Benaiah

"Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done great deeds, struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and struck down a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. And he struck down an Egyptian, a man of great stature; the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a staff, snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear. These things Benaiah son of Jehoiada did, and he had a name among the three mighty men. He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David put him over his guard." (vss. 20-23).

The things seen here in connection with Benaiah were not done on the battlefield like the others – they were private and personal battles that he won. But David took note of it and mentioned them here. What Benaiah did may not seem like much compared to winning a deliverance for the children of Israel, but it was valuable to David.

The three enemies over whom he was victorious are figures of the Christian's three greatest enemies – the world, the flesh, and the devil. "Moab" speaks of the flesh, the "lion" speaks of the devil's power, and the "Egyptian" speaks of the world. Benaiah obtained a victory over each one of them, and afterward we find him as general of David's army! (1 Kings 2:35). This is no coincidence. The lesson for us in this is that if we practice self-judgment and judge the world, the flesh, and the devil in our personal lives, the Lord can use us in a greater way in His service. Notice: he won these victories using his "staff" – an external support of his; this speaks of dependence on the Lord. He also "went down" to do it; this speaks of humility. God's work is accomplished through humble instruments.

This teaches us that the Lord values and rewards those who seek to keep the flesh and the world out of their lives.