Inquire Again for Fresh Strategy

While reading Isaiah 14–17, I was struck by the prophetic messages concerning the nations that repeatedly opposed Israel: Babylon, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, and others. These enemies did not appear just one time; they troubled Israel across different seasons, under different leaders, and throughout multiple generations.

That thought took me to 2 Samuel 5:17–25.

David had just been anointed king over Israel when the Philistines came looking for him. They were not new enemies; Israel had faced the Philistines before, and now, in a new season and under a new king, they appeared again. Before David went into battle, however, he did something essential - he inquired of the Lord.

“Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” David asked. The Lord answered, “Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands” (2 Samuel 5:19, NIV).

David obeyed, and God gave him victory. Nonetheless, the Philistines did not give up. They returned and spread throughout the Valley of Rephaim once again. And once again David was faced with the same enemy, on the same battlefield, and with the same apparent threat. It would have been easy for David to assume that the previous strategy would work again, since God had already told him to go up once. David could have relied on his experience, repeated the earlier plan, and expected the same result. Instead, David inquired of the Lord again for fresh strategy. This time, God gave him a different instruction:

“Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you” (2 Samuel 5:23–24, NIV).

The first strategy God had given him was very direct: Go up. This second strategy had multiple parts: Do not go straight up, circle behind them, wait for the sound, then move quickly. David had to obey the entire instruction to experience the promised victory. Partial obedience would not have been enough. Moving before the sound, approaching from the wrong direction, or simply repeating yesterday’s strategy could have jeopardized the outcome.

This passage reminds us that we do not get to choose every battle we face. We do not control when the enemy appears, how the attack unfolds, or whether an old struggle attempts to return in a new season. But we do have a choice, we can inquire of the Lord and obey the strategy He gives us.

The enemy of our souls is relentless. Think back to the temptation of Jesus recorded in the Gospels. In Matthew 4:1-11, the Scripture says, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”  After forty days and a confrontation with the enemy, Luke’s version of the story adds an interesting note: “And when the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came.” (Luke 4:13 NLT). Like the nations that repeatedly came against Israel, he does not always abandon his efforts after a defeat. He may return with a different approach, through a different circumstance, or during a different season of our lives.

While the battle may feel familiar, we cannot assume that God’s instruction will be identical. Yesterday, the instruction may have been to speak, but today, He may tell us to remain silent.  He may have required immediate action in one season, but He may tell us to wait until we perceive what He is doing. Our previous victories can strengthen our faith, but they should never replace our present dependence on God. Our life experiences are valuable and can be used by God, but they cannot become the voice of the Father. What worked before should not become a substitute for asking, “Lord, what are You saying now?”

Recently I heard the Holy Spirit say to me as I wrestled through a challenge: “Keep your eyes focused on God. Ask what He is doing and align yourself with Him.”

God already knows the enemy’s plans and the direction from which an attack will come. He knows when we should move, when we should wait, and when we should change course. Most importantly, He does not merely send us into battle - He goes before us. When David heard the sound of marching in the trees, it was evidence that the Lord had already moved ahead of him. What an assurance that when the enemy comes against us, our Father is never without a strategy. He always has a victory move, and our responsibility is to remain close enough to hear Him, humble enough to ask Him, and surrendered enough to fully obey Him.

So do not fight today’s battle solely with yesterday’s instructions. Inquire again and listen carefully to the Lord’s instructions and obey completely. And like David, when you hear the sound of the Lord moving before you, arise and follow Him into victory.