Posted on by Margarita

IF YOU WILL ARM YOURSELVES / NUMBERS 32:20

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Numbers 32:20

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war,

If You Will Arm Yourselves: The Danger of Settling Too Soon

We all long for a place of rest. After years of wandering through difficult wilderness seasons, finding a fertile, comfortable landscape feels like a dream come true.

In Numbers 32, the tribes of Reuben and Gad found themselves in this exact position. They looked at the fertile lands east of the Jordan River and decided it was the perfect place to settle down. There was just one major problem: the rest of the nation of Israel still had a war to fight on the other side of the river.

Moses’s response to their request is a powerful reality check for every believer today: “If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for the war…” (Numbers 32:20).

Moses allowed them to enjoy their inheritance, but only on one strict condition. They could not abandon their brothers and sisters in the fight.

The Temptation of Comfort

The tribes of Reuben and Gad had wealth, livestock, and families to protect. The land they stood on was safe and ready for harvest. It is easy to understand why they wanted to stay. Crossing the Jordan meant facing giants, fortified cities, and the unknown.

We often face the same temptation. When God blesses us with peace, financial stability, or spiritual comfort, our instinct is to build a wall around it. We want to settle down and enjoy our blessings, forgetting that a spiritual battle is still raging all around us.

The Sin of Selfish Isolation

Moses gave these tribes a stark warning in Numbers 32:23: “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Choosing personal comfort over collective kingdom duty is not just passive relaxation; Scripture calls it a sin. When we withdraw from the community of faith to pursue our own selfish interests, we weaken the body of Christ. We leave others to fight battles alone that we were equipped to help them win.

God does not bless us so we can isolate ourselves. He blesses us so we can be a blessing and a support to others.

Pack Your Gear, Join the Fight

The Christian life is not a spectator sport. We are called to arm ourselves daily—putting on the armor of God—not just for our own protection, but to stand on the front lines with our community.

If God has given you a season of rest or abundance, look around. Who around you is struggling? What ministries need your strength? Do not cross your arms and settle on the easy side of the river while your spiritual family is still in the trenches. Arm yourself, step up, and help your brothers and sisters claim their victory.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the seasons of rest, provision, and blessing that You graciously pour into my life. Forgive me for the times I have grown comfortable and complacent, choosing my own ease over the needs of Your kingdom. Remove any spirit of selfishness or isolation from my heart.

Give me the courage to arm myself for the spiritual battles at hand. Help me to look beyond my own borders and stand faithfully alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. Grant me the strength, endurance, and selflessness to fight the good fight of faith until everyone experiences the fullness of Your promises.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Bible Study Tools I Use

