Once we become Christians the battles have only begun.  In these days we have many battles we need to win in order to lead victorious Christian lives.  In line with this below is a guest blog from Barb:

Christian Life — Pro Version (or victory in the barley field)

I love this little tale found in 1 Chronicles 11 and 2 Samuel 23.  The place, Pas-Dammim, is the same spot where David the young shepherd boy had encountered and defeated Goliath.  Once again it’s the nasty Philistines, their old nemesis.
There is the multitude of Israel and then there is David and his mighty men.  David’s mighty men are fighters.   The multitude run off when the fight begins, and they wander back when it’s time to divvy up the spoil.  But, the mighty men of David the King, our David, King Jesus, they learn to fight for their barley fields, and they are winners.
A barley field (some translations say it was lentils, yum!) is attractive.  It is riches.  It is wealth.  Success.  Property. Value.  Something to steal…something to defend.   Your barley field includes your loved ones, your home, your stuff, your livelihood and your health.   It also includes your dreams and promises from God.  The enemy sees your barley field and he comes to see if he can take it easily.  He will have all that is yours if you let him.   You may be praying to God while the enemy takes your kids or your job.  Or you may be thinking that simply enduring the losses as he takes your family and possessions is virtuous.   It is not!  We learn to fight or we must learn to lose what has been given to us by our God.
The Bible says that Eleazar attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary and his hand stuck to the sword. So the Lord brought about a great victory. And then wonderful Shammah, another of David’s mighty men, stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines.  So the Lord brought about a great victory.
David had been to that place himself before.  He had the sword of Goliath for his reminder and his reward.   David had been in the school of warfare.  And this story teaches me that each of his mighty men had to face his own battles to discover and prove the faithfulness of the Lord who brought about a great victory for him.
We each have a decision to make.   Will I be one of the multitude who run off when the battle begins only to return for the spoil?   Or will I  be one of David’s mighty men, one who enters into the defence of my barley field, fighting until the sword (the Word of God) cleaves to my hand, passionate to have my victory with my Lord fighting for me?  It’s one or the other.