The Strength of a Warrior

Tonight I am going to talk to you about a well-known man in Scripture. In fact, he is the only guy in the Bible to be referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.” Now… how many guys in the room tonight would like to have that kind of a reputation?

David wasn’t perfect… while David had a great tack record as warrior and king, he also made a few mistakes along the way. But there is something important about his life… about the way he handled the challenges that came his way… David’s strength… was found in the Lord.

Even in the moments when it looked like the man was down and out, David relied on the strength of the Lord to carry him through. And this is way we are going to look his direction as we talk about the “Strength of a Warrior.”

First off, what is a warrior?

Defined, a warrior is a brave or experienced soldier or fighter. A warrior is familiar with the battlefield. A warrior is familiar with the front line. A warrior is willing to stand toe to toe with the enemy to defend and to defeat. A warrior does NOT back down… a warrior will not quit.

As we looked and prayed for a theme this year for the conference, God laid in on my heart to move on the warrior theme. Why? Because if there was ever a day in our culture that we needed men of God… warriors for God’s kingdom to rise up… TODAY IS THAT DAY.

Spiritual warfare is a real thing. We stand for the real God and stand against a very real enemy. And Scripture reveals to us who that enemy is in Ephesians 6:12.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So much has changed in so little time… The enemy is attacking this world on multiple fronts and if we are not careful, we can become overwhelmed with all that is going on.

The enemy is attacking families, the enemy is attacking identity. The enemy is attacking morality, unity, and freedom. The enemy is attacking purpose, he is attacking souls… he is attacking… what it means to even be a man.

We know these attacks, we have felt these attacks, we have seen the damaging effects of these attacks in our communities and cultures. What the enemy would LOVE for us to do tonight is take a position of passivity. What the enemy would LOVE for us to do is be satisfied in indifference. What the enemy would LOVE for us to do is simply overlook all that is going on...

But here’s the deal men of God… here’s the deal warriors of Jesus Christ… Instead of overlooking the attacks of the enemy, God has called us to overcome through Jesus Christ! Jesus promised His disciples that we would face trouble in this world… but that verse finished out with Jesus saying… John 16:33

John 16:33 NIV

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

What we need to realize right out the box is that in Christ, the battle has already been won! In Christ, the enemy has already been overcome. The darkness is no match for the light of Jesus Christ!

If you need a good solid reminder of this victory, take time to read Romans 8 this weekend.

This chapter reminds us that in Christ, there is no condemnation. In Christ we have died to sin and have been set free from sin. In Christ, we no longer operate according to the flesh but by the Spirit. In Christ we are more than conquerors. It is the chapter where we find the reminder Romans 8:31

Romans 8:31 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

This is gospel truth tonight, guys! But the key in in living victoriously over the attacks of the enemy is living as David lived - the warrior for Christ finds his strength… His TRUE strength... in the Lord!

When we talk about this word… strength… our minds can go a lot of different directions.

Maybe your mind goes to the weight room. Maybe your mind goes to what you can do with your muscles, your stamina, your endurance, and your determination.

All of this is good but guys… when it comes to spiritual warfare, this strength will eventually run out and let you down.

Maybe your mind goes to the strength of your mind, your emotions, your ability to process, understand and reason. Maybe your strength is the ability to think things through or mentally problem solve the situation to completion.

Again, this is a great strength… but in the arena of spiritual warfare, this strength will eventually run out and let you down.

Maybe your mind goes to tools or weapons that make a person strong. Maybe your mind goes to horsepower, gunpowder, things that go boom. Maybe you build, you develop, you modify, you redesign in order to meet the demands that are ahead.

I’m a tool guy and a garage junkie and this is right up my alley… but in the arena of spiritual warfare, this strength will eventually run out and let you down.

Gentlemen, God has called us to overcome… not overlook the attacks of the enemy and we will need His strength as we aim to fulfill that call He has placed on our lives.

He has called us to be warriors in our homes, warriors in our communities. Warriors in the workplace, in the marketplace, and in the public place. God has called us to the front line, not the side line. He desires for us to engage and to be the light to this world He has called us to be.

