The Battle is the Lord's

We all are going to face giants. We all will be on battlefields where we will face things bigger than we are, things we cannot defeat on our own. Many of us will freeze as we face these giants, not knowing what to do. As we step onto the battlefields of life, we have no idea what to do.

A giant can come in many shapes and sizes. We will have relationship problems. Some of us grapple with plans for the future. Our level of faith will determine how we face these challenges.

By looking at David and the five stones he picked up on his way to slay the giant, we will learn how God wants us to handle our own battles. For me, those five stones represent how we should handle our battles.

First, we must listen to God’s voice. Prior to this battle, David heard his brothers report that this mighty warrior had been out for 40 days taunting the Israelite army and blaspheming God. When David arrived on the scene, he saw the situation differently.

His perspective was a lot like Joshua and Caleb’s when they first scouted the Promised Land. They trusted in God that He would go before them and fight those giants. David said the same thing: He trusted in the Lord. This wasn’t the only time he trusted in God’s guidance. In 1 Chronicles 14, David again listened to God’s voice before he went to battle, and as it says in the NLT, the Lord burst through the enemies. This trust in God's guidance is what we should strive for in our own battles.

Too often, we wait until we are in trouble before turning to God. By then, the consequences of our actions are already unfolding. Most of the time, we ask God to come in and save us as a last resort. Instead, we should have gone to him first! Like David, we can receive incredible help and avoid serious trouble.

The second stone can represent the gifts that God has given us. David didn't wait until he was older to fight Goliath. He didn't wait till he had more experience. He didn't wait till he was stronger. He didn't follow a workout plan to get into better shape before he faced Goliath. He used what he already had. And he wasn't about to use something he was unfamiliar with.

David knew that when he fought the lion and bear, it wasn’t himself who won those battles. It was God. David wasn’t cocky, he was confident in what God would do. He was bold in that God was going to be with him. With that boldness in God, that slingshot and a handful of rocks became a powerful weapon to defeat a giant.

God wanted David to use what he had already given him. He didn’t want David to wait until he knew more or had more experience; he wanted him to use what he already had to step out in faith.

The same is true for us. Some of us think, well, when I grow, learn, or get more experience, I can fight this giant I'm facing. But God wants you to step out in faith. Apply what you know to be true.

Use what you have, and let God work. Let God work through you. Let God work in your circumstances. Psalm 18:39 assures us that God equips us with strength for battle, humbling our adversaries. Remember, the gifts God has given you are not to be underestimated. They are powerful tools in your battle.

The third stone is remembrance. Remember to keep your eyes on the Lord who fights with us. In the story, David wasn’t concerned with the size of his problem. As giant as Goliath was, God was bigger. David was assured that he wasn’t alone.

He remembered a day when a wild lion came out of the forest and attacked his sheep. And he went after him and killed him and delivered the sheep out of his mouth. And the LORD delivered me out of the paw of the lion!"

David remembered, "When facing lions, trust God. He always gives the victory!" But that’s not the only memory of trusting in God. He again remembers when a bear came out of the forest and attacked the flock. And, the LORD delivered me out of the paw of the bear. David again remembers that when facing bears, trust God. He always gives the victory!

What made David so determined to defeat Goliath was the same thing motivated him to kill the lion and the bear. As the shepherd of the flock, he protected the sheep. So, he killed the attackers and delivered the sheep. When it came to Israel, David had already been anointed to be the next king of Israel. In effect, he was their shepherd. When he saw the people being attacked by Goliath, he just reacted with the heart of a shepherd.

The fourth stone is to rely on God, not our own abilities. Even though Goliath has been mocking the army for 40 days, David shows up talking smack back to Goliath. He tells him that God is going to hand him over, and David will cut off his head. David adds a little more salt to the wound when he says that the whole world will know there is a God in Israel.

David is not out there for his own glory. This is what God wants to do in our battles. God wants to be glorified in how you handle crises.

When we place our trust in Him, God empowers us to face our battles. He instills in us the boldness and confidence to share our faith, knowing that all things are possible with Him. With God, we are not just conquerors, but more than conquerors. He desires us to live our lives with the assurance of His presence.

Unfortunately, many of us, even if we've entrusted our lives to Christ, live with the eyes of our hearts shut. Instead of having boldness and confidence, we often respond in fear and shut down. Our goal is not to look stupid. As a result, we don't have the boldness and the confidence God wants us to have to face life's battles properly.

The last and fifth stone will represent our experience. David had already experienced God fighting his battles. He knew that God would give them the battle, but many of us must experience it with our own eyes to believe also. I would say some of us are from the show me state Christians; we must see it to believe it.

Some of you don't yet know that resurrection power and hope in Jesus because the eyes of your hearts haven't been fully opened. You’re still facing giants in your own strength, focusing on the circumstances instead of God. And you’re still listening to other voices, and not God's.

So, how do we transition from knowing something in our head to knowing it in our hearts? In Ephesians 1:18, Paul says we must experience the hope and power to which God has called us. Paul wants us to apply the information we have received and allow our knowledge to impact our lives.

We can't just go to church, hear the truth, and not apply it. We've got to put it into practice. As we use the truth that we know, step out in faith, and practice it in our situations in obedience to God, we will see God's faithfulness. The eyes of our hearts will be enlightened, and we will know we have hope. We will know that God's power is guiding us.

God simply wants us to obey, to step out in faith. He will take care of the details. Victory is won when our faith in God is exercised!

What giants are you facing? What battles are you in? Are you facing something overwhelming? Are you facing something bigger than you? Maybe it's a health issue. Perhaps it's an addiction. Maybe it's a relationship issue. Maybe it's a financial issue. Perhaps it's an emotional issue. I pray that God would open your eyes and that you would focus on God, not on the size or power of your addiction, problem, health issue, financial issue, marital issue, or relationship issue. May you hear God's voice. Let Scripture inform the way you live. Surrender completely to God and know he will be strong in your weakness.