Victory That Sticks

By Kristen Hollis

“I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the Lord, but he did not answer. I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.”—2 Samuel 22:38–43 (NIV)

Have you ever had to fight hard for something you wanted—not a physical fight, but a long, exhausting battle to overcome something profound? Maybe it’s anxiety, shame, insecurity, addiction, or just the nagging sense that you’re never enough. In this passage, David reflects on how God helped him press through that kind of fight—and win. But this wasn’t just survival. This was a complete defeat of the enemy.

David says, “I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.” He’s remembering a time when God didn’t just rescue him from opposition—He equipped him to overcome it. David didn’t sit back and hope things would work out. He showed up, he pressed in, and he didn’t stop short.

But he wasn’t doing it in his strength. In 2 Samuel 22:33 (NIV), David says, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” That’s an essential part of this—David knows who won the battle.

It can be easy to give up when something feels too heavy. Sometimes, we even start to believe God will just fix it for us if He wants to. But David’s story shows us that there’s something powerful about choosing to stay in the fight with God’s help. God doesn’t always remove the challenge, but He always equips us to walk through it.

Sometimes, the most spiritual thing we can do is not give up. Like David, maybe your “enemy” is something internal—a lie you’ve believed for too long; a wound that’s still healing; a temptation that’s louder than you’d like to admit. What would it look like to trust that God has already given you what you need to press on?

David didn’t just survive—he overcame. And because of Jesus, we can, too. The same God who helped David finish the fight is the God who crushed the enemy’s power on the cross, which means freedom, peace, and healing are possible—even when the fight feels long.

Pause: Is there something in your life you’ve started to accept instead of fight? Have you been tempted to give up too soon?

Practice: Think about one area where you’ve been stuck. What’s one faithful step you can take today to move forward? Ask God for strength—and take it.

Pray: Lord, thank You for being my strength. You know the battles I’m facing. Please help me keep going when I want to give up. Remind me that I don’t fight alone—and that You’ve already made a way for victory. Amen.