So like David, a man after God’s own heart, WE NEED TO FIND OUR STRENGTH IN GOD.

Our text this evening comes from my favorite passage in the Old Testament. We are going to look at a classic… a story about David and Goliath.

Now I get it… some might be thinking, “Wait just a second preacher… I thought I came to a men’s conference. Isn’t David and Goliath a story to be taught in Children’s Church? Isn’t this a child-like teaching… a tale between a young man and a giant?”

This story is FAR from being one that is reserved for children’s ministry only. It is a story that shows us what can happen when we choose to overlook… and what can happen when we choose to overcome. It is a story that illustrates the spiritual fights we encounter daily. And guys, I would venture to say this… if we had a few more David’s taking on the spiritual Goliath’s of our day… we wouldn’t find ourselves in the position we are in as a culture!

1 Samuel 17 is where you find the account. Turn to the text and have that in front of you as I paraphrase what took place.

The Israelite’s and Philistines did not get along very well. Both had drawn up battle lines against each other and a valley stood between them. The Philistines… had a secret weapon. These guys had a representative of their strength. This guy was the “face” if you will or the might of the Philistine army. His name… Goliath. His appearance… was terrifying.

Goliath was roughly 9’9” tall. This dude was enormous.

His armor weighed roughly 125 pounds. The tip of his spear was about 15 pounds. This dude was the real deal giant.

Goliath would go to the valley and threaten the Israelite army. “If your champion can take me down, we will be your slaves. But if I defeat your guy, you will be our slaves.” But what he said next is what shook the Israelite army to it’s core. 1 Samuel 17:10-11

1 Samuel 17:10–11 NIV

Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.

The Israelites would hide in their tents for for forty days and would take this verbal abuse. No one took to the battlefield. No one would stand against this beast of a man.

But then comes… David. David was sent by His father to bring supplies to his brothers who were in the Israelite army. When he arrived… he heard first hand the rant of the giant. David was a shepherd, not a warrior… but David knew ALL ABOUT God’s ability and deliverance.

When David heard the boasting and ranting of Goliath… he did not respond in fear as the rest of the army did. 1 Samuel 17:26 tells of his response.

1 Samuel 17:26 NIV

David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

David recognized the enemy for who he was in light of God’s ability to deliver: The enemy had already been defeated. Someone just needed to go to the valley to let him know of his defeat! David was NOT about to overlook… he was gonna see to it that this enemy was overcome.

David’s strength was not found in his military training. David’s strength was not found in the uniform he wore or lack thereof. David’s strength was not found in his appearance or his own personal might. David found his strength in God.

Remember the definition of a warrior. Brave or experienced… David’s experience came from his work not on the battlefield, but from the shepherd’s field.

David was given the responsibility to protect his Father’s flock. and NOTHING was going to bring harm to those sheep so long as David was watching over them.

He fought off lions… and won the battle. He fought off bears… and won the battle. He took on predators much larger than he and watched them run or took their life. He trusted in God to deliver him.

How do we know this to be true today? Because of the conversation he had with Saul, the king of the Israelites, concerning his desire to take on Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:34-37

1 Samuel 17:34–37 NIV

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

And those final words are words I want all the warriors in this room to take to heart. THE LORD BE WITH YOU! The Lord IS with you!

The question is… are you with the Lord? Do you find your strength in Him? Do you have a relationship with the One who will make you an overcomer?

Tonight I want to show you two things that David’s trust in the Lord helped him overcome. Again, the enemy wants you to cower in your tent… to run from the fight… to allow the enemy to advance unchallenged.

He might be calling things out in your marriage. He might be calling things out in your family. He might be calling things out in your mind or thought life. I would challenge you, men of God, to rise up and remind the devil that he has already been defeated!

Because David’s Strength was found in God… He was Able to Walk Past the Nay-Sayers

Before David walked to the front line, he had to walk through the cowering camp. Before David fought the giant… he had to first face the nay-sayers.

