War All of the Time

By Danny Saavedra

“And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. . . . Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father . . . And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, ‘As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.’ . . . And there was war again.”—1 Samuel 19:1–17 (ESV, emphasis added)

“And there was war again.”

Have you ever felt like life is always a struggle? Like you barely catch your breath from one battle before another one starts? Like every time you think things are settling down, something else comes on the attack?

That’s life in a fallen world. Spiritually speaking, there’s always a war. We fight against temptation, sin, discouragement, and doubt. We fight against the pressures of the world, against spiritual forces of darkness, and against our own weaknesses. And even when we think we’ve won a battle, the enemy doesn’t pack up and leave. He watches and “prowls around like a roaring lion,” waiting for the moment to pounce.

That’s what happened to Saul. Early in 1 Samuel 19, Saul commanded his son Jonathan to kill David. But Jonathan, full of faith and courage, advocated for David’s life and, amazingly, Saul listened. He even swore an oath that David would not be harmed. In that moment, it seemed like Saul had won a battle against his worst impulses.

But then, verse 8: “And there was war again.” It was David’s success that made Saul jealous and turn him against David. And here, the scenario repeated itself, as temptation often does: David was successful in battle against the Philistines, so Saul was tempted to jealousy.

And when Saul was vulnerable, when the circumstances were right, the true enemy (not the Philistines) attacked. The enemy? But it says, "an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand." Was God Himself sending an evil spirit? Was He in heaven next to a demon saying, "Okay, you're on! Go get him"? Short answer: NO.

In James 1:13–15 (NIV), we're told clearly, "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." So, when we're told that the evil spirit was “from the Lord,” it means the Lord allowed the spirit to harass Saul. God didn't command evil to oppress and harass him. Saul had rejected the Lord. He had already walked away from His voice. And because of that, the Lord allowed him to face the natural result—he was left spiritually unguarded, open to attack, and vulnerable to the darkness that had always wanted to take him down.

Saul was in a bad place. He was being spiritually attacked, and now had put himself in a potentially sinful situation, where he would fail and fall prey to the attacks. That’s how we get from making oaths to throwing spears.

Now, it’s easy to sit here and shake our heads at Saul, but under the right circumstances—tired, stressed, isolated, vulnerable—many of us would do the same. The truth is, most of us, even believers, if unprepared, disconnected from God, and under constant spiritual attack, are susceptible to throwing the spear.

Contrast this with David. He was also under attack—literally—but he responded differently. He ran toward the Lord. And as he’s in this battle for his life, he writes Psalm 59 which says, “Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. . . . You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

While Saul threw the spear, David threw his arms up in worship. That’s the choice we face every day. Every morning we wake up, there will be another war! So, when we face the next war, be like David and press into the Lord. Ask Him to deliver you, to help you overcome the temptations, to be your strength and refuge. And then remember that, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater thanhe who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NKJV). Walk in confidence, because in Jesus, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” In Jesus, we have a greater Jonathan, an advocate interceding on our behalf at all times, who enables us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

Pause: Are there patterns of sin in your life that keep coming back? Where are you vulnerable to attack? There’s an acronym for common stressors that lead to sinful, destructive behavior: H.A.L.T. It stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired.

Practice: In 1 Samuel 13, when faced with pressure, spiritual attack, and temptation, Saul didn't obey the Word of the Lord and gave in to sin and did what was wrong in God's sight. Then again in chapter 15, he, as Samuel says, "rejected the word of the Lord" and gave in to temptation and spiritual attack. Unlike David, Saul didn’t say, "Deliver me, O God . . . be my fortress . . . You are my strength." To help remind you of how you should fight your daily wars, write down Psalm 59 and place it somewhere you’ll see it a lot. Make copies to have at home, in your car, at work . . . the places you frequent; the place you face temptation and attack.

Pray: Father, I come to You in the midst of the battles I face. Temptation, fear, doubt, and discouragement surround me, but You are my fortress, my refuge, my strength. Deliver me from the attacks of the enemy. Guard my heart from sin, from pride, from the traps set before me. When I’m weak, I pray Your power would be made perfect in me. When I’m afraid, remind me by Your Spirit that You are with me. I choose to trust You, to watch for You, to praise You no matter what comes. You are my God, and I take refuge in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.