Attack

A violent act of aggression often associated with intent to invade, sometimes as an act of retribution and occasionally as a strategic act of self-defence. Scripture also recognises the possibility of spiritual aggression through attack by evil forces.

Examples of God's people attacking others

Genesis 14:14–16 Abraham attacks the captors of the king of Sodom; Judges 7:19–21 Gideon attacks the Midianites; 1 Samuel 14:13–14 Jonathan attacks the Philistines; 2 Samuel 5:6–7 parallel 1 Chronicles 11:4–5 David attacks the Jebusites; Deuteronomy 20:1–20 Moses gives detailed instruction on going to war.

The Israelites attack the inhabitants of Canaan

Joshua 6:2, Joshua 6:20 See also Joshua 8:1–3, Joshua 8:21–22, Joshua 10:9–10, Joshua 10:29–42, Joshua 11:7–8, Joshua 11:16–23

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor.

So when the rams’ horns sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the horn, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. Then all the people charged straight into the city and captured it.

Examples of God's people attacked by others

By the Amalekites

Exodus 17:8–13

After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he lowered them, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side, so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his army with the sword.

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines

By Syria (Aram)

1 Kings 20:1 See also 1 Kings 20:26; 2 Kings 3:21–27 the Moabites seek to attack Israel but are routed; 2 Kings 5:2, 2 Kings 6:24–25, 2 Kings 12:17; 2 Chronicles 16:1–4, 2 Chronicles 28:5

Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.

By the Egyptians

2 Chronicles 12:1–4, 2 Chronicles 12:7–9

Attacks on God's people resulting in exile

Israel attacked by the Assyrians

2 Kings 17:3–6 See also 2 Kings 18:9–12

Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea had conspired to send envoys to King So of Egypt, and that he had not paid tribute to the king of Assyria as in previous years. Therefore the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison. Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

Judah attacked by the Babylonians

2 Chronicles 36:5–7 parallel 2 Kings 24:1 See also 2 Kings 24:10–16, 2 Kings 25:1, 2 Kings 25:8–11 parallel 2 Chronicles 36:15–20; Jeremiah 32:24; Ezekiel 33:21

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jehoiakim and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon some of the articles from the house of the LORD, and he put them in his temple in Babylon.

God's people attack each other

Intertribal warfare

Judges 9:22–23, Judges 9:39–45, Judges 20:18–48

The north (Israel) and south (Judah) attack each other

2 Kings 14:11–14 parallel 2 Chronicles 25:20–24 See also 2 Chronicles 13:1–3

But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home. There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate — a section of four hundred cubits. He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

Attacks within the church

James 4:1–2 See also Philippians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; James 4:11–12; 1 Peter 3:9

What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Examples of individuals who were attacked

Genesis 4:8; Acts 16:22 See also Exodus 21:12–20; 1 Samuel 19:9–10, 1 Samuel 24:7

Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

The danger of attack by Satan and his agents

1 Peter 5:8–9 See also Matthew 4:1–11 parallel Luke 4:1–13; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 11:7

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

God provides protection against both physical and spiritual attack

Ephesians 6:13–18 See also Psalm 7:10, Psalm 18:1–3, Psalm 138:7; 2 Timothy 4:18

Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.