Gladiator tells the story of Maximus, a once-celebrated general of the northern Roman armies who was betrayed and forced into slavery. The epic film captures his rise through the gladiator ranks, eventually to avenge injustices committed against him and his family.

Moments before Maximus’s first battle against a powerful, unseen foe in a Roman coliseum, he tells his fellow gladiators, “Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together. You understand? If we stay together—we survive!” To the amazement of the crowd, the overmatched gladiators band together and pull off an unlikely victory.

There’s a critical lesson to learn from the tale of Maximus—we are not meant to live life alone. This truth is seen in the lives of two well-known Bible characters.

David was a man who surrounded himself with other people. In his early years he was “one in spirit” with his close friend Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1 NIV). As king, David surrounded himself with a trio of men who defended his throne and willingly risked their lives for him in battle (2 Samuel 23:8-39).

Samson, on the other hand, lived life as a loner. Not once does the Bible mention that he had any close friends. He didn’t have anyone close who could help him see the serious mistakes he was making with the dangerous Delilah (Judges 16). And unlike David, who lived long and finished strong, Samson was taken out early.

Life in a broken world is hard—downright brutal at times. We need some close friends who know us well. People who will pray for us, pick us up when we’re down, and warn us when we’re going astray (Galatians 6:2).

The difference between surviving and not surviving is often the words, “if we stay together.”