Confronting the Saul Spirit

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Have you ever dealt with someone who was envious of your achievement?
How did you deal with them?
Did you know how to confront them in a righteous manner?

Confronting the Saul Spirit

“I’m not sure what he wants from me.”
“I do not want his position nor am I trying to make him look bad.”
“I just want to help, but it seems like nothing I do ever pleases them.” 

Have you ever experienced these thoughts or spoken these words? Or maybe you have thought or spoken something such as, “Why are they jealous of little me? I am nobody.” If you have, then you may have been dealing with the Saul Spirit. 

The Saul Spirit manifests through insecure leaders or individuals due to fear. This spirit prevents them from allowing anyone they feel threatened by to be elevated.

David faced this spirit when he went to work for Saul, the first King of Israel. David, as a young and emerging leader, was using the grace and favor the Lord had given him to protect Israel, serve the king, and defend the honor of his God. However, as David succeeded more and more, rather than rejoicing at his achievements which were for the benefit of the entire nation, King Saul became more and more envious and jealous of David.

What did David do? He confronted this situation with Saul with great wisdom. 

Let’s look at how David confronted this situation so that we too can learn how to deal with the “Sauls” in our own lives.

1. David served him unconditionally (1 Samuel 16: 19-23) – David continued to faithfully serve King Saul, despite Saul’s mistreatment of him. It is not easy to serve someone unconditionally when you know they do not have your best interests at heart, but like David, we should remember that God has called us to be there and not the individual.
   
2. David walked in meekness (1 Samuel 24; 1 Samuel 26) – David maintained an attitude of meekness. Many people confuse meekness with weakness. Meekness is power under control, for you cannot be meek without power. But David never used his power to take advantage of or harm others, including Saul, the very person who was trying to hurt him. Do not feel as though you have to show weakness and vulnerability just so that others can feel “secure in their insecurities”. Their insecurity has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with them. Continue to walk in the grace, strength, and favor that God has blessed you with.
   
3. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6: 10-20) – David was spiritually armed the entire time that he was contending with Saul. You will not overcome this situation by the might and power of your physical strength, because this is spiritual warfare. Stay in the Word, maintain an active prayer life, and walk in truth, faith, and righteousness.
   
4. Let God fight for you(1 Samuel 26: 9-10; 1 Samuel 31) – David recognized that God was his avenger. Let God fight your battles. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).
   
5. Express your concerns when appropriate (1 Samuel 20:1; 1 Samuel 24: 8-15; 1 Samuel 26:17-20) – At appropriate times, David shared with Saul and his son Jonathan about his innocence and sense of mistreatment. This can be tricky because you don’t want to seem like you are accusing them of something that they are not ready to admit. They may not even realize what they are doing, which means you risk them becoming defensive. However, you have a responsibility to communicate your frustrations and concerns with grace. Find appropriate times to share, believing that they can receive what you say, and it will make a difference. Do not put your hope in this though, as they may not even be aware of the spirit or the mindset that is controlling them.
   
6. Do not touch God’s anointed (1 Samuel 24; 1 Samuel 26) – David resisted the temptation to hurt Saul in any way. As difficult as it is, you must remember that all authority is ordained by God. Therefore, do not take the situation into your own hands. As long as they are in the position of authority, they are still God’s chosen for the moment.
   
7. Resist the temptation to join forces with others to defeat them (1 Samuel 29) – David did make one mistake when he tried to join with others as a way to protect himself. This can be tempting – but – do not join in with others for you do not know what their motives are. If you want God’s grace and favor, you must stand alone and not try to use political maneuvering to get your way. Remember, you can always find someone else to agree with you, but will God bless the efforts? If you lose God’s favor, you lose everything. If you maintain God’s favor, though it may seem that you do not have much, you actually have everything.

Confronting the Saul Spirit is difficult, but God’s grace is sufficient.  

My prayer for you today is that God will grant you the grace to not just deal successfully with the Saul Spirit but to avoid becoming a Saul yourself, rising above the spirit of Saul with a heart like David’s.

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