40 Days with Goliath - Part 3

For forty days the Philistine came forward
every morning and evening and 
​took his stand.

     This week we went to family camp at a Ranch up in a rural Washington Native American Reservation. It was beautifully situated, with the desert bluffs rising steeply above the river.
     They had many activities for the kids to be entertained, including kayaking, archery and pony riding, but, by far, the most fun were the new puppies.  Fluffy. White. Adorable.  By the end of the weekend, our children were bribing us with promises of chores, training, and sleepless puppy nights.  
     In the end, the child with the most commitments to the worst parts of puppy training got the privilege of having the puppy and naming her--"Confetti."  I wondered how he would handle this much responsibility.  Of all my kids, he can be most distracted.  Having the constant care of a complex live animal may have its challenge for him. 
     It has been amusing to watch him navigate puppy bathroom breaks during the night, barking, and general training.  He has been a diligent owner, though, and the puppy is quickly learning to obey and get along with everyone in the house. 
     In my mind it is perfect training for fatherhood.  I love watching how God takes the little things of our lives, the hard things, the joy-filled experiences, and uses them to shape who He wants us to be for His purposes and our ultimate pleasure!
     We see this in King David's life as well.  The little battles became bigger battles, and with them, bigger victories.  
    In ​Part 1, we studied the place and stance of our fight, and who our Goliaths are. In Part 2, we looked at some of the first problems David encountered before he even had to stand up to his Goliath, and how he rooted himself firmly in his identity and future.  Today, we will focus on how David negotiated closed doors, discrimination, and how to maintain an effective defense in a new battle situation.  

Fight as a Representative

31Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul;
and he sent for him. 32Then David said to Saul,
“Let no man’s heart fail because of him;
your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
​1 Sam. 17:31-32

     Since David was Saul's armor bearer, he would not have been expected to go into war unless King Saul himself was going into battle. Furthermore, David would not have had the authority to fight Goliath without permission from King Saul. At the point of David's assertions to the soldiers, the door was currently closed to the possibility of his serving the people in this way. 

     When we speak declarative words of victory through Christ, God will make sure that those who have the ability to open doors you need are moved to action. 
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      If David had offered to fight as his own representative, for his own glory and achievement, Saul likely would not have allowed him, and God would not have aided Him. David knew that the only way to fight with authority and dominion would be as a spiritual representative for the glory and kingdom of God by serving as Saul's earthly representative.  
     One question we should ask ourselves as we are preparing to fight our spiritual enemies, is “whose kingdom and glory are we pursuing?” Is it our own, or the Lord's? Are we fighting for our own selfish ambitions, or to bless others? (James 4:3) Sometimes there can be subtle differences in our motivations that may seem Godly or unselfish, but in reality are primarily to build something for our own kingdoms and desires that fail to put God's kingdom first over all. 
     If we are representing the mission and desires of the will of God, we will not fail to have His support, resources and aid. 

