1 Samuel 17 tells us about David and Goliath. The KJV Bible tells us Goliath was over nine feet tall. According to historical research Goliath‘s helmet weighed 66 pounds, and his breastplate approximately 175 pounds. Without question, Goliath was a fierce-looking, trash-talking, massive killing machine to struck terror in the hearts of his opponents.e
The giant in our lives sometimes feel like we are burdened with all that weight. Living paycheck to paycheck. Or having a loved one addicted to drugs or alcohol. An unfaithful spouse can all take a toll on us. Whatever the giant you are facing there is a way to unload the burden.
What was David’s first response when he saw Goliath and heart Goliath insult Israel and their great God, Jehovah? Believe it or not he ran out of fear along with the rest of the soldiers. But something happened to change David’s mind, he had a defining moment based on some information and some motivation.
1 Samuel 17:25 says,
And the men of Israel said, have you seen this man that who has come up? He surely come up to defy Israel. The King will give great riches to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel. For this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David discovered that the person who killed Goliath would be given three things:
First, not just riches but “great riches.’
Second, he would be given the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter in marriage making him a member of the King’s family, and giving entrance into the king’s court.
Third his father and family would have their homes free from payment and taxes.
Learning of his reward, David finally received the right motivation. What is your right motivation?
Here are a few keys to defeating the giants in your life:
- Show up for the battle ready to fight.
Sometimes you don’t get to pick the place or the time, but you must always be ready for the fight. Sometimes you must take the fight to the giant.
There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “It is better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in the war.”
1 Samual 17:34-35 says,
“David said to Saul, “Your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when a look lion and a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after him, and struck him, and rescued it out of his mouth. When he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him and killed him.”
David didn’t just say defeat the lion and the bear. The scripture says that David went after them when they stole what belonged to him.
You have to expect the return of what belongs to you plus restitution.
There are times in life when the enemy takes what belongs to you. He will steal your income, your home, a family member, your time, and or your health.
You must be aggressive in going after what the enemy has taken.
Proverbs 6:31 says,
“For if found he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.”
You must be ready for battle in season and out of season.
2 Timothy 4:2 says,
“Proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.”
You will never win a battle you don’t show up for.
- Don’t run from the battle.
Ignoring a problem will never make it go away or lessen the intensity of the battle you’re facing.
Running in the midst of a firefight with the devil with either make you a prisoner of a casualty but never a victor.
If someone or something is causing you a problem it’s better to face the consequences.
When you’re in the midst of a battle and someone yells “incoming” it is important to know who’s in the foxhole with you.
You don’t have to run from every battle because you always know who’s with you in your foxhole and in every adversity you’ll ever face.
Psalm118:6 says,
“God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid, who would dare lay a hand on me.” (Message Bible)
- Don’t be afraid
If you’re facing difficulties in a seemingly impossible financial or other attacks of the enemy, you can take comfort and know that God is in your foxhole. He is with you no matter where or what kind of battle you’re facing.
With God on your side there is no reason to fear or ever doubt the outcome of the battle.
Zephaniah 3:15 says,
“The Lord has taken away your judgments. He has thrown it your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord is among you. You will not be afraid of evil any more.”
Forty-four times in the King James Version of the Bible we are told to “not be afraid,”
There are four key verses of the forty-four,
2 Kings 1:15, “be not afraid of him.”
Deuteronomy 20:1. “Be not afraid for the Lord thy God is with thee”
2 Chronicles 20:15, Do not be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Mark 5:36, “Be not afraid only believe.”
With God on our side, we have no reason to be afraid.
Hebrews 13:6 says
“So that with good courage we say. “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?“
Even though God should only have to tell us something once, sometimes we have to be reminded when we’re facing the Goliath of doubt and fear.
- Don’t worry about what other people may think.
No one else can fight your battles. No one else can take your place on judgment day. You and you alone are accountable for what you do or don’t do.
Other people may face a shortage of money opportunities, courage and wisdom but there is one area where they never experience a shortage and that’s opinions of what you should and shouldn’t do.
1 Samuel 17:28-30 says,
Eliab his oldest brother beard when he spoke to the men, and Eliab’s anger burned against David, and he said, ‘Why have you come down? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the naughtiness of your heart, for you have come down that you might see the battle.’ David said, ‘What have I now done? is there not a cause? He turned away from him toward another and spoke like that again and the people answered him again the same way.”
