Contest

Elijah was a prophet of God in the Old Testament and God blessed him with His presence and he became an instrument mightily used by God.  He was a very famous prophet and you can read about him in 1 Kings 17:1 through 2 Kings 2:11.  Was he a perfect man?  No, but he delighted to do God’s will.  

I have never heard of anybody doing this, even with God’s help, read James 5:17-18, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”   

At some point in a believer’s life, we will all face the evil one’s fury as he battles to destroy our lives.  Elijah also experienced this same battle, or contest, in a different form but the evil one was behind it all.  Elijah had a contest with the prophets of Baal, you can read about it in 1 Kings 18:16-40 and be sure to read these two verses slowly and carefully, verses 36-38, “And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.”  

In this situation Elijah was victorious with God’s help over the forces of darkness, read verses 39-40, “Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’ And Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!’ So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.”

When we keep our focus on God instead of people we will be victorious many more times than not.  I say this because even though Elijah was used mightily of God he still fell into fear when King Ahab’s wife Jezebel threatened his life after he had her prophets killed.

Then there was David, his story unfolds in 1 Samuel chapter 16 through 1 Kings chapter 2.  David had the distinct privilege of being called a man after God’s own heart.  Just like Elijah, David had his battles with the evil one also, who was working behind the scenes in the giant, Goliath’s life and also King Saul’s life and others he had to face in battle.  You can read about David and Goliath’s battle, or contest, in 1 Samuel 17:32-54.

Read what David, a young man of unwavering faith, said to the giant, Goliath, before his victory in verses 45-54, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.’

So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.”

David had many victories with God’s help but he also struggled and wasn’t always victorious in his battles against the temptation that the evil one brought against him.  Case in point was David with Bathsheba and there were other times he failed also.  

The evil one hasn’t changed a bit in all the years since these true stories unfolded, he is still trying to kill, steal and destroy.  First Peter 5:8 says this, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

This is what we need to do, read James 4:7-10, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Praise God, we believers are not slaves to sin, we have been set free from its grip, but the temptations will always be there and we will always have to resist them.  But if we do sin, God’s Word says this in 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

God’s Word also says this in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  

If we do fall short we can repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and we can receive it, praise the Lord for His atoning work at Calvary.  So let’s strive for perfection and try our best not to sin realizing that our enemy is already defeated and we have the power to resist him.  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  PS don’t forget to praise and thank the Lord!!