David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
I Samuel 17:45
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the one where David, a shepherd boy, defeats the Philistine giant. As a child, I remember thinking how courageous young David was. Now I realize that David’s courage came from his trust in Jehovah Tsebaoth, the One who enabled David to defeat the giant.
Jehovah Tsebaoth came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and defeated Satan, the giant of all times. The enemy is looking for a foothold in our lives. He is like the Philistine giant who mocks and torments us, causing us to feel defeated. He may cause us to feel defeated, but we are not defeated…we have victory through Christ. All the enemy can do is lure us into agreement with his lies so that we can feel defeated. When we agree with him, we lose perspective and forget the truth – that Christ came and defeated Satan on the cross. The enemy cannot cause defeat; he can only make you think that you are defeated.
David picked up his five stones and took off the armor of King Saul. It was nice of the king to offer David his armor; the problem is that it did not fit David. David knew that the only armor that fit was God’s armor, the truth of His Word and the truth of God’s character. He was Jehovah Tsebaoth, captain of all the hosts of armies. David only needed His captain to fight for him! And with just a few pebbles in his hand, the Lord directed his aim at the giant and the giant came down.
What giants do you face? What armor are you wearing that does not fit, that is cumbersome and preventing you from victory? Is it the armor of seeming defeat? Is it the armor of feeling overwhelmed by your enemy? Is it the armor of lies? Jesus came to earth and conquered death, offering us eternal life. He came to earth to conquer the giants we face in our everyday lives. The enemy is a defeated foe. One small stone in the form of agreeing with God’s Word will send him fleeing!
Heavenly Father, I have believed a lie. I have been discouraged and have felt defeated. I come into agreement with Your Word and break all agreements I have made with the father of lies. All victory is Yours! In Jesus’ name, Amen
