him to depression or despair, the ongoing opposition he encountered led him to greater dependence on the Lord through prayer, a humble willingness to listen and obey, and the ability to love others well and show them mercy.
Hard Pressed on Every Side
When the apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 4:8–12 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he was describing the intense difficulties he and the other apostles were experiencing because of the Gospel. The same enemy of their souls was seeking to destroy David’s life with the same intensity 1,000 years earlier, revealing the timeless application of these truths. For seven years after being anointed king by Samuel, David was mercilessly hunted down by Saul and forced into hiding in caves and remote cities like an outlaw. During this time, he had many near-death experiences and was even rejected by his own men, who at one point planned to stone him (1 Samuel 30:6). He was hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down—but not crushed, not in despair, not abandoned, and not destroyed.
In 1 Samuel 30, after he and his army were sent away from fighting alongside the Philistines (because the commanders feared he might turn on them in the battle), David returned to Ziklag only to find even more trouble. The Amalekites had attacked and burned the city and taken everyone captive. David and his men were so distraught that they “wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep” (30:4). The men were so embittered by their losses that they even talked about stoning David.
Looking to the Lord for Help
In what seems to be a plot twist, David turned from focusing on the losses and threats against his life to focusing on the Lord. Rather than retaliating—becoming bitter or seeking revenge—the Bible says, “David found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). This echoes the wording of Psalm 28, where he declared that the Lord was his “strength and his shield”—his heart trusted in him, and he was helped (Psalm 28:7). From his response, it seems evident that David had made peace with the reality of constant opposition and instead of trying to control or escape it, he found his shelter in the Lord.
The very tool that the enemy was using to drive David to despair and bitterness, God designed to help him flourish in his faith (Psalm 119:71). Rather than turning him away from the Lord, the hardships drove him into the very presence of the One who could not only protect him but deliver him from evil—so much so that he could say with confidence, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
This position of dependence led him to pray. He asked the Lord whether he should pursue the enemies who had plundered them (30:7), and the Lord answered clearly: “Pursue them… You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue” (1 Samuel 30:8). David’s reliance on God led to practical direction and wisdom, which he acted on. He trusted God's Word and obeyed it, believing God would keep His promise to help him. After they defeated the enemy and recovered everything, David then chose to show great kindness to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to fight in the battle. While others in the army demanded they receive nothing, David chose to show them mercy—the same mercy he so freely received from the Lord.
As I reflect on the spiritual battles I’ve faced over the years, I realize that my focus has often been on the problems and opposition instead of the Lord and His promise to shield and protect me. But by shifting my gaze back to Him—and away from the enemy’s distractions and disappointments—I hope, like David, to find renewed strength to persevere, along with a quieted heart that can cry out for help, hear His reply, and then pour out mercy and grace to others, even my enemies. What about you? Is the enemy distracting your gaze and keeping you from resting in the Lord's strong presence?
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” Psalm 28:7
