loader from loading.io

Fighting the Right Battle | 1 Samuel 26:12-13

Vince Miller Podcast

Release Date: 11/06/2024

The New Ideological Battle | 1 Samuel 27:3-4 show art The New Ideological Battle | 1 Samuel 27:3-4

Vince Miller Podcast

Don't let secular ideologies erode your faith. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. We want you to live all in and know, grow, and go with Jesus every day. Check out the show that dropped yesterday on . This might be a helpful video if you have been trying to figure out how to do this. Also, we are just a few chapters away from finishing 1 Samuel. So, I want to prepare you for our next book. We are moving to the New Testament and will start the new year with the ! So go to our website and get the  for this book. There is a  below the video or in the show...

info_outline
Defining Your Rubicon | 1 Samuel 27:2 show art Defining Your Rubicon | 1 Samuel 27:2

Vince Miller Podcast

GET THE JAMES SCRIPTURE JOURNAL 👉🏼  GIVE | SUPPORT THE MINISTRY 👉🏼  

info_outline
The Subtle Seeds of Fear | 1 Samuel 27:1 show art The Subtle Seeds of Fear | 1 Samuel 27:1

Vince Miller Podcast

GET JAMES JOURNAL HERE 👉🏼 If you prayed this prayer and began a first-time relationship, please email me at [email protected].

info_outline
Seeing Beyond the Surface | 1 Samuel 26:22-25 show art Seeing Beyond the Surface | 1 Samuel 26:22-25

Vince Miller Podcast

Have you ever met someone whose words appeared genuine but felt unsettling? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. Today, we. Here is what happens next in verses 22-25: And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all...

info_outline
Words of Wisdom in Conflict | 1 Samuel 26:17-21 show art Words of Wisdom in Conflict | 1 Samuel 26:17-21

Vince Miller Podcast

Have you ever found yourself in a conflict where emotions ran high, and the path to resolution felt unclear? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. Today, Saul is going to respond to David, who is standing on the hill holding his weapon and water jug. Here is what happens next in verses 17-21: Saul recognized David's voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his...

info_outline
Stop Drifting & Come Home | 1 Samuel 26:14-16 show art Stop Drifting & Come Home | 1 Samuel 26:14-16

Vince Miller Podcast

Stop Drifting & Come Home   Do you feel like you are drifting spiritually? There is something and someone that could help. Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. At this point, David and Abishai sneak into Saul's camp, swipe the spear and jar of water, and position themselves on a hill far from Saul. Here is what happens next in verses 14-16: And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man?...

info_outline
Fighting the Right Battle | 1 Samuel 26:12-13 show art Fighting the Right Battle | 1 Samuel 26:12-13

Vince Miller Podcast

Are you fighting the right battles, or just charging into the chaos without a strategy? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. At this point, David and Abishai sneak into Saul's camp and steal the spear and jar of water from the head of his bed. Here is what happens next in verses 12-13: So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great...

info_outline
Great Battles Won in Silence | 1 Samuel 26:9-11 show art Great Battles Won in Silence | 1 Samuel 26:9-11

Vince Miller Podcast

Will you take the silent advantage or do what is right? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, Saul is on the hunt for David, determined to capture and kill him. David hears he is camped on the hill beyond him, so he and Abishai go on a reconisence mission. They sneak into the center of camp, where Saul and his commander are dead asleep, and Abishai suggests pinning Saul to the ground with his spear. Then here is how David responds in verses 9-11: But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?”...

info_outline
Avoiding Impulse: The Art of Intelligent Action | 1 Samuel 26:5-8 show art Avoiding Impulse: The Art of Intelligent Action | 1 Samuel 26:5-8

Vince Miller Podcast

Do you act too impulsively, derailing the mission? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, Saul is once again on the hunt for David, determined to capture and kill him. With new knowledge of David's whereabouts, he has assembled a hardened army of 3,000 men. Under the cover of darkness, they lie in wait, encamped near the last known location of David's men As the evening draws near, the tension thickens—what will unfold next in ? Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the...

info_outline
Restraint in the Face of Conflict | 1 Samuel 26:1-4 show art Restraint in the Face of Conflict | 1 Samuel 26:1-4

Vince Miller Podcast

Have you ever felt trapped in a cycle of conflict, wondering if there’s a way out? Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller. This week, we will see a new encounter unfold between David and Saul. You thought Saul was done with David, but he is not. Let's dive into chapter 26, entitled "Restraint & Righteousness." Let's read : Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?” So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

Are you fighting the right battles, or just charging into the chaos without a strategy?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

At this point, David and Abishai sneak into Saul's camp and steal the spear and jar of water from the head of his bed. Here is what happens next in verses 12-13:

So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them. Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. — 1 Samuel 26:12-13

So the obvious question is, why does David take the spear and jar?

  • "The spear" is Saul's instrument of leadership and aggression.
  • "The jar of water" is Saul's source of sustenance in the desert wasteland.

Without any act of violence, David symbolically disarmed Saul and took his life.

This is a fascinating and strategic move by David.

Years ago, I remember my daughter, during her teen years, hitting a phase where she refused to keep her room clean. This was an ongoing battle between her and her mother and I. We would go back and forth about this for months until finally, she drew a line with us and declared her room "eminent domain." We thought this was a bold move because it was "our house" in which "her room" resided. So, one day, when she was gone, I decided to take her door off the frame, hoping that her lack of privacy would motivate her to clean her room.

When she returned home, she came stomping upstairs to protest that I had taken her door off her room. To which I responded, "That may be 'your room' but it's 'my door' and I will put 'my door' back on when 'your room' is clean." 

She spent the next seven hours cleaning her room because her privacy was more valuable than "her room."

There are a lot of ways to fight battles.

David's move was strategic. He didn't kill Saul. Instead, he targeted the symbols of Saul's power and sustainability—the spear and the jar. This choice spoke louder than violence because it demonstrated his stealth skill and targeted objects of value to Saul to corner him into a change of heart.

Too often, we charge headlong into battles, attacking only the surface issues. We fight for the "room"—the immediate felt need—without considering the real need. For example, when I removed my daughter's door, I wasn't just trying to get her to clean up; I was targeting what mattered most to her: privacy and what mattered most to me: respect. The lesson was more than a lesson in a clean room—it was about responsibility, respect, and meeting the real underlying needs.

When you encounter a challenge today, take a moment to ask yourself, "Am I fighting the right battle?" Avoid getting caught up in superficial issues and overlook the deeper needs. If you do, your battles might have more positive and godly results.

#StrategicWisdom, #FightSmart, #DeeperLessons

Ask This:

  1. What symbols of power or value in your life might you need to address to create lasting change?
  2. Are you focusing on surface issues, or are you targeting the deeper needs in your battles?

Do This:

Fight the right battle.

Pray This:

Lord, help me to see beyond the surface of my challenges and recognize the deeper needs that require attention. Grant me the wisdom to fight battles with strategy and grace, reflecting Your guidance in all I do. Amen.

Play This:

Surrounded.