Mighty in Battle, Pt. 2

“Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:8 (NASB)

We’ve seen that Ephesians 6:12 tells us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We cannot fight such evil in our own strength, so we’re told to clothe ourselves in God’s strength and then to stand firm. Though we can’t fight the enemy, God is well able, and if we stand in Him, He will bring the victory.

David knew God was able. He was just a shepherd boy when God anointed him the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16: 13). God’s Spirit came upon him from that day forward, but he didn’t ascend to the throne right away. As the youngest of eight sons, he continued to look after his father’s flock and also attended King Saul as his armor bearer.

During that time, the Philistines came against Israel for battle (I Samuel 17:1). The Philistines’ army stood on one side and King Saul and the men of Israel stood on the other. Goliath, a champion of the Philistines, challenged the Israelites to choose one man who would fight him. He told them, “If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us” (17:9).

There was one problem: Goliath was huge. He stood over 9 feet tall, wore a bronze helmet, scale-armor that weighed five thousand shekels of bronze, and bronze (shin guards) on his legs, and he was heavily armed. When the men of Israel saw him and heard his words, they were so terrified they fled. For forty days, Goliath came forward with this challenge and for forty days, Israel cowered in fear.

One day, David’s father sent him to the Israelite camp to bring food to his three older brothers who were in King Saul’s army. David heard Goliath’s challenge and saw the fear in the men of Israel, including the king himself. While their eyes were on the enemy, David’s focus turned immediately to God. He said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should come against the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26).

David declared that he would fight the giant himself, but King Saul told him he wasn’t able. He was only a youth and Goliath was a warrior. But David remembered the times He’d already killed a lion and a bear to protect his flock, and he knew he wouldn’t be fighting in his own strength. He told King Saul, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (17:37). Saul put his own armor on David, but it was so uncomfortable that David took it off. It wasn’t Saul’s armor that would help him; it was God’s.

David approached Goliath with nothing but five smooth stones and a sling. Goliath cursed him, disdaining this youth who would dare to come against him. But David said, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you” (17:46). He told Goliath this would happen so that all would know that “the battle is the Lord’s” (17:47).

David ran to the battle line to meet the giant and slung one stone toward him. That stone struck Goliath square in the forehead, causing him to fall to the ground. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

We don’t need to fear the enemy. Whatever schemes he musters against us, however large and terrible they loom, God’s power is able to overcome it. We can stand and say, like David, “The battle is the Lord’s.”

Heavenly Father, when the mighty Philistines came against Israel and all the men of war were afraid, You clothed a young shepherd boy in Your strength and brought the victory. Thank You that I, too, am clothed in Your strength. May I be ever mindful that the battle belongs to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.