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Truth Seekers Newsletter
April 20, 2008: Being Prepared for Life’s Battles: David and Goliath
[Truth Seekers Home]
Today we begin our new series called "Tell Me A Story." The Bible is filled with stories! It was one of Jesus' favorite ways of teaching. He would talk about something that people knew ... and then He would teach something new, comparing it to what they already knew.
In this series, we will look at some known (and some lesser known) Bible Stories. We will see if they really are as we remembered them from when we heard them as children ... or whether there might be some grown up lessons God wants to teach us now.
David and Goliath
Today we will look at David, who at first look, appeared to be the underdog, but wasn't. And we'll look at Goliath, who appeared to be the all powerful, unconquerable giant of evil, but wasn't. But before we go out to watch their battle, we need to get prepared ourselves.
Be Prepared!
The Girl Scout motto I learned long ago was right ... be prepared. No army or sports team wins without advance preparation. Do you think David knew when he got up that morning that before the day was out he would have killed a giant? No! But when the opportunity presented itself, he was prepared.
How to Prepare
Armies or sports teams study the other side. They learn their tactics. What are they likely to do? If something worked for them before, they are likely to try it again. The team studies themselves. Where are they strong? Where have they been sacked before?
We would do well to look at the situations we have already experienced in life. When we did well, what did we do or not do? When we didn't do so well, what did we do or not do? Remember your times of challenge and use the knowledge you gained from them.
Look at other Christians ... those who have been successful and those who have experienced nasty falls. Learn what led to victory for them and what led to falls. You don't have to experience everything personally to learn from it. You can learn from others.
Dress Right to Identify Yourself!
When that football team comes roaring out on the field, how do we know it is our team? They are dressed in uniforms that clearly mark them as our side. When people look at us, do we look like we belong to God's side? If we do, they may give some pause before they dare attack us. If we look like the world, we are fair game to be treated just like the world.
Dress Right to Protect Yourself!
When that football team goes out to play, do they wear their pajamas or casual wear? No! They'd get laughed off the field. They wear their coverings that say they mean business. God told us through Paul how to dress for battle. Little David knew how to dress for battle, as we will see. Let's go get suited up with him.
The Full Armor of God! Know Whose Uniform You Are Wearing!
Read Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul reminds us from the beginning that any strength we have comes from God. We can physically, mentally or emotionally train, but ultimately the outcome is going to depend upon how well we listen to our Coach and do what He says. The Good News is that He will not be on the bench. He will not be running up and down the field, yelling at us. He will be with us, inside of us.
It is a good idea at the beginning of any day to repeat the truth from Ephesians 6:10. Lord, my strength comes from Your Mighty Power within me!
Verse 11 tells us to put on all of God's Armor so that we may stand safe against all the strategies and tricks of satan. Satan comes in many forms. Today we will think of him as our enemy, the evil force that is trying to defeat the side of good on which we stand. God tells us if we will put on all of His Armor, we will be able to stand against all the tricks of evil. That's a pretty good deal. We put on ALL of God's Armor and we can stand against ALL of the enemy's tricks.
Who Are We Fighting?
Many people lose the battle because they get confused about who they are fighting. Verse 12 warns us that the other team may look like us, but inside they are not like us. We should never forget that the goal of the other side is to take us down. And we learned from verse 11, they are tricky. Don't get distracted into fighting with each other or blaming each other for any temporary losses. God's Team must stand together in God's Strength.
Use What You've Got!
Verse 13 tells us to use every piece of God's Armor. Sometimes we have God's Armor, but we don't use it! We go to church and hear the Word, but we fail to use it outside the church. Or when a big challenge comes, we roll out a few things from God's Armor, but when the fighting gets ugly, we cave because we have not used all we have with us. If you want victory, put on all of God's Armor and use it all!
Verse 13 promises if we do that, when it is all over, we will be standing up!
What Does God's Armor Look Like? - The Belt of Truth
Paul spells it out for us. First put on the strong belt of Truth. Go into battle knowing what you believe and what you don't. The first thing the other side will try to do is confuse you about whether you are right. Remember all the way back in the Garden of Eden, one of the devil's first ways of planting doubt in Eve's mind was to simply ask a question ... "Did God really say that?"
Truth means you have studied ahead of time and you know what you believe and what you don't! And don't change it under the pressure of battle!
The Breastplate of God's Approval
What else do we have? We have the breastplate of righteousness. I like the translation of the Living Bible that calls it the Breastplate of God's Approval. A breastplate covers the heart, lungs and other vital organs to our survival. If a person gets discouraged, they are sometimes said to have "lost heart."
If you have entered a battle under God's Approval, know the Truth and do not lose heart. Advance!
Shoes to Speed Us On!
What else do we need? We're not going barefooted. God knew how important it would be for us to have the proper shoes. Verse 15 tells us we need shoes that will speed us on as we preach the good news of Peace with God. God does not want us to enter the battle timidly. Once we know under Whose Power we are going, and we know the Truth, and we have protected our heart and committed it to the mission at hand, God wants us to speed onward to the mission. Not put one foot out and see if we get shot at ... but speed on confidently!
The Shield of Faith
What if they shoot at us? Know this! The enemy will shoot at you. It is not a matter of "will they?" They will. So what will we do? Paul tells us that we need faith as our shield. When the enemy throws doubt your way, put up your shield, and let his taunts just fall to the side.
