1Samuel 17: 23-24 Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.
The flight-fight-freeze is the natural response of our body to danger or threat. It is a survival instinct. Specifically fight or flight is a defensive response when we get ready to either fight or flee. Freeze mode locks in the stress and makes us immobile. Our heart rate goes up, oxygen level increases, pain perception drops and hearing sharpens to react quickly.
The sight at the valley of Elah where the troops of Israel faced the Philistine giant, Goliath, was pathetic. The garrulous giant insultingly smeared, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other” (vs 10), and the response of the Israelite army was not fight but flight. The mighty warriors fled into hiding. They raced into the caves in fear rather than plunging into battle to fight the enemy.
Challenges can either make us flee in fear or face in faith. In the race of faith we will face crucible circumstances, unexpected dangers, crushing betrayals, or demeaning slanders. Our response to the crisis will set the stage for our victory or defeat. We can flee in fear or fight in faith. The pit of fear is a bottomless pit that will drown us into fret, anxiety, and constant chronic stress which will eventually lead to depression. Fumbling in stress is a traumatic race of fearfulness. The longer we stay in the pit of fear, the deeper we will go and the longer it would take to shake away dread.
On the contrary, the race of faith will give us the resilience to face the problem and fight boldly. When David stood in the battle array he ran at the growling giant, not from him. As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him (vs 48).
Fight in Faith don’t flee in Fear:
1. Fight: Resist and fight the threatening howling of the devil and his demons. Don’t run and hide, don’t medicate and numb your feelings, don’t cringe and withdraw but fight back with the promises of God. Take up your sword, speak the Word of God and defeat the howling demons.
2. Flight: The flight response is necessary when we are tempted to fall into sin or to be trapped in fowl behaviour. Flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Disconnect the phone call, shutdown the laptop or flee from the unhealthy environment.
3. Faith: Face the Goliaths and the threatening situations boldly in faith. Run a race of faith and don’t flee and hide in fear.
Fight evil forebodings, flee from temptations and run the race of faith.
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the fight-flight-freeze response that is inbuilt in me. Give me the quickness to discern to fight the demons but flee from enticements of unhealthy habits and harmful friendships. Amen.
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