Veteran's Day 2019: Run to the Guns

Veterans Day, 2019                   NOTES NOT EDITED
Run to the Guns
1Samuel 17:34-37

SIS: According to the Bible we as Christians are involved in a spiritual war and when we the enemy strategically and decisively, God will bless our efforts miraculously.

David is one of the greatest heroes in the Bible.  He engaged Goliath strategically and decisively and God blessed him miraculously.

A hero has been defined as, “One who is running into a burning building when others are running out.”  In a military sense, a hero is “Someone running to the guns.”  No battle has ever been won by running away.  Veterans know only one direction:  forward! 

If ever there were a day for a “call to action” for the Christian Church it is in, this, our day.

The greatest battlefield general of WWII, perhaps any war, was General George Patton.  George C. Scott played the eccentric general in a Hollywood movie of Patton’s life.  Eccentric though he was, his cunning and skill on the battlefield is legendary.  His basic strategy was a simple three-fold plan: Attack! Attack! And Attack!

War is a horrible, ugly, terrible thing.  But, wars are a reality because evil is a reality.  Wars are not won by sitting around hoping the enemy will simply go away.  When the fire-fight heats up on the battlefields and bullets start to fly, it is common for a soldier to “go to the ground.”  That is when the bullets start to fly, a good soldier takes a moment to collect his wits and find his bearings.  However, a good soldier knows that he cannot simply lie on the ground and wait for the fight to be over.  In fact, the longer a soldier stays on the ground in a heated battle, the more likely they are to become a casualty.  The soldier must “engage the enemy or die.”  Soldiers call it, “running to the guns.”

This is the situation we find ourselves today.  We are at war—physically and spiritually, and they are often the same thing.

Satan and his demons are wreaking havoc on society – indeed, the whole world.  It is time the church “runs to the guns” and engages the Devil and his evil – it’s past time we take serious our charge as Christians soldiers.

The Bible gives us a wonderful example of a godly man – young adult actually – who displayed the characteristics necessary to minimize and eliminate the effects of evil in our world.  His name is David.  Let’s read a “snapshot from scrapbook of his life” – 1Samuel 17:34-37:

(1 Sam 17:34-37)  But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, {35} I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. {36} Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. {37} The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

When hell raised his ugly head – David grabbed it by the hair

and beat the Devil out of it!

The background of this passage is that David was about to engage the taunting Philistine giant, Goliath.  Goliath had defied and terrified theentire nation of Israel so much that no one soldier in that mighty army was willing to engage the enemy.  David, a shepherd not a soldier, was trying to convince Saul to let him take on the giant.

This example of David gives us a three-point strategy to guarantee that we can engage the enemy of our lives and destroy him.

1.  We must PREPARE ADEQUATELY (34a)

But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep.

Every experience you have in life is an opportunity to learn. Every challenge you overcome in life, if you pay attention, makes you a better, smarter, stronger soldier of Christ.

David learned to be a soldier by faithfully executing his duties as a shepherd.

Being a shepherd was not a glamorous job – just the opposite. Sheep are stinky.  Sheep are stupid.  Being a shepherd is a lonely, menial task.  But, it was while a shepherd that David learned to be a soldier.  Don’t despise the challenges in your life – God is giving you an education.

David knew how to take care of the giant, because he learned how to take care of sheep.  We will see in a minute, David had killed lions and bears – he didn’t see a problem with killing one, over-sized Philistine!  Being a shepherd was David’s training for being a soldier.

The best education is not always the most enjoyable.  Sometimeswe have to graduate from the University of Hard Knocks.  SOMEONE ONCE SAID: “A useful axe must be sharp.  But to be sharp an axe must be pressed against a grindstone.  In a similar way, if you want to be useful in service to God, you must be willing to experience the uncomfortable trials and testings of life’s grindstone.” 

There are some lessons in life, that can only be mastered by experience.  This was David’s preparation.  The problem is: many people never learn from life’s experience.  They make the same mistakes over and over and over again.

The Peoria Parachuting School had a motto over there entrance of their doorway: If at first you don’t succeed – so much for sky-diving!

David recognized the value of his training.  He readied himself for the call against the giant, Goliath, by practicing on roaring lions and charging bears.  Every challenge we face can make us better soldiers in the battle “that really counts.”  If you have never experienced a “spiritual battle that really counts – just wait, you will!”  Are you prepared?

