“And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.” — I Samuel 18:14

“I’m not sure what he wants from me. I do not want his position nor am I trying to make him look bad. I just want to help, but it seems like nothing I do ever pleases him.” Have you ever had to say these words? Or maybe you said something like, "Why are they jealous of little me? I am nobody." If you have uttered these words or something similar, then you have dealt with the Saul Spirit. The Saul Spirit is the works of the flesh that manifest within insecure leaders or individuals due to fear. This spirit prevents them from allowing anyone they feel threaten by to be elevated.

David was faced with this when he went to work for Saul, the first king of Israel. David was using the grace and favor the Lord had upon him to protect Israel, serve the king and defend the honor of his God. However, it seemed like the more success he had, the more the king got envious and jealous of his achievements. David had to deal with Saul very wisely as he was forced to confront this situation. Let’s look at how David confronted this so we can learn how we too may deal with our own “Saul”.

1. Serve him unconditionally (I Samuel 16:19-23) - David kept serving Saul despite his mistreatment of him. It is tough to serve someone unconditionally when you know they do not have your best interest at heart, but remember it is God who called you there and not the individual.
2. Walk in meekness (I Samuel 24 and 26) - David maintained an attitude of meekness. Many people confuse meekness with weakness. Meekness is power under control, for you cannot be meek without power. David maintained a posture of physical superiority not only to defend himself, but to protect the very person that was trying to hurt him as well. He never used his power to take advantage of or harm others. Do not feel as though you have to show weakness and vulnerability just so others can be secure. Their insecurity has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with them. Continue to walk in the grace of strength and favor God has blessed you with.
3. Put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) – David was spiritually armed the entire time. You will not overcome this by the might and power of your physical strength because this is spiritual warfare. Stay in the Word, maintain an active prayer life, and walk in truth, faith and righteousness. 
4. Let God fight your battles (I Samuel 26: 9 – 10, 1 Samuel 31) - David recognized that God was his avenger. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord.
5. Express your concerns when appropriate (I Samuel 20:1, 24: 8-15, 26:17-20) – At appropriate times, David shared with Saul and his son Jonathan about hisinnocence and sense of mistreatment. This can be tricky because you don’t want to seem like you are accusing them of something that they are not ready to admit to. They may not even realize what they are doing, which means you risk them becoming defensive. However, you have a responsibility to communicate your frustrations and concerns with grace. Find appropriate times to share when you believe they can receive what you say and it will make a difference. Do not put your hope on this though, since they may not even be aware of the spirit that is controlling them.
6. Do not touch God’s anointed (I Samuel 24, 26) - David resisted the temptation to hurt Saul in any way. As difficult as it is, you must remember that all authority is ordained by God. Therefore, do not take the situation into your own hands. While they are in the position of authority they are still God’s chosen vessel for the moment.
7. Resist the temptation to join forces with others to defeat them (I Samuel 29) –David did make one mistake when he tried to join with others as a way to protect himself. This one is tempting, but do not join in with others for you do not know what their motives are. If you want God’s grace and favor, you must stand-alone and not try to use political maneuvering to get your way. Remember: you can always find someone else to agree with you, but will God bless the efforts? If you lose God’s favor, you lose everything. If you maintain God’s favor, though it may seem that you do not have much, you actually have everything.

Confronting the Saul Spirit is hard, but God’s grace is sufficient.

My prayer for you today is that God would grant you the grace to deal successfully with the Saul Spirit, and to avoid becoming a Saul altogether, so that you may do unto others what you would want done to you.

Reflection: Right attitude elevates your altitude. Jesus is proof and so is David. What is your attitude when faced with challenges?

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