The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit
We are not just playing a defensive game. We are playing an offensive game! So we also put on the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit.
A helmet protects our heads ... our brains. One of the enemy's last tactics is to try to convince you that what you are doing does not make sense. How many good Christians have used every part of the Armor of God and are advancing to victory when a thought comes to them? This does not make sense! I can't do this!
Peter walked on water until that thought came to him. He took off his helmet for a moment and his thought life was not protected. He fell.
What is the Sword of the Sprit? Paul seems to be saying, "I'm glad you asked." In Verse 17, he tells us the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. How did Jesus defeat satan in the desert? In response to everything satan brought up, Jesus calmly quoted the Word of God, which is the Sword of the Spirit. The Word of God has Power in itself. But you have to have it with you ahead of time ... inside of you ... not marked in a Bible at home. Learn the Word. Put it in Your Heart. And when challenges come, pull out that Word and quote it! The enemy will fall.
Now that We're Dressed, What Do We Do Next?
Paul tells us to pray all the time. As we are advancing, it is imperative that we recognize that our Coach is with us. He will be giving us directions on every move and He wants us to talk to Him. We are not going up against the giant alone!
Having prepared ourselves by putting on the full armor of God, let's go out to that valley where David met Goliath. The Philistines represent satan's side. David and the Israelites represent God's side. Both armies are lined up across from this valley, just looking at each other.
Checking Each Other Out
If God's team was prepared, why didn't the Israelites attack? Afraid? Not sure what the enemy would do? Do you think it is a good strategy to wait around and see what the enemy will do? If someone were breaking into your home, would you wait to see what they were going to take ... or would you stop them in their tracks?
Finally, out comes Goliath. He was a mountain of a man, nine feet tall! And he was covered by a whole bunch of armor. He called for a one on one battle. Send someone out to fight me! Messengers of evil always try to make it a one on one battle with us. They try to take people down, one at a time.
How did the Israelites react to Goliath's challenge? They were dismayed and frightened! Now, don't miss this! How long did this go on? For 40 days and nights, twice a day, Goliath did this! Why do you think he kept this up? Couldn't the Philistines have deduced by now that the Israelites were chicken? Why didn't they just take them?
The Strategy of Fatigue
The evil one wears us down by coming to us again and again. We get his message that he is not giving up. We end up using all our energy to stay alert and on the defense. The enemy does not have to risk losing any of his army. He wears us down simply by exhausting us.
Ain't It Awful???
David arrives on the scene. He is just a young wiper snapper. He has just brought some food to his brothers and he hears this giant. He sees the Israelites running away in fear. So he asks what is going on.
The Israelite soldiers tell him, including how awful it is. Have you ever had someone tell you about a bad situation and you got in on the "ain't it awful" part ... and you just commiserated out the gi-zoo, but neither of you took any action? Another of the evil one's tactics ... keep everyone talking instead of doing.
The Logical Question
David asked the logical question. "Who is this heathen Philistine, anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the Living God?" David called a spade a spade. It was not just the Israelite's honor on the line. It was that they were representing the Living God!
The next time you are getting beaten to a pump, remember Who you are representing. When you are facing a battle, many people are watching to see how you handle it. You are representing God!
Remember God's Salvation of the Past!
David tells Saul, the Commander of the Army that he will take care of the giant. When Saul expresses doubt, David recounts all the times in the past he has faced great challenges and the ways in which God brought him through.
When you are facing a battle, remember the other battles you faced and how God brought you through. Testify to yourself and thank God all over again. This strengthens our faith.
Putting on the Full Armor of God
Saul tried to give David the same armor that Goliath had, but David couldn't move! He took it off. He chose to wear God's Armor instead of the armor of the world. (See previous newsletter for putting on the full Amor of God!)
And David took the things God had already put in his hands. He took his Shepherd's Staff, sling and five smooth stones from a stream.
Of course, Goliath started mouthing, but David didn't stop. He had the shoes to speed him on his way. He let that giant know he was coming in the Name of the Lord, who Goliath had defied!
David was clear about how the battle would be won. He told Goliath, "The Lord will conquer you!" David also knew that there was another important part to his mission. In 1st Samuel 17: 47, David says, "Israel will learn that the Lord does not depend on weapons to fulfill His Plans." Not only was David teaching the Philistines a lesson, he was teaching his own chicken hearted people.
So What Happened?
David slew Goliath by using what the Lord had given him ... skills, tools, faith, the Word of God put in place long before that day. The giant fell!
The Israelites, filled with faith, were then moved to action and they rushed into battle. Sometimes it is the faith of one person that spread to others and mountains are moved. But it takes one person stepping forward in the Name of the Lord! Be that person!!
Interesting Post Script
About a week after teaching this lesson, we found that Jay will have to have surgery on May 13th for a ruptured cervical disc. I was driving down Harrodsburg Road, ventilating to the Lord, about this next challenge in our lives. I said, rather off hand, "So is this the next giant we have to deal with?"
I stopped at the next stop light and looked up at the garbage truck in front of me. On the top right hand side, it said, "Goliath." In the middle of it, was the sign, "solid waste." I laughed and then cried at God's wonderful sense of timing and sense of humor ... and the wonderful way in which He speaks ... even by way of a garbage truck!
I'm taking this as a clear message that this "giant" will also fall and the battle will be won by the Lord! Please agree in prayer with us!
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