The Battle of the Spears

When the Battle Gets Personal

The battle of the spears takes place in your personal life.

This attack is demonically orchestrated to crush you in your season of purpose.

The enemy uses your family mentors, and leaders to personally attack you before you can fulfill your destiny.

Seasons of Warfare

Preparation - The Lions & Bears

Progression - The Giants

Purpose - The Spears & Arrows

In this particular season of warfare, God wants to hammer out all of the insecurities in your live.

The Lyre & the Spear

1 Samuel 18:8–11 ESV

And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand. And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David evaded him twice.

Saul’s spear in his hand is contrasted with David’s lyre in his hands.

Saul wanted power in his hands.

David wanted love in his heart.

The Symbol of the Spear

Saul’s spear is a symbol of his royal office

Saul kept it with him on military expeditions

When holding court

When at rest in the palace or eating.

Saul’s was most likely thinking when he threw the spear. “I will strike in David and in the wall,” perhaps aiming to go through his clothes or body.

Saul was a skilled warrior and would not miss twice at such close quarters

Saul senses that David is divinely protected from his attacks while he himself has forfeited his right for kingship.

War Broke Out Again

1 Samuel 19:9–10 ESV

9 Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. 10 And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

As Saul sits in the palace with his royal spear in his hand, David is “playing the lyre,” seeking to soothe the king’s troubled state of mind.

As David’s success preys on Saul’s mind he either throws his spear at David or lunges at him with it

I personally believes he lunged at David with the spear.

David is alert and agile to sidestep the spear, and it lodges in the wall.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

This was the third time Saul missed.

David barely made it out alive.

David’s on the Run!

He who had struck the Philistines and made them flee is now struck at by his own king and forced to flee.

1 Samuel 18:7 ESV

7 And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

Three Arrows

1 Samuel 20:18–22 ESV

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap. 20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away.

3 Spears + 3 Arrows = Beyond David’s Ability to Wage War

And now you find David back in the field.

David was asked to hide near a heap of stones in the field in which he has previously hidden.

Jonathan was a skilled archer, and cleverly decided to use the stones for target practice.

His directions to the young boy accompanying him was to retrieve his arrows.

The purpose of this will convey a secret message to David. “On this side of you” would indicate safety; “beyond you,” the need for immediate escape.

In other words, the arrows are coming...

Saul attempts to murder David Twenty-one times!

An attempt by a javelin (1Sam. 18:11)

Second attempt by javelin (1Sam. 18:11)

By scheming to have him killed by the Philistines (1Sam. 18:17–19)

Through Michal and the Philistines (1Sam. 18:20–30)

Trying to get Jonathan and all his own servants to kill him (1Sam. 19:1–7)

Third personal attempt to kill him by javelin (1Sam. 19:8–10)

By messengers to his house (1Sam. 19:11–14)

Messengers to his house (1Sam. 19:15–16)

Messengers to Ramah (1Sam. 19:17–20)

Messengers to Ramah (1Sam. 19:21)

Messengers again to Ramah (1Sam. 19:21)

By personally going to Ramah (1Sam. 19:22–24)

Planning to kill him the first day of the feast (1Sam. 20:24–26)

Planning to kill him the second day of the feast (1Sam. 20:27–30)

Commanding that he be brought from home to die (1Sam. 20:31–42)

Making war on Keilah to kill David (1Sam. 23:8–13)

Seeking him in the wilderness of Ziph (1Sam. 23:14–18)

Sending spies to find him (1Sam. 23:19–24)

Sending his army after him (1Sam. 23:25–29

Again going after David with 3,000 selected men, but falling into his hands and being spared (1Sam. 24:1–22)

Still again going after David with a selected army, but falling into his hands a second time and being spared (1Sam. 26:1–25)

The Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:16 ESV

16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

The shield of Faith is a defensive weapon.

The term translated “darts” (belos) refers to “a missile, including arrows (propelled by a bow) or darts (hurled by hand.)”

Fiery Darts

Arrows

Darts

Spears

Javelins

That fact that the darts are “flaming” indicates the attacks against your life are personal, hostile and destructive.

Psalm 7:13 ESV

13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

Proverbs 26:18 ESV

18 Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death

The Hunter Becomes the Haunted

1 Samuel 24:5–6 ESV

5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.”

Conclusion: Be Anchored in Worship

At this point David’s Life was defined by the 3 W’s.

Worshipper

Warrior

Winning.