The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions. They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them. Psalms 78:9-11
The warriors of Ephraim…These were not civilians or any ordinary people. They were a people specially trained and designed purposely for the day of battle. Their physiology and psychology have been configured by reason of high level of military training and exposures to be sensitive and fit to the day of battle. They were warriors of Ephraim-God’s battle axe trained for the day of battle.
They were fully armed…This gives us further details into the kind of warriors they were. They were not only trained but fully armed. They had all it required to face and meet the challenges of battle in the day of battle. Nothing was missing in all that was necessary for them to stand fit in the day of battle. Theirs was whole, full and complete armour. The reason why some warriors fail in the day of battle is as a result of ill-preparedness and inadequate supply of military machineries. But the warriors of Ephraim were rich and full in arms and ammunition. They were fully armed, fully equipped, fully prepared against the day of battle.
Though armed with bows, yet turned their back… What a paradoxical contradiction! Those who were trained and fully armed for the day of battle failed in that which they were specially designed for. In the day of battle they turned their back. They suddenly turned a cloud without water. Theirs was a hope that made ashamed. Where it had been announced they were coming, their arrival suddenly turned a shocking disappointment! What a terrible thing under heaven. What shall the nation of Israel say, those who had their hopes up in the warriors of Ephraim for defense, safety and survival? These warriors of Ephraim were up to the task yet turned their back in the day of battle. Though they had sufficient for the day of battle yet they fled when the day eventually arrived. They were way far stronger than their opponents, yet they conceded defeat. What a suicide mission that was!
It was a suicide mission…Yes, it was! For how could a people have killed themselves intentionally? It was self-destruction and annihilation for warriors who were armed to the teeth and ran off when the battle began. They just turned their back. And remember there is no armour for the back in the whole armour of God because warriors are never expected to turn their back in the day of battle. Rather they are required to face the battle upfront and possibly die if need be, but still facing the enemy. But unfortunately, the warriors of Ephraim, though fully armed and well-trained never to turn the back in the day of battle still turned their back in the day of battle. And what else can we call that but a deliberate decision to die? That was a suicide mission-a deliberate desire to die when you have reason to live.
Is there not a cause..?Strange happening like this should provoke us to searching question as “Is there not a cause?” so as to gain insight into why the warriors of Ephraim, though fully trained and equipped, turned their backs and fled when the day of battle came. Questions are the best way to gain deeper insights and avoid the pitfalls of those who have gone ahead. Verse 10 and 11 of our text provides the answer:“They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions.
They forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had
shown them…”
shown them…”
Sin dispirits a warrior… O yes! Sin dispirits a warrior. Sin demoralizes and depresses a warrior. And once the spirit of a warrior is defeated, such can only turn his back and fled in the day of battles; for being a warrior it’s first and foremost a thing of the spirit. Just as the spirit of a person is the person; the spirit of a warrior is the warrior. The spirit of a warrior is the fuel which drives and motivates him to stand tall and face the enemy with full confidence and audacity in the day of battle. What differentiates a warrior from a civilian is not first located in the uniform and the external weapon but in the spirit of the warrior. A spirited warrior in the garb of civilian is still as much a danger as the one in military uniform. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Once a warrior is dispirited, he is defeated altogether, albeit the sophistication of the external appearance.
Sin dispirits any warrior “of Ephraim” and robs him of the confidence and boldness to stand in the day of battle. It’s why “. The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.” Only the righteous warrior can be as bold as a lion in the day of battle. The dispirited warrior can only run even when no man is pursuing him. This is the lifestyle of those who are already defeated by sin. They are afraid when there is no cause for alarm, they run when no man is after them. They flee when they have all it takes to stand.
Fellow pilgrim, we are soldier of the cross in constant battle with Satan-the arch-enemy of our souls. He knows once we are strong in the spirit we shall be strong and bold to withstand him in the day of battle. Therefore he sponsors sin to our soul in order to displace and demote us from a right standing with God where we can effectively resist him to victory. Sin in the life of any warrior saint is a reducing factor any day. Sin will rob you of the confidence to stand before God in communion, remember Adam in the Garden of Eden. Sin will make you turn your back and flee before your enemy in the day of battle as Saul before Goliath. Sin will silent you once it has succeeded in destroying your integrity even though you are fully equipped with the Armour of the Word of God. Sin will keep your mouth shot where you ought to roar like lion in the defense of the truth. Sin destroys the passion, confidence and zeal needed for an effective and fulfilling ministry. Remember Apostle Peter? He almost lost it all were it not for the restoring Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.” Why? Because “They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by his instructions.” No matter the level of gift, talents and charisma, a dispirited warrior because of sin will not be able to stand in the day of battle. In the day of battle may you stand.
Discouragement is also a depressor… Another thing that can make “warriors of Ephraim” to turn their back in the day of battle is discouragement. Someone once said, God cannot used a discouraged servant. Discouragement-the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles sets in when we like the warriors of Ephraim “forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them…”Elijah was a good example of this. He suddenly forgot the past victories and deliverance
of God at the instance of the threats of Jezebel. He also “turned his back and fled in the day of battle” and finished before he could finish.“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:1-4 KJV
One would
have expected that after the revival on Mount Carmel, Elijah would maintain the gallant spirit of a warrior which he demonstrated by killing 450 Baal prophets; but unfortunately, Satan through Jezebel sponsored fear and discouragement to crush and shrink the warrior-spirit in Elijah. Elijah became dispirited and he requested that he might die. No amount of persuasion by God would do again. His spirit is already defeated and he could only turn his back and fled on the day of battle. Guess what? He died without fulfilling the work assigned him by the Lord.
have expected that after the revival on Mount Carmel, Elijah would maintain the gallant spirit of a warrior which he demonstrated by killing 450 Baal prophets; but unfortunately, Satan through Jezebel sponsored fear and discouragement to crush and shrink the warrior-spirit in Elijah. Elijah became dispirited and he requested that he might die. No amount of persuasion by God would do again. His spirit is already defeated and he could only turn his back and fled on the day of battle. Guess what? He died without fulfilling the work assigned him by the Lord.
Any soldier who though fully equipped with bows and arrows but turns his back and fled on the day of battle is a disgrace and disappointment to the Captain of our salvation. Therefore you must guard against sin and discouragement in your life as a good soldier of Christ. May the Lord, through His grace, keep you standing even in the days of battle. Amen.