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. GO TO WAR AGAINST THE MIDIANITES / NUMBERS 31:3
  2. MAKES A VOW / NUMBERS 30:2
  3. REGULAR BURNT OFFERING EACH DAY / NUMBERS 28:3
  4. IN WHOM IS THE SPIRIT / NUMBERS 27:18
  5. GIVE US PROPERTY / NUMBERS 27:4
  6. CENSUS OF THE WHOLE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY / NUMBERS 26:2
  7. AS ZEALOUS AS I AM / NUMBERS 25:11
  8. THE LEADERS OF THESE PEOPLE KILL THEM / NUMBERS 25:4
  9. BOWED DOWN BEFORE THESE GODS / NUMBERS 25:2
  10. A STAR WILL COME / NUMBERS 24:17
  11. SPIRIT OF GOD CAME UPON HIM / NUMBERS 24:2
  12. NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE … CHANGE HIS MIND / NUMBERS 23:19
  13. OPENED THE DONKEY’S MOUTH / NUMBERS 22:28
  14. GOD WAS VERY ANGRY / NUMBERS 22:22
  15. THE LORD MY GOD / NUMBERS 22:18
  16. BALAAM / NUMBERS 22:5
  17. BRONZE SNAKE / NUMBERS 21:9
  18. COMPLETELY DESTROYED THEM / NUMBERS 21:3
  19. YOU WILL NOT BRING THIS COMMUNITY INTO THE LAND / NUMBERS 20:12
  20. SPEAK TO THAT ROCK / NUMBERS 20:8
  21. IN THE FIRST MONTH / NUMBERS 20:1
  22. FOR PURIFICTION FROM SIN / NUMBERS 19:9
  23. RED HEIFER / NUMBERS 19:2
  24. I AM … YOUR INHERITANCE / NUMBERS 18:20
  25. COVENANT OF SALT / NUMBERS 18:19
  26. IN CHARGE OF THE OFFERINGS / NUMBERS 18:8
  27. BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OFFENSES / NUMBERS 18:1
  28. ON THE STAFF OF LEVI WRITE AARON’S NAME / NUMBERS 17:3
  29. YOU HAVE KILLED THE LORD’S PEOPLE / NUMBERS 16:41-50
  30. WITH THEIR HOUSEHOLDS / NUMBERS 16:32
  31. TRYING TO GET THE PRIESTHOOD TOO / NUMBERS 16:10
  32. TO OPPOSE MOSES / NUMBERS 16:3
  33. DESPISED THE LORD’S WORD / NUMBERS 15:31
  34. THE LORD … WILL NOT BE WITH YOU / NUMBERS 14:43
  35. YOUR BODIES WILL FALL / NUMBERS 14:29
  36. I HAVE FORGIVEN / NUMBERS 14:20
  37. EGYPTIANS WILL HEAR ABOUT IT! / NUMBERS 14:13
  38. REFUSE TO BELIEVE IN ME / NUMBERS 14:11
  39. JOSHUA … CALEB / NUMBERS 14:6
  40. A BAD REPORT / NUMBERS 13:32
  41. THERE STOOD MIRIAM – LEPROUS / NUMBERS 12:10
  42. MOSES … HUMBLE / NUMBERS 12:3
  43. CUSHITE WIFE / NUMBERS 12:1
  44. THAT ALL … WERE PROPHETS / NUMBERS 11:29
  45. SPIRIT RESTED ON THEM THEY PROPHESIED / NUMBERS 11:25
  46. YOU HAVE REJECTED THE LORD / NUMBERS 11:20
  47. CARRY THEM … AS A NURSE / NUMBERS 11:12
  48. THE RABBLE … BEGAN TO CRAVE / NUMBERS 11:4
  49. THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED / NUMBERS 11:1
  50. COME WITH US / NUMBERS 10:29
  51. YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED / NUMBERS 10:9
  52. CLOUD … FIRE / NUMBERS 9:15-23
  53. EVERY FIRSTBORN / NUMBERS 8:17
  54. SET THE LEVITES APART / NUMBERS 8:14
  55. LEVITES … AS A WAVE OFFERING / NUMBERS 8:11
  56. THE LEVITES / NUMBERS 8:6-26
  57. BLESS THE ISRAELITES / NUMBERS 6:23
  58. THE NAZIRITE MAY DRINK WINE / NUMBERS 6:20
  59. PRESENT HIS OFFERINGS / NUMBERS 6:14
  60. HAIR … GROW LONG / NUMBERS 6:5
  61. GRAPE JUICE / NUMBERS 6:3
  62. NAZIRITE / NUMBERS 6:2
  63. WOMAN STAND BEFORE THE LORD / NUMBERS 5:18
  64. SEND AWAY FROM THE CAMP / NUMBERS 5:2
  65. OR THEY WILL DIE / NUBERS 4:20
  66. FIRSTBORN / NUMBERS 3:43
  67. ANOINTED PRIESTS / NUMBERS 3:2-3
  68. EACH MAN … UNDER HIS OWN STANDARD / NUMBERS 1:52
  69. 603,550 / Numbers 1:46
  70. CENSUS OF THE WHOLE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY / NUMBERS 1:2
  71. THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES – DESERT OF SINAI / NUMBERS 1:1
  72. Guided By Grace About

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IF YOU WILL ARM YOURSELVES / NUMBERS 32:20
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IF YOU WILL ARM YOURSELVES / NUMBERS 32:20
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Moses would allow the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle on the east side of Jordan, but only if they promised to help the other tribes in their conquest of Canaan.
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