That day’s victory was turned into mourning for all the troops because on that day the troops heard, “The king is grieving over his son.” (2 Samuel 19:2)
David has won a great victory in battle for Israel and the Lord. At the same time, he’s suffered a devastating personal loss with the death of his rebellious son Absalom. It’s understandable that he would be grieving right now. Any decent parent of a rebellious child still loves that child deeply.
But Absalom’s rebellion is the direct result of David’s sin (as is nearly every challenge David has faced as king). And even now, David is allowing his personal priorities to derail God’s plan. The man after God’s own heart is still in many ways enslaved to his sin.
That’s why Jesus came: to finally free us from our slavery through his death on the cross. As Paul said in Romans 6:6, “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Being dead to sin means that we’re no longer ruled by our sin. It doesn’t mean sin can’t influence us anymore, but it can’t dominate us anymore. When you feel like you’ll never be able to conquer a certain sin, remember this: Jesus has set you free!