Several years ago, my husband and I were sitting in the Little Chapel at Camp Pettijohn amongst friends and teen campers listening to a lesson over how the Lord was always in the forefront fighting for us so that we may finish strong, and overcome adversity. The lesson was over 1 Samuel 13 & 14. King Saul had gotten into it with the Philistines, and sent his son Jonathan to attack an outpost. Once the Philistines heard of this, they assembled a massive army to bring Israel down. This movement really did a number on the minds of the Israelites because many of them fled; cowardly hiding in caves, thickets, and in between rocks. The Israelites had virtually nothing to fight with. The Philistines had strategized a plan to take over all the blacksmiths, so the Israelites would have no way of making weapons.
As the account goes on, Saul began to get antsy waiting on the sacrifice to be made before the battle. In haste, he decided to sacrifice an offering without the High Priest Samuel, which was a HUGE no no because only the priest had the authority from God to perform these things. Samuel found out about the unworthy sacrifice and was furious. Because of Saul’s haste, the LORD turned his back on the kingship of Saul and began to prepare a certain young man, a man after His own heart, to lead the people of Israel.
After hearing this fact, Saul sat under a Pomegranate tree taking in the shade, still trying to figure out how to go into battle with a small army of pretty much farmers with pitchforks, not recognizing the true Power they had in their midst. His son Jonathan decided to take matters into his own hands. He and his armor bearer went over to spy on a garrison of Philistines so they could attack them. Jonathan says in chapter fourteen verse six,
“Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
Jonathan had a greater understanding than that of his father of the LORD and His power. He knew the LORD did not need strategy, more men, or more weapons to fight the battle, He just wanted willing souls to believe in His power, and be the instruments that would carry the power out.
After Jonathan pled his case to his armor bearer, his armor bearer said back to him in verse seven,
“Do all that you have in mind, Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
The moment I heard the armor bearers words, I was completely overwhelmed by the statement of sheer devotion, protection, and loyalty from the armor bearer. Floods of memories came flying into my mind of all of the crazy adventures and mishaps my husband and I have come across and how we stayed true to each other through them. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, and with a big fat lump in my throat I leaned into his ear and said, “I will always be your armor bearer.” He turned and looked at me funny and laughed, knowing I was having one of my overly sensitive moments…probably judging by the slight glistening in my eyes. He, of course, had no idea the emotion or motive behind it, but it got to me that day, and has stuck with me ever since.
Picture the situation! The Israelite army was outnumbered fiercely by man power and weaponry. The Philistines had chariots, horsemen, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the sea shore. This was seriously like throwing Black Cat fireworks at an army tanker! The armor bearer could have said, “Dude! You are completely crazy and there is no way I am going to just march up to that garrison with nothing but a sword because you think that maybe the LORD may or may not be fighting on our behalf!” The armor bearer had faith in Jonathan, faith in Jonathan’s ability to lead, and faith in the God that leads us all.
Jonathan received a sign from the LORD that He would be on their side and the two men prepared for the attack. Imagine the armor bearer stripping off all of the armor he was carrying for Jonathan. He took off the breastplate to arm Jonathan’s heart, the shield that would protect his body, the helmet that would protect his mind, and then fit him with his sword, the very thing that would help defend them both. This more than likely left the armor bearer with nothing more than a sword of his own if even that, because the whole duty of the armor bearer was to carry the very heavy armor of the one you were assigned to.
Jonathan climbed up the cliff, his armor bearer right behind him and began the attack. With one swoop, they were able to kill off twenty men in a half acre area! The brutal attack that originated with just two men, caused chaos and panic in the Philistine camp. Saul’s army joined in with great momentum, and the Philistine army was defeated!
Now, back to the armor bearer. This is what I learned that day: I want to have the devotion of the armor bearer as a wife. I want to be able to dive in, heart and soul with my husband, no matter how crazy of an idea he has, knowing that his heart is searching for God’s will. I want to be confident in my husband’s ability to lead our family that I never have to ask questions about his intentions. As Christian couples, we have our own Philistine army looming over us daily. We battle temptation, infidelity, pride, sin, anger, apathy, priorities, jealousy, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes we feel as if we too are throwing Black-cats at army tankers, but just as Jonathan and his armor bearer realized, we serve a powerful God, and He is on our side.
I will protect my husband, and fit him with the armor he needs to fight the spiritual battle on behalf of himself, his family, and the congregation in which he serves. I will support my husband, and trust that the decisions he makes will take us to a place of service and a place of refuge because he seeks the LORD’s will. I trust in God’s provisions, therefore I will trust in my husbands. And finally I will help bear the load. Isn’t the account of Jonathan’s armor bearer a beautiful mirror of devotion and submission in a marriage that is meant to glorify God?
I love how the Word of God can continuously mold those who eat of its goodness in the most unlikely of places. Deep within the context of a battle that seemed hopeless, I found a charge to be my husband’s loyal helpmeet in one simple statement from an armor bearer:
“Do all that you have in mind, Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
This charge was delivered to me, a wife, in a cloud of sweaty, smelly campers and a lesson over facing fears. I am amazed at the power of the Word and how it is so personal to each of us. I charge all of you with spouses to really dig deeper into the meaning of the armor bearer’s statement and find a charge of your own. The loyalty, devotion, and protection shown by the armor bearer gave Jonathan just what he needed to fight. Are we too giving our spouses the same desire to fight against the darkness of this world? Their trust in God, and trust in each other moved mountains that day. Just think of the mountains we all as Christian couples can move if we put our faith in God, and our complete support in each other.
To my husband, I couldn’t fit all of this on a Valentine’s Day card, but just know, I am with you always as you follow our God, heart and soul.