 

I was reading an article in a motorcycle magazine that talked about the “dangers of the open road.”  The writer, an experienced biker, said, “There are two groups of people riding motorcycles – those who have gone down, and those who will!”

You will face a significant trial in life just as David did – some Goliath standing between you and the blessing of God.  Now, is the time to prepare – against the “lions and bears.”  If you don’t learn the biblical principles necessary to succeed in the little battles, you are going to be at a severe disadvantage in the “big battle.”

2.  You must ENGAGE DECISIVELY (34b, 35)

When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, {35} I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

In English (as with all languages), a “verb” is a word that that describes “action.”  When a challenge presented itself to David, notice the “verbs,” or action words, that describe his response:

“I went; I struck; I rescued; I seized; I struck; and I killed!” David’s response to a threat was immediate and decisive. David engaged the lions and bears decisively.

Remember: as Christians we are at war. Paul said (Eph. 6:12)

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places

The Bible says, “we wrestle, struggle, fight.” Paul didn’t say we run.  He didn’t say we hide. He didn’t say we negotiate.  He said we fight, and that is exactly how David responded.  We are at war, and our success requires a “warrior spirit.” 

Now, I’m not saying we “go looking for a fight.”  The Bible says that David only took action when the enemy attacked: the lion or the bear.  He only engaged Goliath, AFTER Goliath mocked and threatened the people of God.  We don’t go looking for a fight – but we act decisively when we are attacked.

This lesson was painfully illustrated in the 9-11 tragedy, nearly 20 years ago now.  We never went looking for a fight with the Afghani people or Radical Islamists.  We were quietly minding our business.  It was the terrorists from the base camps in Afghanistan that ruthlessly, brutally, cowardly and without provocation smashed two silver daggers into the heart of America.  They awoke a sleeping giant and they have felt his wrath.  We engaged the enemy decisively.  The resolve of the American people is to stomp out the infestation of terrorism anywhere in the world.  We hit hard.  We hit often.  We continue to chase down the cowardly rats in any sewer we find them.  We engaged the enemy decisively – and our world is better for it.

But, this is not the whole battle.  We cannot wipe out evil with “smart bombs,” but only with “spiritual bombs” delivered quickly and decisively – just like David engaged Goliath decisively.

These days are no time to try to figure out what you believe or why.  When evil raises its ugly head, we need to be ready to strike. Think of the issues the Christian church did not “face as decisively” as we should have:  Prayer in schools, abortion, same-sex marriage, a push toward socialism, and now, teaching as early as kindergarten that there is no such things as “boys and girls”—non-binary gender indoctrination.  These are not days we can afford to be indecisive.

Goliath stood mocking and threatening the church, and we “hit the ground” instead of charging the strongholds.

There is a doctrine in police work called: containment. Just last week I was reading the story of a teacher who died at the Columbine High School shooting, 20 years ago.  His wife was telling the story of hour her husband lay dying for hours after the shooting started.  The police were in a state called: containment.  All the while this teacher, who would have no doubt lived, lay dying on the floor.

Now, I don’t mean to be cruel, but I disagree with such a strategy.  There comes a time when someone needs to bow their back and “run to the guns.”  Maybe they will sacrifice their life.  Maybe they will rescue another.  But, we live in a time when the church needs to follow David’s example and “run to the guns” – engage the enemy decisively.  We can’t just contain evil – we must challenge it!

Be prepared.  Act decisively.

3.  Trust God ABSOLUTELY (37)

 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."

Trust is a difficult skill to acquire, or attitude to achieve.  I read an interesting article that outlined three reasons people find it hard to trust—God or anyone else.  ❶It is a human issue. It doesn’t seem that trust is a natural instinct for man, starting somewhere in early childhood for a variety of reasons, not least of which someone has broken our trust.  ❷Hurt people, hurt people.  People who have had someone break a trust, tend to be resentful and a lack of trust is a dysfunctional self-protection mechanism.  ❸ People often have unrealistic expectations that are not reasonable and nobody could ever meet their level of trust.   For whatever reason, trust is something most people have a difficulty with—especially trusting God Whom they cannot see.

We can’t even trust our airlines to be safe from lunatics with explosives strapped to their shoes.  We live in a world where trust is as rare as, and more precious than gold.  We long for it – but we have a hard time achieving it.

