“David said to himself, “One of these days I’ll be swept away by [king] Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape immediately to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me everywhere in Israel, and I’ll escape from him.””

1 Samuel 27:1 (HCSB, emphasis mine)

In the last installment of A Good Word, we talked primarily about the first half of this passage from 1 Samual 27:1, and the importance of listening to God rather than letting our minds run wild with despairing self-talk or entertaining thoughts from the enemy. Now, let’s take that conversation a step further. Another interesting point worth highlighting in this passage is that when this fear came upon him, David sought an immediate escape.

We all have our go-to. Food is my escape. I’m sure I picked it up somehow in childhood, when most of these neurological pathways get embedded. I now recognize this is a destructive pathway, so when the enemy whispers that ice cream will make me feel better, I’m learning to identify his voice and reject his advice.

What is your escape? Is it pornography, alcohol, shopping, food, drugs, TV, video games, gambling, anger, exercise, gossip…? Where do you turn when emotions or circumstances feel out of control?

Regardless of the escape of choice, we all must learn to identify the enemy’s voice, which leads to destructive patterns, and instead lean into the voice of God, which is life-giving (John 10:10; John 6:63). Rather than entertaining thoughts of fear, we must continually ground ourselves in truth and use our best offensive weapon – the Word of God – which is living, active, penetrating, and precise (John 14:6; Hebrews 4:12).

So, when you have disparaging, fearful, or destructive thoughts, recognize that is the voice of the enemy beckoning you to follow him into destruction. Silence his voice with the truth of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

When life is hard and overwhelming, escape to Scripture and prayer, rather than to destructive thoughts or actions. When you seek respite in God and His word rather than in the enemy’s camp, “the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, HCSB).

Now that’s a good word!