Keep Battling Sin

# 371 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 27:4-12, “And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more. 5 Then David said to Achish, "If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?" 6 So Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 Now the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was one full year and four months. 8 And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt. 9 Whenever David attacked the land, he left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish. 10 Then Achish would say, "Where have you made a raid today?" And David would say, "Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites." 11 David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, "Lest they should inform on us, saying, 'Thus David did.'" And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. 12 So Achish believed David, saying, "He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever." David seeks relief from Saul with the arch-enemies of Israel, the Philistines. Achish is more than happy to oblige and even gives David a city of his own for his men and their families. David uses this city as a springboard to raid heathen territory and to clean up some of the enemies of the Israelites who had been “put to the ban” by God, years ago when the Israelites entered the promised land. The people whom David cut off were long before doomed to destruction. This episode should remind us that even when we enjoy a respite from the attacks of the evil one in our own lives, we should ever be seeking to eradicate the sin that so easily besets the church and us. Sin is eradicated, as we confess it, and put it under the blood of Jesus. 1 Jn 1”9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The devil may take a time out from his onslaught of accusations against us, but we must never take a time out when it comes to battling sin. Father, help me to not grow weary in my struggles against sin.