Why do some co-workers talk about you behind your back? Why do some of your friends or even family members get angry at your initiative and desire for a better quality of life?
Your success becomes a reflection of their lack of success,
Eliab was upset because neither he nor his brothers nor any of the soldiers in the army of Israel were willing to stand up to Goliath.
Sadly, some people instead if fessing up to their lack of success seek to minimize who you are, and what you do or are capable of doing, so it will not reflect poorly on them.
It’s important to understand other people’s motivation for the hurtful things they may say but it’s critically important that you never allow their opinion of you to determine what you do or don’t do.
The attitudes and actions of others may not be so much as to what you’re doing as to what they are not doing.
Colossians 3:23 the Amplified Bible says
“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), (as something done) as for the Lord, and not for men.”
It’s not important what others think but what God thinks about what you are doing.
- You choose the weapons
There are three things you should know when it comes to choosing your weapons.
First, get rid of anything that doesn’t work for you. Eliminate anything that can be a weakness or that will restrict your movement and possibilities of success.
1 Samuel 17:38-40 says,
Saul dressed David with his clothing. He put a helmet of bronze on his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. David said to Saul ‘I can’t go with these, I have not tested them.” Then David took them off. He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag which he had. His s, ing was in his hand, and he came near to the Philistine,
King Saul’s armor didn’t weigh as much as Goliath’s it’s generally agreed by historians that his armor weighed between one and two hundred pounds. That’s a heavy unmanageable load.
Remember that just because somebody else does something it may not work the same way for you.
Second, find something that will work for you. Play your strengths.
David took off the armor that Saul put on him and picked up his shepherd’s stick. He went out to a stream picked up five smooth rocks and put them in his leather bag. Then with his sling in his hand, he went straight toward Goliath.
David’s weapons of choice wouldn’t work for anyone but him, but that’s okay because he was the only one headed to the field for battle.
Third, you have weapons that can defeat every enemy.
2 Corinthians 10;4 says,
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds.
You have weapons at your disposal which are undetectable in every battle you will ever face.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 in the Amplified Bible gives a clear picture of your arsenal and the purpose of your warfare.
“The world in unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there. The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way -never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”
- Understand the rewards of winning
Never make any mistake, the battles that’s your facing is for territory for the rewards that God had promised you.
David discovered that the person who killed Goliath would be given three things:
The warrior who defeated Goliath will receive “great riches.”
God has a benefit delivery system designed for every person who ever drew a breath on earth. He desires for you to be rich that’s why He gave you the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Make no mistake the enemy wants you broke, busted and disgusted.
Once you realize who’s fighting against you and the weapons available to you then you can begin an active pursuit of the prosperity God has for you. And that would Him more pleasure than you realizing and manifesting what He intended for you to have (Psalm 35:27).
The warrior who defeated Goliath would receive the hand of the King’s beautiful daughter in marriage.
If you want to be with a person of your dreams it takes money. Some would say they are not marrying for money. I’m marrying for love.
But if you’re having to work two jobs just to make ends meet, you are never going to have time to spend with them, to know your depth of character.
If you’re successful in the adversities of life, then it will be much easier for you to meet, greet, treat, the person of your dreams.
The warrior who defeated Goliath would have their debt erased in full.
The enemy wants to keep you to your eyeballs in debt strung out by payments and with little, if any hope of ever being debt free. The enemy want you to believe that where you are in life right now is where you’re going to stay. That’s not true.
The world says, “to the victor go the spoils.” When you let God help you, when you’re obedient to His Word, then your dreams of being debt free will come true.
Isaiah 1:19 says,
“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the fruit of the land.”
- Do something with what’s in your hand
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
You should always start where you are with what you’ve got at the moment.
David chose five smooth stones, he didn’t choose someone else’s weapon he chose what he knew would work for him. David activated what he knew would empower him.
2 Timothy 1:14 says,
“That good thing which was committed to you, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.“
In every battle you face being empowered by the Holy Spirit will guarantee your victory and your ability to defeat every giant of lack, debt, sickness, despair and doubt.
From Pity to Praise 