Subdued Them

2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Matthew 21 

“In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines. David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought tribute.”

1 Chronicles 18:1, 2

When David fled from Saul he found refuge in Gath and then negotiated with the king of Moab to shelter his family. When David became king he defeated both Gath and Moab. Both the Philistines (Gath) and the Moabites were threatened by David’s leadership and represented compromise with his past. As we come to Christ, we, too, must break with that which seeks to weaken our spiritual authority in Christ. Habits and relationships in which we formerly found refuge are not going to help us going forward if they are not reflecting God’s ways. Paul reminds us to “put to death” whatever belongs to our earthly nature, including sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, and greed (Colossians 3:5, 6).

 Money, sex, and power represent rivals to the authority of Christ in our lives. Like David, we must choose to resist them for the sake of God’s glory in our lives and our witness in this world.

Are we subduing the sinful nature, or are we being subdued?

“Lord Jesus, I choose to resist temptation, by your authority, for your glory.”