The New Ideological Battle | 1 Samuel 27:3-4

Vince Miller Podcast

Don't let secular ideologies erode your faith.

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

We want you to live all in and know, grow, and go with Jesus every day. Check out the show that dropped yesterday on Spiritual Leadership In Your Family. This might be a helpful video if you have been trying to figure out how to do this.

Also, we are just a few chapters away from finishing 1 Samuel. So, I want to prepare you for our next book. We are moving to the New Testament and will start the new year with the Book of James! So go to our website and get the Scripture Journal for this book. There is a link below the video or in the show notes.

But for today, let's dive into 1 Samuel 27:3-4:

And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him. — 1 Samuel 27:3-4

I mentioned this yesterday, but this could have easily been 2000-3000 people. It's an overwhelming invasion of people in the Philistine city of Gath, and there is no way this did not create social, economic, and religious disruption for either Achish or David.

Although David sought temporary refuge in Gath to escape Saul's pursuit, he definitely faced new challenges when he exposed his people to the vanity of spiritually "uncircumcised" individuals. Living among the Philistines for sixteen months subjected David and his followers to ideologies and practices that were contrary to God's ways. In their quest for safety, the people became vulnerable to secular beliefs.

We are engaged in an ideological battle in our time, one that is particularly evident in corporate workplaces, educational institutions, and across various forms of social and traditional media. Unfortunately, many believers are unaware of these threats, and in their passivity, they are being actively indoctrinated with beliefs that contradict the truth found in God's Word. What makes this situation even more concerning is that if believers do not regularly engage with God's Word, they may unknowingly accept these opposing ideas as truth, ultimately undermining their faith in God. This is the battle we fight today.

Dial up your spiritual awareness today. Spend more time in God's Word. Test ideologies against God's truth. Stop being passive to secular ideas that don't make any sense. Talk with other believers and vet out the ideas that don't seem to align with God's Word.

You are always being discipled. It is either by the secular or the spiritual. If you don't engage, you might look up one day to realize that you or maybe your family don't believe in God because you have been too passive for too long.

For those of you who have seen this happen in your family and feel responsible for being too passive, I want you to know—it is never too late. Choose to stop being passive and get engaged in the battle. Believe the Father can draw them back. Be active in faith. Pray persistently. Engage in conversation. Be a godly example. Challenge any and all forms of passivity within your heart. Active faith conquers all past passivity.

Father, we come to you to seek forgiveness for our passivity. We also ask that you draw our families and friends back to you and the truth in Jesus' name. Amen.

#FaithInAction, #TrustGod, #RestoreFaith

Ask This:

1. How am I relying on my own strength instead of trusting God in my current challenges?
2. In what ways can I actively engage and disciple my loved ones today?

Do This:

Stop being passive and engage.

Pray This:

Heavenly Father, help me to trust in You rather than my own solutions and to actively engage in discipling my loved ones. Strengthen my faith and guide my actions to reflect Your love and truth. Amen.

Play This:

Lion.