Benaiah's Three Enemies and His Three Victories: Conquering the Flesh, Devil, and World
The Bible contains stories and passages we may be tempted to overlook because they are short or the characters involved are not on the “Sunday School Top 10” list. However, these sections of Scripture still offer valuable lessons if we take the time to study them.
Here are the “Top 10 Most Obscure” characters in the Bible (at least in my opinion and not ranked in order).
Aholiab (Exodus 31:6) - God appointed him and Bezalel to construct the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
Adino the Eznite (2 Samuel 23:8) - He is listed among David's mighty warriors, but little is known about him.
Ebed-Melech the Cushite (Jeremiah 38:7-13) was an official in King Zedekiah's court who rescued the prophet Jeremiah from a cistern.
Zaza (1 Chronicles 2:33) - He is mentioned briefly in the genealogy of Judah as one of the sons of Shammai.
Agur (Proverbs 30:1) - The author of the sayings in Proverbs 30, but his identity is uncertain.
Diotrephes (3 John 1:9) - John condemns his bad behavior of not welcoming fellow Christians and excluding them from the church.
Patriarchs of Gilead (1 Chronicles 5:13-17) - Several obscure names like Abihail, Huri, and Jahdo are listed among the heads of families in Gilead.
Noadiah the Prophetess (Nehemiah 6:14) - She was one of the false prophets who tried to intimidate Nehemiah while rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.
Rizpah (2 Samuel 21:1-14) - A concubine of King Saul who guarded the bodies of her executed sons for months.
Tertius (Romans 16:22) - Paul's amanuensis or scribe who wrote down the Epistle to the Romans as Paul dictated it.
Most of these characters are mentioned only briefly, with very few details about their lives and roles, making them relatively obscure compared to more prominent biblical figures.
Another example, and one that I want to focus on this week, is Benaiah, a character found in 1 Chronicles 11:22-25.
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he stuck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three might men. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
Setting the Stage
Let’s set the stage to better understand this passage. The events mentioned take place after the death of King Saul (1 Chronicles 10) and the anointing of David as the new king of Israel (1 Chronicles 11:1-3). David had just conquered Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 11:4-9), and the passage then mentions the "Three" mighty warriors who helped him: Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Abishai (1 Chronicles 11:10-14). Following this, we are introduced to Benaiah, one of the "Thirty" mighty men under the leadership of the Three.
WARNING: I will do something I rarely do: interpret this passage allegorically. If you’re unsure what I mean and why I am issuing this warning, read my post “Avoiding Pitfalls: When to Embrace and When to Shun Allegorization in Biblical Analysis.”
The Three Enemies and Victories
Enemy 1: Moab (The Flesh)
Moab means “from the father.” As a person, Moab is the product of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters after fleeing from Sodom’s destruction. As a people, Moabites lived to please self and are a symbol of those who are controlled by the flesh.
As believers, we face a constant battle against the enemy of the flesh – our innate sinful desires and cravings that wage war against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). The story of Lot's daughters giving birth to Moab and Ammon reminds us that the Moabites were viewed as a people who embodied selfishness and catering to fleshly lusts. In this sense, Moab serves as a symbol of the flesh that we must overcome.
We cannot trust our deceitful hearts, for "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Even Jesus acknowledged the weakness of our flesh (Matthew 26:41). The apostles warned us about its lustful tendencies (1 Peter 2:11) and the need to "die daily" to our fleshly nature (1 Corinthians 15:31). (Read all the passages listed above by clicking here).
Yet, we have hope in conquering this enemy! Just as Benaiah "struck down two of Moab's best men" (1 Chronicles 11:22), we, too, can strike down the flesh through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. By repenting of our sins and placing our faith in Christ, we are no longer obligated to satisfy the desires of the flesh but are empowered to "live according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:5).
This is achieved by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:6) and refusing to indulge in gossip, slander, revenge, and other fleshly behaviors. We daily submit our bodies, minds, hearts, and emotions to the control of the Spirit (Romans 8:13), for "we are not our own; we were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Enemy #2: The Lion (The Devil)
The second formidable foe Benaiah faced was a lion, representing our spiritual enemy, the devil, who "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8b). This warrior faced an actual lion, something most of us will never do. But we do wake up every single day to an enemy who is bent on destroying us.
Benaiah did not wait for the lion to emerge but boldly "went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed" it (1 Chronicles 11:22). This act of courage and skill serves as a powerful metaphor for how we, as believers, must confront the devil head-on, rather than waiting for his attacks. Overcoming such a fierce adversary is no easy task, yet we are called to be vigilant and prepared for battle.
Mark Batterson brought Benaiah to the forefront of the Christian mind in his book: “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.” In the book, Batterson highlights the audacious bravery of this obscure biblical character and challenges the reader to make the most of every opportunity.
In 1 Peter 5:8, the apostle Peter instructs us on how to triumph over the devil's schemes: "Be self-controlled and alert." Being self-controlled means living disciplined lives, like soldiers training for battle through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, study, church attendance, and fasting. Being alert requires us to stay awake in the Spirit, learning from our mistakes and remaining watchful, lest the devil outwits us.
If we heed these instructions, the devil cannot overcome us, for we are "more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). By relying on Christ's power and remaining self-controlled and alert, we can stand firm against the lion's attacks and emerge victorious.
Enemy #3: The Egyptian (Worldly Systems)
And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall (1 Chronicles 11:23).
This Egyptian represents the "world system" — the values, philosophies, and patterns of this world that reject or forget God. Throughout Scripture, Egypt symbolizes a worldly system that trusts in its abilities and worships false gods, much like the godless ideologies that permeate our modern societies.
As believers, we face this ever-present enemy of the world's system, which tries to lure us into dependence on human strength rather than on God's power. The apostle John warns, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them" (1 John 2:15).
The Greek word for "world" (kosmos) refers not only to the world's systems but also to its adornments and fashions – the very things that shape our lives according to worldly patterns. We must resist the world's influence, which promotes immodesty, sexual impurity, idolization of celebrities, and conformity to ungodly norms.
Instead, we are called to be "transformed by the renewing of [our] mind" (Romans 12:2), offering our bodies as "living sacrifices" to God (Romans 12:1). As The Message paraphrase puts it, we must not become "so well-adjusted to [our] culture that [we] fit into it without even thinking" (Romans 12:2).
Conquering the world system requires us to fix our attention on God, surrendering our spirit, soul, and body to His will. By doing so, we will be empowered to grow in Christ and live a life of service that draws others to Him.
To learn more about how we can live an overcoming life, grab a copy of my bestselling book, “In Him You Are: Trusting God with What You Have, Who You Are, and How He Sees You.”
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