Tell Our Testimonies 
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And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 
1 Sam. 17:33
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     "You don't have experience. He has been fighting this fight from the beginning. You are too young, too naive, too weak, too alone to be successful in this fight." We have all heard advice that seems wise, but in reality weakens our confidence in a living God who is really the one who will be fighting our battle on our behalf.
​     For me, this sinks home as I navigate creating a space for my in-laws to live, and what that would look like in our home, with relationships, and with our time and energy resources.  It is a new and rather daunting transition for us, but David's attitude really spoke to my heart to encourage me.  
     Let's take a look at David's response to Saul's assertions of his inadequacy: 
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34But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37Moreover David said, “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.”
1 Sam. 17:34-37 
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     David told about his experience. It may not have been giants or war, but he had been faithful to depend on God in the areas that he had been placed. He equated this new battle with the previous battles, and the God who had delivered him before from the lion and bear would be the same God who would deliver him again this time. 
      When we are preparing for a new battle that we have not faced, with an enemy that seems to have the upper hand in strength, experience, and bravado, we should retell our testimonies for others to hear of how God has proved faithful in our lives in the past. We should retell and meditate on our stories for the good and encouragement of our own hearts. It is not about our strength, talents, or experience, but rather about the same God of armies who lives presently and will fight for us in this next new battle. ​
     In this next season for our family, I may not know everything that may come up or how to deal with each new transition, but I know that God has given us grace and help in each past experience, with new wisdom and energy for every new day.  
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​Spend Our Normal Days in Watchful Courage 
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     Previously, David had watched over the sheep of his father to deliver them from predators. He had spent his normal days protecting his father's sheep. Protecting Israel, the flock of God, his heavenly Father, would be no different. His close, personal combat against the lions and bears would have taken great courage. 
     We often have a deceptive idealic picture of a peaceful, pastoral setting of a shepherd with his sheep. The reality, though, is a constant watching. A guarded alertness, regardless of the immediate appearance of peace. Since a predator would most likely sneak in and attack at an unsuspecting time upon the weakest of the sheep, the shepherd would need to keep his eyes and ears alert, scanning the hills, crevices and hidden places for any sign of attack. 
      Once an attack ensued, it would call for immediate action, a sprint at full speed toward the lion or bear who would have been running away with the bleeting lamb in its jaws. Overtaking it, David would have struck the predator, causing it to drop its prey in shock and pain.
     Sometimes that would be enough to send it running away. If the predator was more than usually bold or hungry, it would attack David. David's response was not to back down, but to catch the animal by its beard, initiating face to face combat, and striking it until it was dead. It would be an intimate, intense, and adrenaline permeated fight to the death. 
     Often, though, shepherds were not so careful. The consequences were sadly destructive. If they let down their guards or became distracted, it would be too late for the lamb that would then be carried off. Even if the shepherd managed to fight the predator, the lamb would likely already be torn apart: "...The shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear....”(Amos 3:12) 
     If we, as we shepherd God's people, our families, and neighbors, are not watching carefully, not on guard, if we are sleeping or wandering, then we may not be fast or close enough to run at the enemy in time. Even a shepherd brave enough to fight would lose the lambs if he were negligent, careless, or distracted.
     Like David's lambs, people are also helpless, in need of under-shepherds to watch and keep guard over them: Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. Proverbs 28:15 (NIV) Because of this, the Apostle Paul warns Timothy, a youthful pastor/apostle, to be on his guard in caring for the needs of his flock, his church: “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Tim. 4:5 The Apostle Peter mirrors this instruction: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers;” (1 Peter 4:7) and “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). 
​     This week I was greatly exhorted and inspired to an increase in watchful prayer by Spurgeon's devotional in Streams in the Desert, June 1 Morning: 

“Perhaps there is no more subtle hindrance to prayer than that of our moods. Nearly everybody has to meet that difficulty at times....What shall we do when moods like this come to us? Wait until we do feel like praying?....If you were in a room that had been tightly closed for some time you would, sooner or later, begin to feel very miserable—so miserable, perhaps, that you would not want to make the effort to open the window, especially if they were difficult to open. But your weakness and listlessness would be proof that you were beginning to need fresh air very desperately—that you would soon be ill without it....When we are listless in prayer, it is the very time when we need most to pray. The only way we can overcome listlessness in anything is to put more of ourselves, not less, into the task...If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever.” CHARLES H. SPURGEON 

     We become sleepy when we close our windows and doors through prayerlessness and prevent the rich, energizing oxygen of the grace and power of God to enrich our lives. We see this listlessness, this drowsy sleepiness and lack of discernment of the times, come heavily upon the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus went to pray to His Father to prepare for the greatest trial they would yet encounter—His own crucifixion. 
     Our drowsy lack of discernment of an impending spiritual attack should not determine our watchful alertness in prayer. 
​     Jesus came to His disciples three times during the course of His prayer time, urging them to stop sleeping and to pray, “so that they would not enter (join in unity into) temptation” Matt 26:41). They must, indeed, suffer the temptation, but watchful prayer would be their means of securing from their heavenly Father all the grace they needed to endure it in the Spirit, with grace and holiness and faithfulness. We do not always know what the next temptation, giant or betrayal may be, so we must be watchful in all things. 

