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Strength and Honor: Exploring the Warriors of the Bible – Viral Believer
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Strength and Honor: Exploring the Warriors of the Bible

Throughout the Bible, we read about many great warriors and battles. These warriors displayed tremendous courage, skill and commitment to God’s purposes. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most notable warriors found in the Bible and what we can learn from them about true strength, honor and faith.

Top Bible Verses About Strength

Introduction

The Bible contains many exciting stories of warfare and fighting. From Joshua’s conquest of Canaan to David’s defeat of Goliath, we read about warriors who accomplished great feats through God’s power. However, biblical warriors are not just about violence and bloodshed. Their stories teach us important spiritual lessons about having courage, resilience and devotion to God even in the most difficult battles of life.

Here are some key takeaways we will explore in this blog post:

  • True strength comes from trusting in God, not our own abilities.
  • Honoring God should be the ultimate motivation for our actions.
  • Perseverance through trials demonstrates commitment to God’s calling.
  • Courage is needed both on and off the battlefield.
  • Loyalty to godly leaders is highly valued.
  • Tactics and preparation are key, but victory ultimately comes from the Lord.

As we examine the lives of warriors like Joshua, Gideon, David and others, it becomes clear that their distinguishing characteristics were not brute strength or superior battle skills. Rather, it was their faith in God to defend his people that set them apart as exemplary models of the biblical warrior ideal.

Joshua: Led By God into Battle

One of the most renowned warriors in the Bible is Joshua. After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to take charge of the Israelites and lead them into the Promised Land of Canaan. The book of Joshua records how he led them to conquer Jericho and Ai, followed by a lengthy campaign to subdue the rest of Canaan.

As a military commander, Joshua had many admirable qualities. He was loyal to Moses and submitted to his leadership (Exodus 24:13). He was bold and courageous in battle, willing to fight giants and walled cities. He was tactically smart, using ambush and siege tactics effectively (Joshua 8). But most importantly, Joshua sought God’s guidance continually.

Before the Jericho campaign, Joshua encountered a divine messenger:

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, ‘Are You for us or for our adversaries?’ So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’ Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” (Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV)

This encounter shows Joshua’s humility before God. He worshipped this divine messenger, accepting his heavenly authority. Joshua did not rely on his own military prowess, but sought the Lord’s guidance regularly. God rewarded this by assuring Joshua of victory:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NKJV)

Joshua demonstrated that spiritual strength comes from faith in God’s power, not our own. This allowed him to lead the people courageously, knowing God was fighting for them. Joshua teaches us to humbly follow where God leads into life’s battles.

Gideon: Unlikely Hero of Faith

Another example of a biblical warrior who glorified God through his exploits was Gideon. His story is found in Judges 6-8. Gideon came from an unremarkable family and seemed very unsure of himself. In fact, when God first called him to rescue Israel from the Midianites, Gideon questioned if God was truly with him (Judges 6:12-13). However, he eventually agreed to lead based on trusting God’s promise of victory.

What ensued was one of the most remarkable victories in the Bible. Gideon’s army of just 300 men defeated a massive Midianite force by blowing trumpets, smashing jars and shouting. This confused and panicked the Midianites into attacking each other (Judges 7:19-22). Despite being heavily outnumbered, Gideon emerged victorious because his faith was in God’s power, not his own capabilities.

Gideon teaches us that God can use anyone – despite their weaknesses – who trusts completely in Him. After this victory, Gideon had to remind the people that it was God who fought for them:

But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23 NKJV)

Like Joshua, Gideon points us to put faith in God above all else when facing challenging situations.

David vs. Goliath: Courage from a Heart after God

Perhaps the most famous warrior in the Old Testament is David. As a young shepherd boy, he rose to prominence after defeating the Philistine giant Goliath in single combat (1 Samuel 17). While still in his youth, David became a leader of men as he evaded King Saul’s pursuit and assembled a personal army (1 Samuel 18-30). After becoming king of Israel, David led his armies to defeat all the neighboring enemies of Israel.

