The Power of the Spirit

Attention

Everyone loves an underdog story. Which by the way is not a story of what is underneath a dog, but a story of someone overcoming impossible odds. If you ever watch a sports movie it will almost always be an underdog story. A team overcoming impossible odds. One of the most famous bible stories is also an underdog story. David and Goliath. But what we may not know about this story is what it tells us of the power of the Holy Spirit.

David and Saul Before the Fight

Throughout the Bible we can find biblical couples that are polar opposites. One example is that of Saul and David. The first two anointed kings of Israel. What is particularly interesting is how their stories are intertwined.

Before we get to the giant and sling, we have to take note of the background story between David and Saul.

Saul is anointed and has the Spirit.

When Saul is anointed king by Samuel, he is given a number of signs that he is indeed the Lord’s anointed. One of those signs is that he will prophesy with prophets. What happens here in is that Saul is filled with the Holy Spirit, and because of this the beginning of his kingly ministry is successful, until he disobeys.

Saul disobeys and Spirit leaves.

Chapters 13,14,15 showcases Saul’s disobedience. It is because of his disobedience, that the Spirit of the Lord leaves Saul. Saul had been rejected as King over Isreal and God commands Samuel to anoint another.

David is anointed King and the Spirit rushes upon him.

Chapter 16 opens with the anointing of David. David who is the youngest out of 8 sons of Jesse. When the prophet Samuel comes to Bethlehem to anoint the new king, Samuel makes his way through 7 of the brothers and with each one, God tells Samuel, not this one. In fact David is busy tending sheep.

David is anointed king and the bible tells us that the Spirit of God rushed upon him just like it did when Saul became king.

1 Samuel 16:13 ESV

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16:13

Saul is troubled so he sends for David. Saul is comforted by a young person who has the Spirit of God within him.

The last part of chapter 16 is a story of Saul and David, two anointed kings of Israel.

Saul is distrubed because the Spirit of God had departed him and a new spirit was now tormenting him. So what does Saul do? He calls for David who is identified as being close to God.

1 Samuel 16:18 ESV

18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

1 Samuel 16:

David comes to comfort Saul with music but also and more importantly with the Holy Spirit.

The man filled with the Holy Spirit comforts the man without the Holy Spirit.

David and Goliath

At the battle everyone is scared of Goliath.

Goliath is this fearsome warrior. He is a giant of a man. And everyone is terrified of him. None of the soldiers are willing to fight Goliath. Saul isn’t willing to fight Goliath. But David is. A shepherd. Why?!

Goliath defies the God of Israel.

Because Goliath defies the living God of Israel.

The soldiers are not fighting for God they are fighting for their kingdom and for Saul.

Even Saul is not fighting for God. He has disobeyed God multiple times and the Spirit of God has left him. He is fighting for his kingdom, his power, and his throne.

But David fights for a different reason. David was a shepherd and when the lion and bear attacked his flock. David wasn’t fighting for mere survival, David was fighting for his sheep whom he loved and cared for.

When David approaches Goliath he will fight because of his love for his God.

For David, Goliath isn’t merely defying Israel, Goliath is defying God.

1 Samuel 17:26 ESV

26 And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:

The soldiers of Israel fight for Saul.

Saul fights to keep his power and for his kingdom.

David chooses to fight for a different reason: his God.

David is filled with courage because of past experience.

When David tells Saul that he plans on fighting Goliath, Saul attempts to stop him.

1 Samuel 17:31–37 ESV

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

1 Samuel 17:31–34 ESV

31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock,

1 Samuel 17:31-

1 Samuel 17:31-

But David responds with experience. What kind of experience in war could a shepherd have? David recalls when a lion and a bear attacked his flock, how God gave both beasts into his hand and in the same way he would defeat Goliath.

He has this faith because God has brought him through smaller Goliaths who he was not supposed to defeat, but God prevailed.

In a similar way when we encounter trials and Goliaths in our life. They are not there because God hates us or is testing us, but God is increasing our faith. The more we trust in Him, the more we will be ready for the big giants in our life and the more our faith will grow.

David is successful and victorious not because of his strength and skill but because of his trust/faith in God.

David approaches the battle not physically but spiritually. His reasoning for winning the battle is not in his own strength or skill but in his trust and faith in God’s ability to defeat Goliath.

He has this faith because God has brought him through smaller Goliaths who he was not supposed to defeat, but God prevailed.

In a similar way when we encounter trials and Goliaths in our life. They are not there because God hates us or is testing us, but God is increasing our faith. The more we trust in Him, the more we will be ready for the big giants in our life and the more our faith will grow.

Lessons to draw from this story.

The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is critical.

Both Saul and David had access to the Holy Spirit. The difference was that one disobeyed the prompting and command of the Holy Spirit while the other obeyed and listened.

Saul’s focus was different than David’s focus. Saul focused on his greatness. He disobeyed Samuel because he cared for himself while David obeys God because of his great love for his true king.

The spiritual aspect of the story impacts the physical. David’s spiritual trust in God impacted his physical results. While Saul was reliant on his armor and sword, David was reliant on the power and protection of God. David didn’t need a sling and a stone to defeat Goliath, if he had a spoon or a stick, God would have used those items to defeat Goliath.

God doesn’t need us to become great to use us. All he needs is us. He can use us and anything we have to defeat our enemies and problems as long as we are willing to be used by God just as David was.

Are you willing? Do you want to be used by God in a powerful way?

Is there something in your life that is keeping you from being used? From letting the Holy Spirit enter your life? Have you been disobedient to the commands of the Holy Spirit? Its time to open yourselves to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If you want to be used by God we must surrender all of ourselves to God and God will do great things through us.