“THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S”

As David faced Goliath, he declared, “... know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S ...” (1 Sam. 17:47). Yes, the battle was the Lord’s, but David still had to take several steps of faith. He didn’t just say the battle is the Lord’s and then went back to tending his father’s sheep. He didn’t ask God to descend from heaven and strike Goliath dead.

Goliath was a giant of a man. He represents to us the major challenges we all face in life. Young David believed in God and knew that only He could save Israel from this giant. He told Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of LORD Almighty ... whom you have defied.” (1 Sam. 17:45)

As stated earlier, David had to do something in order to ensure that the Lord gave him victory. First, he tried putting on King Soul’s battle armour – physical weapons – but rejected them. Instead, he went to a stream and selected five – not just one or two or three, but five – well-rounded stones, which he would use in his sling. Next, he approached the giant prophesying to him and then ran towards him before slinging a stone at him.

You do not just believe in your heart that God can solve all your problems and then go to bed. God will do nothing for you unless you take some steps of faith to show Him your faith. Apostle James says faith without action is dead faith. Proof of faith is in the action taken based on what God’s word says. Yes, it is impossible to please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). But it is also impossible to exhibit faith without deeds. David tried a military uniform, dropped it, then picked up a sling and enough stones (five – the Bible number that reminds of God’s grace) to last a prolonged battle. He ran towards the giant, a sign of confidence that victory was surely his. He took five clear steps of faith after trusting God for victory.

Surprisingly, verse 1 Sam 17:50 says that David triumphed over Goliath with a sling and a stone; without a sword. One would have expected the Bible to say that God won the victory, but no. God left it to David to credit Him with the victory so that He gets the glory.

The narrative of David’s encounter with Goliath is full of lessons for all Christians. (1) Face your problems squarely and don’t try to squirm out of them because God has not given us a Spirit of fear or timidity, but of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). (2) We should not depend on carnal weapons (Soul’s armament), that is, physical tools, human abilities, tricks and schemes, but on God’s instructions in the Bible. Faith comes from God’s word as we read and meditate on it (Rom. 10:17). We should live by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). (3) Faith in God must be seen by God in the actions we take. It is foolishness to do nothing about our problems and think that God will solve them for us. He wants to see our faith in some action by us (Heb. 11:6) then He will reward us. (4) Always thank God and give him glory for every victory and achievement in your life (1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Thess. 5:18). He expects you to have this understanding. If you do, future victories will be guaranteed to you. Becoming proud in success without attributing it to God will lead to failure in the future (Prov. 16:18). Acknowledging God in all our ways keeps the door of future blessings open (Prov. 3:5-7). (5) Do not forget the victories that God gave you in the past. Prophet Elijah immediately forgot the victory God gave him over the false prophets of baal and entertained fear because Jezebel threatened to kill him. David, on the other hand, remembered how God gave him victory over a lion and a bear and believed that God who did it before can and will do it again (Philippians 1:6).