Memory Verses:
4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV
As we’ve explored David’s life over the past few months, we’ve seen him as a leader of unmatched skill—valiant in battle, courageous in spirit, a gifted poet and musician, and deeply loyal to his family and friends. Yet, David was not without his mistakes and missteps. In all the highs and lows, David remains known as a man after God’s own heart. As we close this series today, I want to focus on one key aspect of his success: the importance of surrounding himself with warriors rather than whiners.
Living Like a Warrior or Living as a Whiner
While not everyone was always pleased with David, and some even turned against him, like one of his trusted generals, David knew the value of having warriors in his corner—people who stood by him through thick and thin. As ambassadors for Christ, we attract all kinds of people. Some will be warriors, and others, whiners. And in that same breath, we will either be warriors for the Lord for someone, or we will be whiners in their lives.
What we face in our spiritual journey mirrors David’s: will we adopt the mindset of a warrior, or will we fall into the trap of whining? When I speak of warriors, I don’t just mean those who fight physical battles. I’m talking about spiritually steadfast people—those who pray when no one’s watching, those who encourage us when life feels overwhelming, and those who show up when we need them the most, even without being asked.
Whiners, on the other hand, are those who complain, who doubt God’s plan, and who focus more on what they can’t do than on what God has equipped them to do. We’ve all been there—allowing negativity to overshadow our faith. But today, we’re going to look at a powerful list of warriors who stood with David and, by doing so, helped accomplish great victories for the Lord. Their stories reveal something crucial: God never intended for us to fight our battles alone. The warriors in David’s life reflect the allies and spiritual companions we need today—those who stand firm in faith and strengthen us when our resolve weakens.
Our Victories Are Shaped By Who Stands With Us in the Battles of Life
So, as we dive into this list of mighty warriors of David, ask yourself: who are the warriors fighting with you in your journey, and who are the whiners? Let’s explore how God used David’s mighty men to achieve victories for His glory and what that means for us today.
The Inner Circle
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. 10 He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.
2 Samuel 23:8-12 NKJV
Life Lesson:
Our Inner Circle Will Fuel Our Faith or Feed Our Fears
Life Lesson:
True Victory is Given By God, Not the Battlefield
Three Unnamed People
13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. 17 And he said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
2 Samuel 23:13-17 NKJV
Life Lesson:
Warriors of the Faith Don’t Need Applause, they Show up, Sacrifice, and Serve
Life Lesson:
David Turned an Action of Sacrifice Into an Offering of Purpose for the Lord
Life Lesson:
Acts of Devotion Often Go Unnamed, But They Do Not Go Unnoticed By God
Faithfully Fierce
18 Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 19 Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three. 20 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.
2 Samuel 23:18-23 NKJV
Life Lesson:
Warriors Sharpen Us With Words of Truth, But Never Abandon Us Over Disagreement of Battle Plans
Life Lesson:
A Valiant Father Allowed God to Build a Warrior
Life Lesson:
Whiners Avoid the Pit, Warriors Step Into It
Life Lesson:
Warriors See Obstacles as Opportunities for God to Shine
The Thirty
2 Samuel 23:24-39
Life Lesson:
Warriors Build Up, Whiners Tear Down
Life Lesson:
Loyalty to God and His Mission Unites Us in His Purpose
Big Takeaways
What are you facing right now that has caused you to turn the dial down, living timidly and fearfully?
Have you found yourself whining to your inner circle, to those unnamed in your life, instead of inviting them to stand as warriors alongside you in your endeavors?
If you’re not currently in a battle, but in a season of peace, how are you preparing for what lies ahead?
As a supporter, are you fostering a warrior spirit, or are you inadvertently encouraging whining and idle chatter?
In our lives, there’s a dial we can turn—up or down. This imagery applies to various situations; we’ve all been told to “calm down” or to “stay focused.” When it comes to our problems or frustrations in our spiritual walk, we can either adopt a warrior mindset or a whiner mindset. This internal dial reflects how we choose to respond to challenges; we can turn up the warrior dial or allow the whiner dial to take us to a negative place.
Just like David, we are surrounded by both warriors and whiners. We must ask God to reveal who needs to be our allies and who we should avoid. God has placed people in our lives and allowed us to be part of a church body filled with mighty warriors—men and women with incredible testimonies, not of what they have done, but of what God has accomplished through them.
The most important and transformative action we can take is to stop whining to God and trust Jesus—the ultimate Warrior who conquered death, the grave, fear, shame, guilt, and everything else that makes us fearful. It is to Him we run; it is to Him we serve. This is the greatest life lesson David teaches us: God provides.
I’ve shared the meanings behind the names today because there’s confidence in our names and in the power of the name of Jesus. Our name reflects the blessing of God—it is known by Him. It is the name for which Jesus died on the cross, the name that is written in the Book of Life in heaven because we have called on the name above all names—Jesus.
So, even if we don’t have a list of 30 warriors to point to, or if we feel more like a whiner than a warrior, let that not stop us from calling on the name of Jesus—the greatest and most powerful Warrior and King we will ever have by our side.
Our Name is Known By God & He has Given Us a Warrior Spirit & a Name Above All Names to Call Upon in the Middle of our Battles
1 A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Psalm 23
Does God know your name as a warrior for His Kingdom, or a whiner in His Kingdom?