What is a nay-sayer? A nay-sayer is someone who would speak discouragement or negatively toward the call or direction that God has placed on your life. A nay-sayer is one who does not operate in faith… but in fear. But perhaps the most critical thing to realize about a nay-sayer is… most often a nay-sayer has bought into the lie of the enemy. Many times, they have allowed the enemy to rob them of their strength… and in turn, they attempt to rob others of their strength.

This is certainly the case in David’s story.

As soon as David showed interest in taking on the giant, the nay-sayers began to pounce. Remember, these guys had been listening to the giant’s rants for forty days! Goliath’s lies had become their reality.

Davids brother rebuked him and accused him of having improper motives. (V. 28) “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”

Saul originally called out David’s youth and even tried to change his appearance by placing his armor on David.

This is what I would offer tonight: these actions, if taken to heart by David, had the potential to bring more devastation to David’s life than the actions of the giant in the valley.

When the Enemy tries to rob you of your strength in God.

I recently walked through a severe medical struggle that I am still having issues with to this day. Covid, along with strep throat, turned into double pneumonia, that was hiding a blot clot in my right lung, that killed a portion of my right lung, and has led to long-lasting complications in my body.

I’ll never forget something that took place in the ICU room in Hastings Nebraska. It was our first night there, My wife was trying to sleep in a chair, and if you’ve ever tried to sleep in a hospital as a patient, you know you don’t get much sleep.

I was awake, I was struggling to breathe. I could say three words without gasping for air. I was in pain. I was listening to all the beeping sounds, felt all the IVs and was tangled up in wires and cords. And as I sat there in the dark… I heard a voice speak to my spirit… and it wasn’t the voice I wanted to hear. The enemy spoke to me and said, “Look what I did… I took your strength away.”

Now if you can’t tell, I was not much of the athletic type in school, I was built for music. I have been a singer and musician all my life. My lungs, my air capacity and diaphragm have always been my strength. And in that moment… the enemy wanted me to believe that my strength was gone. And, I’ll be honest… I began to believe him.

The next day I began to speak to the lie and affirm it as truth. I told nurses, “my lungs were my strength. This is where I used to be strong.” I began to repeat the words of the enemy and accept his lie as reality.

That night, I heard from a different voice. I was down. Mentally and emotionally I was down. And God began to speak to my Spirit. He said, “Do you still have breath in your lungs?” And I verbally answered Him, Yes I do. Then He brought to mind Psalm 150:6 that reads

Psalm 150:6 NIV

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

God moved me from a place of pity to a place of praise. And I began to sing the chorus of a song titled “Promises.” Great is your… faithfulness to… me. Great.... is your faithfulness… to me… from the rising.... son to the… setting same I will.... praise Your name.... Great is… Your faithfulness to… me.”

In that moment, God reminded me that my strength was not found within… but it is found in the One who breathed life into these lungs in the first place. I decided I wasn’t going to listen to the voice of the enemy, but I was going to trust in the promises of God!

And herein lies the key to facing the nay-sayers. The key is to trust in the Word of the Lord OVER the word of the nay-sayers.

David didn’t flinch at the word of the nay-sayers. He recognized that they were trying to rob him of his true strength - his trust in God.

Listen guys, the nay-sayers might be saying your marriage is history, your relationship with your kids is toast, your job is a dead end, your purpose is meaningless, your influence is non-existent, your voice is unheard and your ability to fight is gone. The enemy wants you to surrender to his words… the enemy wants you to believe you have been defeated.

It’s time we stop looking inward for our strength and to look upward to our deliverer. It was David’s trust in God that enabled him to walk past all those who said no you can’t. IN Christ… YES WE CAN!

Because David’s Strength was Found in God... He was Able to Meet the Enemy on the Front Line.

Once he made it through the camp, he found himself on the battlefield. David was know standing in the valley in front of a true giant. David’s trust in God helped him to overcome the fear that would have caused him to stay in the camp.

In this moment, the giant and the shepherd exchange a few words.

