Don’t Be an Easy Target

David enjoyed an intimate relationship with God. You can see evidence of that intimacy in the psalms he wrote.

“He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:3–4 NLT).

“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1­–2 NLT).

And in 1 Samuel 13:14, Samuel is referring to David when he says, “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart” (NLT). The relationship between God and David was something special.

If you were to ask the average person what they remember about the life of David, the name Goliath most likely would come up. But another name likely would be mentioned as well: Bathsheba. Goliath and Bathsheba represented David’s greatest victory and his greatest defeat. The devil couldn’t beat David on the battlefield, so he took him down in the bedroom.

There are subtle clues in Scripture as to how he did it. Notice that before David confronted Goliath, he said, “This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT). He was confident not because he possessed superior fighting skills but because he was doing God’s work. For that reason alone, Goliath couldn’t touch him. And neither could the devil.

Flash-forward several years. David is king. Instead of leading his army in battle against the Ammonites, David is idling in Jerusalem. He seems to have drifted from his once-intimate relationship with God. Maybe it was due to the pressures of being king—or maybe it was due to the trappings of royalty. Whatever the reason, David lowered his spiritual guard and made himself vulnerable to attack.

The devil wasted no time in exploiting the breach. David’s temptation started with a lingering glance at Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David’s loyal soldiers who was away fighting the Ammonites. It ended with the killing of Uriah, the death of David’s newborn son, and the implosion of David’s family. All because David made himself an easy target for the devil.

The devil continues to look for easy targets. He knows that it’s easier to hit something stationary than something that’s on the move. A believer who is moving forward in Christ, who is growing in their love for the Lord, is not nearly as easy to hit as one who’s beginning to relax their grip on the Lord. That’s the one whom the devil will set his sights on. That’s the one who will become his next casualty.

Reflection Question: What does an intimate relationship with God look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

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