“Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.” 1 Samuel 14.8-14
What Jonathan did to the Philistines sounds like something out of the move John Wick. It’s surreal. One man against many. Jonathan and has armor bearer (who must have been a warrior himself) against twenty men. What are the odds? They killed those men in an area “of about half an acre.” Amazing.
But Jonathan and his armor bearer weren’t alone. The Lord was with him. He threw out a “fleece” saying, “If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to get you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them.’ But if they say, ‘Come to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given the into our hands.’” And low and behold the Philistines said, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.”
The defeat was stuff made of legends. Twenty soldiers swept aside by Jonathan and his armor bearer. They were unstoppable. God was with them and gave the enemies over to their hands. Jonathan could not be defeated.
What if we approached our life with this faith? I’m not saying we need to go slay anyone, but defeating our enemies spiritually is another matter all together. We are called to defeat sin, evil and Satan. We can do this through prayer, evangelism, the Word of God and the Spirit of God. We have weapons of war to defeat the darkness around us and armor of God to protect us in this fight (Ephesians 6).
But too often we are intimated by how greatly we are outnumbered and we don’t call upon the name of the Lord as we should. Jonathan was not intimidated by the large number of Philistines. He called upon God to help him and threw out his “fleece” and determined that God had indeed given them into his hand. He knew above all else that it was the Lord who fought the battle for him.
In the same way, God fights our battles. We are in a battle against good and evil, God and the devil. Jesus has won the war but battles still wage for the hearts and souls of all of God’s created people. We are called to be Jonathan’s, to overcome evil with good and to fight the battles over sin and darkness.
Are you willing to join the Lord’s army and become his warrior through prayer and faith in God? Trust the Lord, place your hope in his word and become like Jonathan— a man of courage, a man of faith.
“O Lord God, the world is so unsettled. You are my God and I will trust in you. When evil comes my way I will rebuke it in your name. Come Lord Jesus, cover me with your blood and help me know the truth of your world. Return quickly to this land that we might begin eternity right now and that the fight might come to an end. Strengthen your church, O Lord, for it is weary. Bring revival to us today. I love you Lord and praise your name, for you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen