What can we learn from Nahash's actions about spiritual warfare tactics? Setting the Scene “About a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up, besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to him, ‘Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.’” (1 Samuel 11:1) Immediate Observations • Nahash initiates the conflict; Israel is caught off guard. • He doesn’t ask for simple submission—verse 2 shows he plans to gouge out every right eye. His goal is permanent disfigurement and disgrace. • The people quickly lean toward compromise instead of resistance. How Nahash Mirrors Our Spiritual Enemy • Surprise assaults – Like Nahash’s sudden siege, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan loves timing his attacks when God’s people seem least prepared. • Intimidation and terror – Nahash hems Jabesh-gilead in, creating fear so they negotiate. Similarly, fear paralyzes believers if unchecked (2 Timothy 1:7). • Isolation – The city is far from the main tribes, cut off from help. The enemy still tries to isolate Christians from fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Humiliation – Gouging out the right eye would cripple depth perception for battle and mark them with shame. The devil seeks to maim testimony and leave lasting scars (John 10:10). • Demand for total surrender – Service “under treaty” pictures bondage to sin (Romans 6:16). Small compromises open the door to deeper captivity. Key Spiritual Warfare Tactics Exposed 1. Timing: Attacks often follow a victory or period of complacency (Israel had just celebrated Saul’s selection, 1 Samuel 10:24). 2. Psychological warfare: Threats of shame and loss aim to break resolve before combat even starts. 3. Strategic targets: Isolate a weaker group first; once subdued, the whole nation would be demoralized. 4. Incremental domination: First a treaty, then mutilation—sin seldom shows all its consequences up front. 5. Undermining covenant identity: Israel forgets they are the LORD’s people, momentarily willing to serve an enemy king. Counter-Tactics for Believers Today • Stay vigilant and armored – “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). • Resist fear with truth – “God has not given us a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7). Rehearse God’s promises when intimidation comes. • Maintain fellowship – Isolation breeds vulnerability; community enables rescue, just as Saul later rallies Israel (1 Samuel 11:7-11). • Refuse compromise – Even “small” treaties with sin have disfiguring results (James 4:7-8). • Call on the Deliverer – Israel’s salvation came through an anointed king; ours through Christ the King, who “disarmed the powers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15). Encouraging Takeaway Nahash’s siege reminds us the enemy is cunning, cruel, and unrelenting—but he can be defeated when God’s people recognize the tactics, stand firm in their covenant identity, and trust the Lord’s anointed Deliverer. |
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