Mon.’s Devo - Spiritual Warfare Personified

Read: 1 Samuel 22:1-23:29; John 10:1-21; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 15:18-19 David left the city of Gath where he had pretended to be a madman and about 400 men began to follow him. They were men who were disgruntled about the government, owed taxes they couldn’t pay, and were in trouble with the law. *** David took his men and his family to Mizpeh which was ruled by the Moabites. He asked the king to let his father and mother stay there to be safe. The prophet of Gad told him to go into the land of Judah, so David obeyed. *** Saul found out where David was from Doeg who confessed he had seen David in Nob. He witnessed that Ahimelech prayed for David, gave him provisions and Goliath’s sword. Ahimelech and all his house was brought before Saul and questioned. Ahimelech claimed he was innocent in acting against the king since he believed David was working for the king. Saul choose not to believe him. He commanded his servant to kill Ahimelech, but his servant would not kill the priest. Doeg was not afraid to kill God’s priest and not only killed Ahimelech and his family, but all the priests in the priestly town. He killed 85 people that day. *** Meanwhile, one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped and found David. He told him what had happened back in Nob. Abiathar brought with him the ephod. David told him to stay with him and he would keep him safe. *** David learned that the Philistines were trying to capture the city of Keilah and were robbing their harvest. He had Abiathar inquire of the Lord if they should go and help the people of Keilah. God said they should go. David’s men didn’t want to go, so David asked the Lord again and he gave the same answer. So, they went and delivered the people of Keilah from the Philistines. *** Saul learned that David was in Keilah and came after him. David asked the Lord if the people of Keilah would surrender him over to Saul and the Lord said they would. In spite of the fact that David had saved their lives and their livelihood, they would not return the favor to David. Now, David and his men had to flee to the wilderness of Ziph. *** Jonathan found David there and told him not to fear, because Saul would never find him. David would be the next king and he, Jonathan, would be his second in command. He told David that Saul knows this, also. David and Jonathan made another covenant with each other and then they parted. *** The people of Ziph went to Saul and offered to give David over to him. Saul blessed them for the information and told them to go and spy on David and find out all his hiding places and come back and tell him. *** Saul and David both had spies that informed them of each other’s movements. They both ended up on the same mountain. Saul was closing in on David when he got a report to return home because the Philistines were attacking Israel. God saved David in the nick of time and Saul returned home. *** In John, Jesus used a story to explain the spiritual realm. He described the spiritual realm as a sheepfold. The gatekeeper was the Holy Spirit who opens the door when he hears the shepherd’s voice, who was Jesus. All who belong to Jesus follow him in. They know his voice and will only listen to it. They will be saved. Those who get into the spiritual realm another way are thieves and robbers. They are the sorcerers and false prophets. *** The thief is the devil and his only mission is to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus mission was to give life. He would lay down his life for us to enter into salvation. Satan would abandon his followers to save himself. *** All who listen to Jesus and believe in him will be saved by him. He loves us, just like God loves him. Jesus willingly laid down his life to die on the cross. They didn’t take his life, he gave it up freely for us. *** Many who heard the words of Jesus thought he had a demon and, but others knew a demon couldn’t open the eyes of the blind. *** We see what Jesus was telling us in the lives of Saul and David. Saul was a picture of Satan trying to kill David. David was a picture of Jesus who refused to fight for his own life, but was not afraid of Satan. *** Lord, thank you for laying down your life for sinners like us. Thank you that through your sacrifice, we are saved and can walk in freedom from the power of sin.