…whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. – 2 Samuel 15:21

 But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed… – 2 Timothy 1:12

Dear friend, you must publicly own yourself a Christian. If you are a Christian, you must not try to sneak to heaven round the back alleys but march up the narrow way like a man and like your Master. He was never ashamed of you, though He might have been: how can you be ashamed of Him when there is nothing in Him to be ashamed of? Some Christians seem to think that they shall lead an easier life if they never make a profession. Like a rat behind the wainscot, they come out after candlelight and get a crumb, and then slip back again. I would not lead such a life. Surely, there is nothing to be ashamed of. A Christian-let us glory in the name! A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ-let them write it on our door plates, if they will. Why should we blush at that? “But,” says one, “I would rather be a very quiet one.” I will now place a torpedo under this cowardly quietness. What saith the Lord Jesus? Whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven; but he that shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.” Take up your cross and follow Him, for “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” …If you have the spirit of Ittai you will say, “Wheresoever my lord the king is, there also shall thy servant be.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1512.cfm

I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. – Psalm 77:5,6

Going on with the strategy of war, what next? Why, in the fifth verse we read how David maintained his courage and his constancy-“I considered the days of old.” He enquired of hoary fathers, and looked back upon the inspired traditions, if I may be allowed the expression, of the early church. He wanted to see whether God ever did forsake any of his people, rightly judging that if He never did, He never would, and firmly resolving that till he could find a clear case of God’s unfaithfulness he would not yield an inch of soil, nor give up a stone of any fortress, but would hold on and fight the battle out. That inward musing helped him much. The enemy began to weary, while he recruited His strength.

But now he used another weapon. He looked to his own experience-see the sixth verse. “I called to remembrance my song in the night.” Past experience acknowledged gratefully and taken as the index of what the future will be-this is another of David’s shields and spears. And then he seemed to put a whole path of spears before the enemy, and hold up an entire wall of shields when he came to close quarters with him, and said, “Will the Lord cast off for ever? Will He be favorable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?” Oh! this is how to win the battle. The next time, dear friend, you find yourself downcast in trouble, do not run away because Giant Despair is so strong. Though pressed by danger and beset by foes, feed not this frenzy of the soul with gloomy black forebodings. Armed with David’s shield and spears, attack him; show a bold front, and so shall you resist the devil and find that he flees from you, and you shall come back from the conflict with louder notes of victory than you had dreamed before. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0972.cfm

I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing. … – Psalm 77:1,2

Turn to the seventy-seventh Psalm, and you have a battlefield there. Should you ever have to fight the same battle, by looking through this Psalm, you will see David’s shields and spears, and you will soon learn how to screen yourself with the one, and how to do exploits with the other. Here is David fighting with despondency-an old enemy of mine. I daresay some of you are afflicted with it. But observe how he fought with it. The first weapon he drew out of the scabbard was the weapon of all-prayer. And how grandly he used it! “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice.” Satan trembles when he hears the sound of prayer. They are the conquering legions that know how to pray. Despondency soon flies when a man knows how to ply this all-conquering and ever-useful weapon of petition to the Most High.

Then note how he used this weapon continually. “My hand was stretched out all night,” saith he. If the first prayer did not help him, he prayed again; if an hour’s prayer did not bring him peace, he would pray two hours; and all night long he kept at it. You will get a like result too, my brother, if you exercise a like perseverance-you must get a like result if you know how to linger at the mercy-seat. When he had used the weapon of prayer, what did he do next? He took out another spear. It was that of remembering God. He had long enough pored in thought over himself and his present sinfulness and weakness, and now he remembered God’s mercy, God’s faithfulness, God’s lovingkindness, God’s power, God’s covenant, God in the person of Christ. Oh! this is indeed to prepare a salvo against the enemy, and to fortify one’s own position with fresh succours. He can win the battle that knows how to use this artillery of remembering God. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0972.cfm

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) – 2 Corinthians 10:4

When I have seen a text sometimes in the hand of the enemy made use of against the deity of Christ, or against the doctrine of election, or against some other important and vital doctrine, I have not felt at all inclined to give up the text or think lightly of it. I rather admire those Americans in the South, who when they had lost some guns, were asked by the commanding officer whether they had not spiked the guns before they gave them up to the foe? “Spiked them! no,” said they, “we did not like to spoil such beautiful guns; we will take them again tomorrow.” And so they did. I would not have a text touched. Grand old text! we honor thee even while we cannot keep the field or ward thee from the aggression of the invader. But shall we spoil it, or give it up as lost? Never, we will take it out of the hand of the enemy, use it for the defense of the gospel, and show that it does not mean what they think, or answer the ends to which they would apply it. Are we baffled in attack, or do we lose ground in an argument, it is for us by more diligent study, and closer research, to take the guns, the good old guns, and use those which the enemy used against ourselves-to turn them round and use them against him. Depend upon it, the great temple of truth is not like a house divided against itself. Nothing equivocal or prevaricating hath come forth at any time from the mouth of the Lord. As for our understanding, it is always weak, and as for our tactics in upholding the right, they are often at fault. The weapons of our warfare are good, it is the hands that wield them that are so unskillful. But the word of God is steadfast; it does not change with the times or yield to suit any man’s purpose. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0972.cfm

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod… – 1 Samuel 21:9

Did you ever have a personal, mental, moral conflict with some great dragon of besetting sin? If so be you have been enabled to smite it valiantly, and slay it utterly, I know you have gained trophies to hang in the house of God. To do so will be of no small advantage to ourselves, because you can take them down and use them in the future; and you will find they are footholds of your strength to fight with the next sin that comes upon you. The strength which God has educated and fostered in the last struggle will greatly assist you in the next. The man who gives way to one sin will very readily give way to another, but a man who through God’s grace has won a very high vantage ground by mastering one sin, will be very likely to win another. The spoils taken from the last Philistine will help us to go forth and win more, and in the name of God we shall get the victory. Perhaps there has been some other vice which he has cherished in secret and clung to with the more tenacity because it is so tenacious! Of that evil he has purged himself, and from that bondage he has escaped. Is it not possible that there yet remains one transgression which lurks in the breast of such a one? Very likely at this time he has a passionate temper. Down with it, my brother. You slew the lion, and you slew the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them. Do not be afraid to grapple with it. Do not say, “I have a quick temper, and I cannot help it.” There is no need for it. God’s grace can drive it out even as the rest. Beard it in the name of the Most High and use the trophies that you stole from past success-nay, fairly won them from the foes you have vanquished-use those with which to combat sins that now assail you. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0972.cfm