I am so stirred by an Old Testament story I read this morning. When you read a passage, and your heart beats fast, and tears come to your eyes, you know God is present and speaking to your life.

David was running from King Saul. Saul's jealousy and hatred had driven David into exile, where he lived and roamed among Saul's enemies. David had a ragknot army and little in this world. But he clung to God with all he had.

While David and his army were away, the Amalekites came and took everything away, the little he had left. In many ways, I think this was a breaking point for David. For years, he had graciously accepted his life of “downward mobility.” He adapted. He forgave Saul. He wept.

Now, he'd had enough. He called for the Ephod, and asked God: “Should I pursue?” “Pursue”, God replied, “Overtake them and recover all.” That was all David needed. He gathered his men, pursued the Amalekites, overtook them, and recovered all his possessions.

There is a continual assault against all those who long to serve God with a whole heart. Satan prefers Christians to stay right where they are - half-hearted, happy to do little, not radical, just....content to remain where they are.

When someone pursues God and His Kingdom plan, discontent with just getting by spiritually, dissatisfied with regurgitated junk food messages and shallow expectations of God, they get the devil's full attention. He immediately goes into battle mode. He is an expert in the weapons of discouragement, failure, hopelessness, weariness and disappointment.

And frankly, we tend to be very passive about these attacks. The least spiritually mature will say, “This must be God's will.” Some will adapt to the constant barrage of attacks on their every effort to serve God, grow and bear fruit and accept it as just “normal expected attacks.” But if they continue long enough, these attacks can produce a numbness that becomes crippling and debilitating. The danger is in adapting to the point where you become accustomed to the slow eradication of your spiritual strength, vision and fight. This is such an effective strategy: The rock the hammer won't break, time and tide wears away. Or as one friend put it, it's not the mountain before you that defeats you but the pebble in your shoe.

When you receive enough blows, big and small, you begin to think that is all there is. God's promises seem to be for others, not for us. We adjust, we adapt; some eventually just give up. They love God. But they are spiritually punch-drunk and just can't fight anymore.

Then Satan comes in a comforting voice and soothes, “It's okay! Just stop fighting. Give up. Just settle here where it's safe.” And so, great vision and promise become a faded memory. But the enemy is not through with you yet! He wants more. He wants it ALL.

Listen to this astonishing passage from 1 Kings chapter 20: “Thus says Ben-Hadad: Your silver and your gold are mine. Your loveliest wives and children are mine.” Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, made a direct and dire threat to King Ahab. He said, I'm taking your money, and your family. Sound familiar? The two biggest attacks on families, especially on those in ministry, are on their finances and on their home life, their marriage, their children!

Apparently King Ahab had adapted and gotten used to attacks! His reply? “My Lord, O King, just as you say, I and all I have are yours.” He just GAVE UP!” No fight, no struggle. Just a weary, “Sure, take them.” I'm not going to fight.”

But that was just the beginning. Ben-Hadad saw the weakness and came in for the rest. He sent a second message: “...I will send my servants tomorrow, and they're going to go through all your things, and WHATEVER is pleasant, whatever you love, they are going to take it away from you.”

You see, Satan will rob you of everything if he can. He will wear you out with little attacks, then keeps turning up the heat as you adjust and grow accustomed to it. He makes you numb, unable to fight. You stand by and watch the slow erosion of your life and vision, completely helpless. Then, BAM! He ruins your finances, alienates your spouse and tries to destroy your kids. At some point, the pain and weariness are too much and we say, “Okay. There's nothing I can do. I give up.”

And that is when Satan moves in for the kill. Like Ben-Hadad, he says, “I'm not happy with your `stuff' and your precious little family being destroyed. I want it ALL. Anything and everything that you love, or gives you joy, or turns your heart to God, I will destroy. I'll destroy even your vision and the very call of God on your life. There will be nothing left when I'm done with you!”

I've met so many Christians that came to this moment and simply folded. They lost everything and became hollow shells without even a glimmer of light left. This is the deciding moment when we must either roll over and let Satan take it all, or WAKE UP and say, “No! I've had enough! No more!” And we begin to fight back.

Israel's king finally said, “THIS I cannot do.” He became enraged and sent this message: “The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people that follow me.” In other words, he said, “Not only am I not going to let you take anything from me, but by the end of this, YOU won't have anything left. I'm coming for you!”

Just like David when his family and possessions were taken, Ahab had been pushed too far - the enemy overplayed his hand - and up from his gut came a roar of rage, and he got hold of God and brought great retribution on the enemy.

Deep down, there is something in us that is screaming against all the bondage, robbery and paralyzation the enemy has put on us. Like Gulliver, we are God's giants tied down, not with a huge chain but with thousands of little ropes of fears and bondage and attacks we have let accumulate through neglect or regret. Rise up, child of God! It is time to break those chains and make the enemy pay. Pursue. Overtake. Recover all!

In a moment long ago of absolute spiritual clarity, in a time of failure and hopelessness when Satan had robbed me of all I held dear, including my vision and heart for ministry, I looked into the eyes of a fallen believer as he said, “Just give up. Stop fighting. God doesn't want you to struggle anymore.” And I saw the eyes and soul of Satan himself and I understood the whole plan that had defeated my life. He'd taken so much of what I loved, and now he wanted me to lie down and let him take the rest! And inside, I saw a vision of myself, a bloody mess on a wrestling ring floor, and a scream so guttural and primal came from my spirit and said, “NO! NEVER! I will die first before I surrender ONE MORE INCH OF TERRITORY TO YOU, SATAN!” And I rose up from that wrestling floor and pummeled the enemy to a bloody pulp. From that moment on, I pursued and overtook the enemy and began to recover all he had stolen from me. And vigilance is the constant cost of that victory.

I saw a movie in which a warrior asked another, “What do you fear?” The reply burned into my spirit and brought me to tears: “A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them, and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.”

Nothing should frighten us more than the sad prospect of such a meaningless end to God's glorious plan for out lives. We were born for battle, for valor, and for victory. We are called to be free, and freedom-fighters, and more than conquerors. Take up your sword, my friend! Pursue. Overtake. Recover all!