Now, here’s the kicker – you can’t face life without trusting the Lord.  Maybe you can get by today.  Maybe you can wrestle a lion or put down a bear – all with your own strength (though, I’m not sure you can even do that!)  But, one thing is certain – you will sooner or later face Goliath.  He is no small challenge – he is no lion or bear. 

Notice that David did not put his trust in his performance.

It was his hands that seized the lion and clubbed the bear.  But, it was His Lord that gave the victory.  Even Saul observed that fact. 

Saul did not say, “Go, with your club and face Goliath.”  No, Saul said,  "Go, and the LORD be with you." (v37).

This is what David had in mind when he said,

(Psa 127:1)  Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

This is what the song writer had in mind as he wrote:

Without Him, I could do nothing. // Without Him, I’d surely fail.

This is what Paul meant when he said that

(Acts 17:28)  'For in him we live and move and have our being.'

Even our very existence we owe to God, let alone any victories in life we experience.

I read this week that there has been scientific evidence that people who have a basic attitude of trust live longer, healthier lives.  People who have a basic mistrust of God and others tend to be aggressive, impatient, and subject to great stress.

One of the hymns we sing has these words

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way;

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

One day a mother heard her little boy singing this song

a little differently:

Trust, it’s O.K., for there’s no other way;

to be happy in Jesus, becaus trust is O.K.

That’s the definition of “trust” – with Jesus, no matter how tall the Goliath is that you have to face, you can charge him with confidence if you put your trust in the Lord.  Trust, and with God it will be OK!

Remember what the Bible said David did for his sheep when they were attacked by a lion or bear.  It says in verse 35, (1 Sam 17:35)  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth.

 

 Then in verse 37 David revealed to Saul the source of his confidence

as he faced Goliath: “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

The word “rescued” in verse 35 is the same Hebrew word translated

“delivered” in verse 37.  David was able to “run to the guns” because his trust was in Jesus Christ.  He prepared adequately; he acted decisively and he trusted absolutely – this was his strategy for success in the spiritual battle of life.

I want you to think back again to that awful day September 11, 2001, nearing two decades ago now.  It was a day that America’s trust that we are free from attack was shattered, as it was 60 years earlier at Pearl Harbor.

I remember with great horror and sadness as I saw the second of two Jumbo Jets crash into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  It was then, and it is now, simply unimaginable.  How could an airliner – much less three – be overtaken and flown with over 200 people on board into these buildings?  What was the scene on board those flights?  We will never really know.  But, remember there was a fourth plane, United Flight 93, probably headed for the White House that crashed short of its target in a field in Pennsylvania killing all on board.  We know a little more about this plane from cell phone conversations.  We know that a group of men acted decisively and rushed the hijackers sending the plane to the ground and saving the lives hundreds, maybe thousands of people on the ground.  A group of men with warrior spirits said, “Let’s Roll”and ran toward the guns.” 

We live in an evil day.  Evils are social, political, physical and spiritual.  Like David, we need a warrior spirit – the spirit of a soldier who will bravely “run to the guns” in an effort to save (rescue) innocent people from the clutches of evil. 

To be successful we must follow David’s example: prepare adequately – through a daily relationship with Jesus Christ; act decisively – when faced with some Goliath evil; and, trust the Lord

absolutely – to rescue you from the clutches of evil.

A true warrior—soldier, sailor, airmen, marine, or believer in Christ—never attacks with malice.  Nobody understands the horror of war better or hates it more than those that have to fight it.  Christians are never to be the aggressors in the war against evil, and the Devil who seeks to take captive souls for his wicked kingdom.  But . . . Christians simply cannot sit back and let the Devil take ground and steal souls day after day after day.  We must engage in the fight.  We must “run to the guns!” and do what it takes to guard that which is good.  Some may think my position is too militant.  Yet, in the Scripture, the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are two sides of the same coin.  There is never a victory without a fight.

Are you ready to “run to the guns” when faced with some overwhelming evil you face now, or will surely face in the future? Are you adequately prepared.  This is where success in the battle begins.

When a soldier, sailor, or airman enters basic they receive a duffle bag and weapon – everything they need to defend their country.  When a person becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit – this is everything that a person needs to defend oneself and others against the evils of our day. 

Today would be the best day to begin preparing for the battles you will surely face – give your life to Jesus.