When Goliath saw David, Scripture says in 1 Samuel 17:42-44

1 Samuel 17:42–44 NIV

He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

Goliath was sizing David up and he scoffed… he laughed at the idea that this boy was the best that the Israelite army had to offer. What he didn’t realize was… not only was he the best the army had to offer… he was God’s chosen instrument for this occasion.

David didn’t back down. 1 Samuel 17:45-47 records his response.

1 Samuel 17:45–47 NIV

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. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

And then it happens. Goliath moves towards David, and David… RUNS to the front line (v. 48). David didn’t pull back… he advanced. David did not hesitate… he closed the distance. David not only believed that God would deliver him… he ACTED on that belief.

The enemy will do all he can to try to make you back down. The enemy will try all he can to cause you to overlook and be indifferent. Yet, so long as we we find our strength in the Lord, God will give us the ability and the strength we need to take on enemy and overcome.

I believe God is calling for some of you to come back to the front line. I believe God is calling some of you to close the distance… to get back to the battlefield.

Maybe you tried to fight and became tired. Maybe you tried to fight and became overwhelmed. Maybe you tried to fight and the fight was bigger than you realized. Then guys… maybe it’s time to stop relying on your own strength and time to start relying on the strength found in the Lord!

God is calling you back to the front line. He is calling you to meet the challenges ahead… but in that calling He is promising to give you the strength and encouragement you need! David was NEVER alone in the battlefield, God was ALWAYS WITH HIM!

God will give you the strength you need to stand on the front line of battle. We need to believe this… but we also must place action to the belief. The giant… in David’s case, would not have gone done if David had not advanced.

Because David’s Strength was Found in God… The Enemy was Sent Packing

David not only advanced and killed Goliath with the sling, he took the head off the giant with the giant’s own sword. David overcame through the strength and deliverance of God.

And in that moment… I want you to see what happened.

First, he completely shut down the giant who, for forty days, had the Israelite army defeated with fear. This giant of a man came down with a direct hit from a slingshot.

Secondly, he silenced the nay-sayers and helped to restore their trust in the Lord.

Third, he sent the enemy packing. With Goliath dead and the Israelite army reawakened, the Israelites pursued the now fleeing Philistines and left their dead scattered throughout the region.

In ONE amazing moment of trust, faith, and obedience, the enemy was defeated and the people of God were restored. And it was all credited to one man who’s trust in God never wavered.

One man… can make a difference. One man… can change it all. One man… can go the distance… so long as that one man is dependent on God.

And our ability to overcome instead of overlook has been gifted to us because of the actions of one man… who gave his life on the cross… and made those who believe in Him MORE THAN CONQUERORS.

Church… in this time of spiritual warfare, now is not a time to cower… now is a time to conquer. Now is not a time to retreat… now is the time to advance. Now is not a time to sit on the side line… now is a time to rush to the front line. NOW IS A TIME TO TRUST IN JESUS, TO TRUST IN HIS VICTORY, AND TO TRUST IN HIS POWER.

God is looking for warriors… God is looking for men that will trust in the One man who gave His life that we might be free! God is looking for men that will silence the nay-sayers with faith, who will rush to the front line through trust, and who will overcome the enemy through strength found in the Lord! Are you willing to be that man tonight?

I do not know what kind of battles you are facing this evening, but God does. And he knows the strength you are going to need to make it through.

First, you need to make sure your heart is in alignment with his. Let’s be real for a moment… some of these battles might be because we have allowed for sin to be in the camp unchecked. We need to get that sin under the blood. We need to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

PRAYER - Forgiveness of sin

Secondly, you might feel tired. You might feel intimidated. You might feel like the enemy has robbed you of your strength, of your ability to press on. Tonight, it’s time we find new strength in our God.

Isaiah 40:31 tells us

Isaiah 40:31 KJV 1900

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.

Tonight… we need to wait on Him. Tonight we need to place our hope and faith in Him. Tonight, we need to get in these altars and allow the Lord to restrengthen us and renew us. Will you be that one man… that man who pursues the heart of our God… that man that will stand in the face of the enemy in the strength of our God?