What enabled David to achieve such great military success? Firstly, he was extremely skilled and proficient with weapons like the sling, bow and sword (1 Samuel 16:18, 2 Samuel 1:22). But once again, Scripture emphasizes that David’s courage came from his strong faith and love for God:

Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:36-37 NKJV)

Despite Goliath’s intimidating size, David was confident of victory because he fought not for personal glory but to uphold God’s honor. Even as a young boy, he was indignant that this “uncircumcised Philistine” would “defy the armies of the living God.” David teaches us to stand courageously for God’s name and defend His people from spiritual oppression.

David continued to seek God in times of trouble even after becoming king. When facing threats like the deaths of Saul and his son Absalom, David wept and turned to God in prayer (2 Samuel 1:11-12, 18:33). He was truly a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:13-14). His example inspires us to nurture an intimacy with God that sustains us through all life’s trials.

Biblical Women Warriors

Up to this point, we have explored male warriors of the Bible. However, there are some prominent female warriors as well. During the time of the judges, Deborah emerged as both a prophetess and a judge over Israel (Judges 4:4-5). When the Canaanites oppressed Israel, Deborah called on Barak to lead 10,000 men into battle. Her leadership and faith in God led the Israelites to a complete victory (Judges 4).

In the New Testament, Priscilla was a trusted ministry partner of Paul. Together with her husband Aquila, they helped instruct other believers like Apollos and hosted church meetings in their home (Acts 18:24-28, Romans 16:3-5). Though not a conventional warrior, Priscilla courageously fought spiritual battles through her teaching and discipleship.

The courage and leadership of women like Deborah and Priscilla show how God equips all believers, both men and women, to advance His Kingdom. Though they may not carry physical weapons, these women were warriors wielding the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

Persevering Like Jesus, the Ultimate Warrior

As we have seen, the warriors of the Bible achieved victories through faith in God’s strength. However, the greatest example of perseverance comes from Jesus Christ himself. During his earthly ministry, Jesus faced intense persecution and spiritual warfare from the devil. In the wilderness, Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). He endured slander, physical violence and betrayal from the religious leaders.

Most remarkably, Jesus willingly suffered torture, humiliation and death by crucifixion. At any point, Jesus could have called upon legions of angels to destroy his enemies (Matthew 26:53). Yet he chose to submit to suffering and death because of his love for us and his obedience to the Father. Through his sacrifice, Jesus dealt the ultimate defeat to Satan, sin and death itself.

Because of his victory on the cross, Jesus is now exalted to the highest place of honor at God’s right hand (Philippians 2:5-11). The courage he displayed in facing death should inspire us when we face trials or persecution for our faith. Through the strength of Christ, we can persevere just as he did.

The book of Hebrews offers this encouragement by pointing to Jesus as our perfect model of endurance:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)

No warrior in history can compare to Jesus’ example of perseverance through suffering. He is the ultimate standard of courage, strength and honor.

Conclusion

The Bible contains many inspiring stories of warriors who achieved victory against great odds. However, these were not merely human feats of strength and skill. What set biblical warriors apart was their faith in God’s sovereign power to deliver them.

Joshua, Gideon, David and other heroes relied on God’s leading and strength, not their own capabilities. From their examples, we learn to boldly take on life’s challenges with trust in God’s help. Jesus Christ embodied this type of courage to the fullest degree through his sacrificial death on the cross.

Today, God is still looking for warriors who will fight with faith in His divine power. As Christians, we are engaged in spiritual warfare against sin, evil and darkness in this world. Like the heroes of old, we must put on the armor of God through prayer and meditation on Scripture (Ephesians 6:10-18). We fight not only for ourselves but for the lives of others as well.

The warriors of the Bible inspire us to persevere with courage and honor in all of life’s battles. Our true strength comes from God alone, so let us look to him continually for guidance and empowerment. May we honor Christ with undivided hearts of faith just as the heroes of old did. The victory has already been won through Christ – now we fight from a place of humble confidence in the conquering King of Kings!

Pastor Duke Taber
Pastor Duke Taber

Pastor Duke Taber

All articles have been written or reviewed by Pastor Duke Taber.
Pastor Duke Taber is an alumnus of Life Pacific University and Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
He has been in pastoral ministry since 1988.
Today he is the owner and managing editor of 3 successful Christian websites that support missionaries around the world.
He is currently starting a brand new church in Mesquite NV called Mesquite Worship Center, a Non-Denominational Spirit Filled Christian church in Mesquite Nevada.