1 Kings 20:18-22: a reflection

18He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.” 19So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them. 20They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter. 22The prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and plan what you must do, for at the return of the year, the king of Syria will come up against you.”

Israel wins a great victory over the Arameans, striking them down and putting them to flight. But the prophet who comes to the king afterward does not simply celebrate; he gives a warning: Go, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you again. The victory was real, but it was not the end. The enemy would return, and the king was told to prepare, not to rest on the win.

Notice the counsel: after victory, prepare, do not grow complacent. It would have been easy, in the flush of triumph, to assume the threat was finished, to relax, to let down one's guard. The prophet warns against exactly that: the enemy will be back; strengthen yourself; consider what you must do. A victory won today does not mean the battle is over forever; the wise response to a win is not complacency but continued vigilance and preparation.

That is wisdom for our own victories, especially in the spiritual life. When we have won a battle over some temptation or difficulty, gained some ground, had some success, the temptation is to relax our guard, to assume the struggle is over. But the enemy returns; the battle renews. The wise response to a spiritual victory is not to coast but to strengthen ourselves, to stay watchful, to prepare for the return of the fight. Do not let a victory make you complacent. Give thanks for it, and then, like the king was told, strengthen yourself for the battle that will come again.

Lord, after Israel's victory the prophet warned the king to strengthen himself, because the enemy would return. When I have won a battle, over a temptation, a difficulty, a struggle, keep me from complacency, from assuming the fight is finished. Help me give thanks for the victory and then stay vigilant, strengthening myself for the battle that will come again. Keep me watchful and prepared, not coasting, in the spiritual life.