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. And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, five cubits tall.

1 Chronicles 11: 22-23

Moab represents the flesh, Egypt represents the world’s system and the lion represents the devil.

These are enemies we all have to face in our lives at some time, but today I want us to look at the lion.

Not only does the lion represent the devil, but it also represents the things that cause us the most fear, which is what the devil wants us to be – fearful. What is it that you are most afraid of?

Being alone? A relapse? An illness? Financial insecurity? The thing that you dread and fear the most is your lion, and one day you will have to face your fears.

I don’t know about you, but if I was facing a wild, fierce lion I would want to do so under the best of circumstances: light of day, good conditions, large space, lots of cover and trees to climb, full body armour and a gun!

Benaiah jumped into a pit on a snowy day to face his lion.

Our lions attack when our faith is weakest, when we have little room for spiritual movement, and often when we are shaky and unsure of ourselves.

The thing is, God allows the lions to attack, and often wants us in the pit to face them, not so that we get mauled, but that we overcome our fears with Him at our side. That we come to realise that it is God alone who is our strength, that it’s only His arms around us that we need, and He is the only one who can rescue us.

Isaiah tells us that if we wait on the Lord He will renew our strength, and the Psalmist tells us that when we cry out to God He will lift us out of the pit and make our footing firm.

Deut. 20: 4 for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Eph. 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.