Fight with Spiritual Defenses ​
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And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 38So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.”
So David took them off. 
1 Sam. 17:37-49

     Saul had fought with this armor, but had not even experienced consistent victory using it. The victories that Saul had experienced in the Spirit had taken place before Saul had obtained armor and weaponry. Additionally, Saul was a very tall man, a full head and shoulder taller than his fellow Israelites. As David was both a youth and probably average height, he would not have fit this armor.
     Not only this, but it was a system of defense that he had not used before. Rather than enable David, it would only slow him down and create confusion between his muscles and mental coordination where he did have prior experience. The offer of armor was simply another method of distraction brought by the devil in order to entice David to place his trust and defense in the king's armor, rather than in God who would help the weak. 
     Sometimes leadership or friends may offer well-meaning advice and support, but it is unintentionally unhelpful. It may or may not have worked for them, or perhaps, as in Saul's case, they only thought it was helpful, while it never did change their outcomes. Regardless, whether it's new technology, equipment, systems or mind manipulations, these can have no true value or benefit when they are not a tool given to us by the Holy Spirit.
     Some may try to claim that if you would only teach your children through a certain type of school, then they would love Jesus. If you would only get rid of all media, tv, digital devices, then you would not be subject to temptation. If you would restrict your diet to this or that discipline or food or exercise, then you would remain free of disease and physical ailments.
     While these life changes may actually be what God is calling you to personally, more often they may be what God has used as tools in their lives, but have no value intrinsically, in and of themselves, in controlling wrong appetites or in giving delivery and victory, 
     Only when both given and used through the Holy Spirit in His power and His abundant grace can physical tools be a means to help with victory in any given area. 
     Instead of focusing on methods and tools, we should focus on the power of the Name of Jesus and the individual way and means that the Lord has used in our past regardless of our physical resources. These methods that the Holy Spirit has used in our lives previously to bring about victory are primarily the ways that He will give us victory over larger and intimidating enemies. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians because they are being led astray by the false hope that as Gentiles turning to the obedience and Covenant of the Mosaic Law they would find salvation, rather than through the blood and Covenant of Christ and obedience to the Law of Love:

2This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— Galatians 3:2-5 

     When we are to face off against a giant that is larger than we have encountered, for which we have but small experience, though indeed, it is experience, however belittled by some, we must continue to fight against these giants with the very same Spirit, authority and grace through which we have had our victories in the past. Do not be fooled by false rules, regulations, technologies, systems, media, popularity, political correct speech or any other tactic that seems in worldly wisdom to be effective, but has no real value in conquering evil in our lives: 
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These practices indeed have the appearance [that popularly passes as that] of wisdom in self-made religion and mock humility and severe treatment of the body (asceticism), but are of no value against sinful indulgence [because they do not honor God]. Col 2:23 AMP ​

Rather, as the Apostle Paul stated, 
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“3For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor. 10:3-5 ​

      What about you?  What giants are you currently facing?
    How might you navigate the giants in your life?  In your unique situation, how might you represent your heavenly Father?  Do you believe that He will provide the means and resources you need as you fight for Him?  
   Do you know anyone who is afraid of their giant, who needs to hear your words of encouragement, who needs to hear how God has been faithful to handle your problems in the past?  Who can you share your story with?  
    Perhaps this season has become one where life seems to drag, and prayer and intimate relationship with God seem far away.  How might you pursue a deeper prayer life?  
      Have you encountered any areas where a physical means to fight or fix your problem seems to present itself, but your spirit doesn't have a real peace about pursuing that way of dealing with it?  What other ways have you experienced God helping you might you pursue instead?