Seizing Their Spears

“And he [Beniah] slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear. (2 Samuel 23:21)

       This incident from the story of “David’s mighty men,” as they are called, suggests a truth to me that is sometimes overlooked. Just as this man managed to overpower an enemy, take his weapon, and then defeat him, it is possible to seize from this world weapons they have come to believe are their own, and use them to fight the good fight of faith.

       This is not to refute 2 Corinthians 10:4, where we read that, as Christians, we fight our battles with spiritual, not carnal weapons. But a gun seized from a terrorist and used to save lives changes from being a weapon of destruction to an instrument of peace. And this is true of any Biblically legitimate tool in the hands of a spirit-filled believer. As Jesus pointed out in Luke 16:8, the “children of the world” are often wiser than the “children of light.” And we know from the context, He was not commending their motivation, but their methods.

       For many years now, this world has wrongly assumed that things such as education, bestselling books, policy, and entertainment were their domains exclusively. And accordingly, they have used venues like these to lambaste Christians and the Bible. But with the phenomenal growth of Christian education, Christian bestsellers, unashamedly Christian politicians, as well as the popularity of movies, if not overtly Christian, at least endorsing Biblical values, we have succeeded in taking some of the “spears” this world has been wielding against us for far too long, and drawing some blood ourselves. Our efforts may, or may not, eventually lead to cultural conquest of the enemy, depending on one’s view of eschatology, but one thing is certain: It’s always right to contend for the faith (Jude 3) in every legitimate arena.

       We should understand that whatever profession or endeavor God may lead us into, is a place where He expects us to take the offense in contending for Biblical principles, using all the lawful weapons at our disposal. This world system may have its princes (1 Cor. 2:6), but God is still the “King over all the earth” (Psl. 47:2).

 Relinquish nothing but sin; that’s all this world can legitimately lay claim to.