Facing Goliath ~ Part 1

You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty…  All those gathered here today will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s… (1 Samuel 17:45, 47, David to Goliath the Philistine)

Do you ever feel like you’re lining up for battle?  What or who is the Goliath you face in your life?  Have you gotten to the place where you can speak these words to your Goliath?

The story of David and Goliath is not a one time deal.  Some people think that the Old Testament is not applicable for today.  Oh, how wrong we are to not find the rich meaning in every story the Lord offers us.  David and Goliath has so much treasure in it for our lives, if we only take the time to find it.  Yes, people often know this story even as a child.  Who doesn’t want to know that a young man can face a giant and defeat it.  The story is brilliant, but this story is not a fairy tale.  This story was not made up on the Hollywood Boulevard.  This story happened on the battle lines in Judah.  A place called Socoh.  Come with me, let’s go take a look!

“Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.  The Philistines occupied one hill and the Isrealites another, with the valley between them.”  ~1 Samuel 17:2-3 (NIV)

Hmmm, this is interesting.  Saul and the Israelites set up camp.  Did they know right away that it was going to be a long haul?  Did they know that fear would keep them from fighting the battle ahead?  Was the valley a place of safety, a place to hide, a place to hope that Goliath would give up…?  So often in our own lives, we set up camp and hope the enemy will give up fighting some day.  The truth is the enemy keeps coming back for more.  So what do we do about it?  Well, let’s take a good look at the enemy.

“…He was over nine feet tall.  He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back.  His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.  His shield bearer went ahead of him.”  ~ 1 Samuel 17:4-7

The enemy was 9 feet tall with all the gear you could possibly imagine to protect himself.  In fact, this gear in itself was a huge disadvantage to the Israelites, as at that time they were only able to fight in the basic clothing they wore.  The Israelite soldiers did not come with fancy equipment or armor.  They came dressed for battle like any ordinary day.  This was what they had.  Okay, so you have a nine foot giant who is decked in armor fit for a king.  Where is the weakness?  Can you find it?  Well, my question is… Why would he possibly need someone to go before him, if he is so strong in all of his gear?   The answer is because the enemy always has a weakness.  When you find this weakness, you can take him down.

Always remember this,

“For our struggle is not against  flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  ~Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

Steps to take down your enemy:

1.  Realize your in a battle with God on your side.

“…If God is for us, who can be against us?”  ~Romans 8:31 (NIV)

2.  Identify your enemy.

3.  Find the enemy’s weakness.

For the rest of this story stay tuned…

Dear Father God, Please teach me to be aware of the enemy’s tactics.  May I not give in, may I not let up, and may I not surrender to anyone but You!  You are the reason I live, the reason I move, and breathe.  Please continue to have Your way in me!  I place my life in Your hands!

Showing up for Battle,