Do you have a spiritual giant in your life that you don't know how to conquer? Are you letting that giant push you around because you think this particular giant is more powerful than you are? Whatever your situation may be, you can SLAY THE GIANT IN YOUR LIFE BY SIMPLE FAITH IN GOD.
As we read the story about David, how he slew the Philistine, (I Samuel 17:23-51) we find 7 things that helped him win the victory. Let us pay close attention to how he won so that we may win over the giants in our own lives.
Biblical Point No. 1:
David accepted the challenge.
Verse 32,
David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
David volunteered to take care of the giant. He accepted the challenge and run toward the problem instead of running away. He said, "don't be scared, let me handle this. I know what I am doing."
If you have a need in your life right now that you need to take a stand against. If you are troubled in mind about your health, finances, or marriage, you need to follow in these Biblical footsteps of a giant slayer. You too can conquer the giants in your life by accepting challenge and not avoiding it.
Look at it this way:
You will never conquer anything by running away. David took a stand, you too, must TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE ENEMY. Take a stand against sickness by speaking healing scriptures. Take a stand against your financial problems by confessing, "all my needs are met according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Take a stand and you win, don't take a stand and you will stay in the same situation you are in. Is that what you want?
Biblical Point No. 2:
David took confidence in what he had already accomplished with God's help.
Verse 33-36,
Saul told David you're but a youth, you can't go against this Philistine to fight with him. But David said to Saul in verse 36, "I slew a lion and a bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."
David had already won before, so it was too late to tell him that he couldn't win now. He had no fear because his heart was saturated with the confidence that God was with him. God had trained David for his fight with the giant by allowing him to kill a lion and a bear first. The Philistine was not a very big obstacle in David's eyes, and certainly not in God's. David had this fight already sized up and he was going to win through and by the power of God.
Use your head:
Think about all the things God has done for you. Think about all the times you were down and out, how he lifted you up. Recall those times of despair and what God done to bring you out. This will bring the confidence you need to go forth and to conquer the giants in your life.
Biblical Point No. 3:
David had faith in the ability of God.
Verse 37,
David told Saul, "moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." Saul said, "go and the Lord be with thee."
David knew the power of God had delivered him before. David's confidence was built up in the ability of what God COULD DO and WOULD DO.
God had earned David's confidence when He helped him kill the lion and the bear. This type of confidence brought David the kind of faith it took to slay a giant. You too, can have the faith of a giant slayer if you first build up your confidence in God and His Word. It doesn't take a lot of skill or intelligence to win. It simply takes FAITH. FAITH IN THE POWER that only God can give. Power that David had when he slew the giant with one measly stone. Power that you can have in your own life if you believe in the ability of God. Have faith in God's ability.
Use what you have:
David used a stone to slay a giant. What do you have to use? Moses used a rod to part the sea. God can and will use anything that is available. God doesn't have to send you down town to purchase something to fight a giant with. He just simply uses what you already have. One example of something you already have to use, YOUR FAITH IN GOD!
Biblical Point No. 4:
David armed himself for battle.
Verse 40,
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
David didn't go out unarmed against the giant. He used his wits and took what he needed to fight with. His sling didn't look like much to the visible eye, but what wasn't visible to the average eye, was God's power. That was the real weapon David used.
Many times, in my opinion, Christians go out to fight the enemy unprepared and unarmed. Ephesians 6 lists the armor we are to wear when we go into battle. God never sends any of us into battle without first training, dressing and arming us.
Are you dressed for battle?
If you are not dressed for battle, that's why you are not winning. Before soldiers are sent into battle, they are trained, dressed in uniforms, and then given weapons. They are prepared both mentally and physically. Are we, as Soldiers in God's army, to be any different? Of course not! We too, are to prepare ourselves, but not only mentally and physically, but also spiritually. We will be winners if we put on the whole armor of God. For our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
Biblical Point No. 5:
David withstood the Philistine's threats.
Verse 43-44; (last part of 43)
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
David withstood the giant's threats simply because he wasn't afraid. Fear will have you run from a fight. Faith will have you confront one. David had faith. He had a winning heart.
Are you afraid?
David didn't let the devil scare him, don't let him scare you either. We are more than conquerors through Christ. So hang in there and fight the good fight of faith. Faith always wins.
Biblical Point No. 6:
David spoke faith in the midst of adversity.
Verse 45,
Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."
David wasn't going to talk defeat now. He had come too far. Besides others were counting on him now to do away with this giant. All eyes were on David, spiritually speaking. This was it, the chance of a lifetime for David to show forth God's power. David took the challenge and he did't back down. He kept speaking faith right through to the end of the battle.
Do you have faith for the battle?
Whatever you are going through right now can become a tremendous victory for you. I have fought a lot of battles and have won every one of them with God's help. However it wasn't easy. If you are looking for an easy way out, you won't find it. David didn't have an easy way out. He had to stand up to a giant of a man and fight. When he did however, he won.
Biblical Point No. 7:
David prophesied to the Philistine giant.
Verse 46,
This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
David was fed up with this Philistine running his mouth and bragging. David knew he was gonna win and told him so. In modern day language David said, "you have had it now bud, God is gonna deliver you into mine hand. You hear me. You are history."
Its hard, sometimes, to speak faith when you are so sick you can't hold your head up or you are losing everything you own because you have lost your job. Life is unfair brothers and sisters, but God is fair and does not have respect of persons. He will do for you what He has done for others. Know someone who got healed? Well, God will heal you too. Know someone who was losing everything but God intervened and paid off all their bills. He will do the same for you.
Prophesy to your giant:
Tell the devil like it is. That you are the WINNER and he is the LOSER. You will be stating a fact. God will back us up and answer our prayers if we will only speak HIS WORD and put it to the test. We have power over all the power of the enemy. We need to tell our problem good-bye in the name of JESUS. We need to start taking authority over our adversary, the devil.
Conclusion:
Verses 48-51,
David done what he prophesied he would do, he killed the giant and cut off his head.
SUMMARY:
1. Accept the challenge: Is something bugging you? Stand up to it.
2. Take confidence: Remember what God has done for you already.
3. Have faith: Faith comes by hearing the Word. In order to have faith you must hear it first. Find a good church and attend faithfully.
4. Arm yourself for Battle: Don't go out and try to fight the giants in your life naked and unarmed. That would be stupid and dangerous. An army of soldiers prepares for battle by training and dressing the part; we are to do the same. And don't forget your weapons.
5. Withstand adversity: When the devil hollers boo, don't run scared. A lot of people have faith to win in the beginning of a battle. But when their adversary, the devil, runs by and says boo, they get scared and run. You can't fight running. You can only fight standing.
6. Speak Faith: Its one thing to have faith, which is stated in number 3, and another to speak it. If you don't use this mighty weapon, it won't work. If you don't hold a gun and point it at an intruder in your home, it won't scare him. The devil isn't scared of you if you don't use your weapon. First,protect yourself by holding up the shield of faith and saying, devil you can't harm me and then speak God's Word into your problem and watch the devil flee.
7. Prophesy: Don't be afraid to prophesy your victory. If you have done all the above steps, you should be ready to do battle.
