I Am With You: The Armor-Bearer Call

Israel’s story is traced from wilderness to monarchy to a battlefield crisis, highlighting the limits of human strength and the surprising power of surrendered faith. After Israel demanded a king like the nations, Saul appeared to be the ideal leader—impressive, capable, “Gaston-like.” Yet capability collapsed under pressure when the Philistines, with chariots and numbers like “the sand on the seashore,” cornered Israel in a valley between Bozez (slippery) and Seneh (thorny). As soldiers defected and hid, and with only two swords left in the nation, human strategy had run out. Into that desperate place, Jonathan voiced a different logic: “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Jonathan’s plan was not “smart” by any conventional metric. He and his armor bearer exposed themselves to the enemy and resolved to take their next step based on how the Philistines taunted them. Yet it was wise, because it reckoned with God’s agency rather than human capacity. The armor bearer’s response—“I am with you, heart and soul”—models covenant friendship that goes beyond cheerleading from a safe distance. That solidarity emboldens faithful risk when outcomes are unclear. Their climb became a hinge of history; God sowed confusion in the Philistine camp, defectors returned, the hidden emerged, and courage became contagious.

This pattern speaks to modern life where “smart” often equals “safe,” strategic, and self-protective. Faithful wisdom sometimes requires a “perhaps”—a trustful step that cannot be justified by cost-benefit analysis but is anchored in God’s character. Communities thrive when people become “friend, period” companions who lend their courage to another’s calling. And for those who feel alone, there is a better Armor Bearer than any human: Jesus, who on the cross said with his whole being, “I am with you, heart and soul.” His self-giving was not “smart” by worldly terms, yet it opened life for many. Entering a new year, the invitation is to lean less on efficiency and more on God; to say and to hear, “I am with you, heart and soul”; and to move forward on the strength of “perhaps the Lord will act.”

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Wisdom often looks “not smart.” True wisdom isn’t merely strategic; it is God-aware. It may expose one to risk that human calculation would avoid, yet it aligns with God’s power and purposes. When human capacity hits a wall, wisdom dares to move because God can act beyond our limits. That step is faith, not folly. [39:40]
• 2. Live by a “perhaps” faith. “Perhaps the Lord will act” is not hesitation; it’s humility before a sovereign God who saves by many or by few. It resists presumption while still advancing in trust, refusing to be paralyzed by uncertainty. This posture keeps hearts supple and steps obedient when outcomes aren’t guaranteed. [33:16]
• 3. Become a friend, period. Many will say, “Go ahead”; few will pledge, “I am with you, heart and soul.” Covenant friendship lends courage where vision is costly and resources are thin. Such presence becomes a lived parable of God’s nearness, enabling others to attempt the wise thing that isn’t “safe.” [41:44]
• 4. Courage in community is contagious. When even a few obey bravely, defectors return, the hidden emerge, and fear loosens its grip. Bold faith reframes what is possible for everyone watching, drawing hesitant people into God’s movement. Courage multiplies wherever faith takes root in public. [48:38]
• 5. Jesus is our true Armor Bearer. When human companions are absent, Christ remains nearer than any ally, saying from the cross, “I am with you, heart and soul.” His self-giving turns lonely caves into places of encounter and hope. He bears us up where no human strength can carry. [50:15]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:36] - Holiday hello and setup
• [26:09] - Why this story matters
• [26:23] - From Exodus to the land
• [27:06] - Israel asks for a king
• [28:03] - Saul: the ideal leader
• [30:29] - Philistine might and Israel’s fear
• [32:45] - Jonathan’s secret meeting
• [33:16] - “Perhaps the Lord will act”
• [35:29] - Recapping Jonathan’s risky plan
• [39:40] - Smart versus wise decisions
• [41:44] - Friend in quotes vs friend, period
• [46:00] - Marriage, mental health, and presence
• [48:04] - Aftermath: courage goes viral
• [50:15] - Jesus, the ultimate Armor Bearer
• [53:10] - A new year of “heart and soul”
• [54:07] - Prayer and ministry time
• [61:30] - Next steps and giving
• [62:49] - Benediction and sending

Bible reading

- 1 Samuel 14:6-14

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. In that first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Observation questions

1. In 1 Samuel 14:6, what exact words show Jonathan’s “perhaps” faith and his view of God’s power?
2. What did the armor bearer actually say in verse 7, and how is it more than just “Go ahead”?
3. List the risky parts of Jonathan’s plan from verses 8-13. What did they do that most people would avoid?
4. From the situation described, name three factors that show Israel’s human strength had run out (think numbers, terrain, weapons, morale) [32:07]

Interpretation questions

1. How does the “perhaps” in 1 Samuel 14:6 protect against both paralysis and presumption? What heart posture does it reveal toward God’s sovereignty and power? [35:29]
2. What does “I am with you, heart and soul” (v. 7) reveal about covenant friendship compared to simply cheering from a safe distance? [41:44]
3. In what ways does this story help define the difference between decisions that are “smart” (safe, strategic, self-protective) and those that are truly wise (God-aware, faith-forward)? [39:40]
4. Jonathan says, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few” (v. 6). What does this teach about God’s agency versus human capacity when outcomes look impossible?

Application questions

1. Where do you feel stuck “between slippery and thorny” right now—a place that feels like a no-win? What would one “perhaps the Lord will act” step of obedience look like this week? [32:26]
2. Identify one decision in front of you where “smart” equals safe and self-protective. What might a wise, God-aware step look like instead, even if it carries risk? [39:40]
3. Who in your life needs an armor bearer right now? What would it sound like to say, “I am with you, heart and soul,” and what’s one concrete way you can show up this week? [41:44]
4. If you’re the one who needs an armor bearer, where do you sense God inviting you to ask for help? What is one specific ask you can make of this group or a friend? [55:35]
5. Think of a moment to share your faith or serve sacrificially that doesn’t look “smart” by cost-benefit analysis. What is one small but bold step you can take in the next seven days? [39:05]
6. For those navigating loneliness, how can you practice living with Jesus as your truest Armor Bearer this week—prayer, Scripture, journaling, or a daily phrase you’ll carry? [50:15]
7. Courage is contagious. What is one public, faithful step (even a small one) that you sense God may use to encourage others around you? Who might be watching who needs that encouragement? [48:38]