David’s Spiritual Warfare
David, Part 6
By Pastor Matt Black
19
March 2008
Midweek Prayer Meeting
1 Samuel 17:40-51
Scripture and Theme: The greatest battle preparation for David was obviously not his 19 year old body. He never went through basic training. The greatest warfare preparation that David had was spiritual warfare. Now remember, spiritual warfare takes place in this physical world. When we go to be with the Lord, the battle will be over! There is coming a day when no one will defy the armies of the living God.
1 Samuel 17:40-51, “And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands. 48 ¶ And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.”
I. First I want you to look at the Foundation that David had to fight this battle. The men of Israel were afraid, but David was not. Why?!
With a boy’s frame, David wasn’t the most athletic person on the battlefield. And to top that, he was almost completely unarmed. Against all odds, he was chosen by God. God uses the most unlikely of people.
Application: If you are a believer, you are chosen from the foundation of the Lord for this battle. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 reminds us that “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation”. Let this fill you with humility. Nothing in you impresses God. In fact Paul tells us that “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not”. My friend, we have nothing at all to glory in! “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31)!
David was made of dust, just as you and I. Those who know themselves by the grace of God to be nothing are easily recognizable.
A. David was Authentic. I love verse 37. Saul says to David, “the LORD be with thee.” And the Bible says then “Saul armed David with his armour” (verse 38). And I can just hear David thinking as Saul adds the helmet, and the coat of mail, and then he is girded with the king’s own sword—David must be thinking—‘if the Lord is with me, then why must I be armed like a Philistine?’ And so, verse 39, “David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.”
David didn’t learn to trust God in Saul’s army. God took David on his own predestined pathway to sanctification.
Application: There are no cookie-cutter soldiers in the Lord’s army. You’ve got to be your own man. I cannot fight your battles for you and you cannot fight for me. I can pray for you, but you MUST fight your own battles. You must be the person God created you to be. You cannot mirror yourself after a man, but after the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. David was Armed, By all human accounts, David did not look cut out for this battle as we hear from King Saul. He said in 1 Samuel 17:33, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
Verse 40 says that David arms himself with “five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand” and there was a “man that bare [HIS] shield [THAT] went before him”.
David had no armor, no spear, and no sword. It appears David was not trusting in his own sufficiency nor in the few simple weapons he had. His total confidence was in the power of the Lord.
The most significant battle preparation of the day was not all the armor on either side of the Valley of Elah, but a boy at a brook choosing five smooth stones.
David could look back to how Gideon fought the Mideanites or how Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. If Gideon could use trumpets and pitchers and lamps, then David could surely use a smooth stone from the brook there in the Valley.
None of the great victories of the Bible were waged with sophisticated weaponry and massive armies. Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”
2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”.
Each generation must learn to fight and to follow God. Each battle in the Bible is a new and different battle that depended on the Lord alone.
C. David was in Awe of God. He had an awareness of His greatness. The soldiers of Israel were in awe of this great warrior Goliath. In verse 23, we read, “there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?” All the men of Israel could talk about was this great giant they had seen! Verse 25, “Have you seen this man this is come up?”!
David had a different perspective. He had the RIGHT perspective. While the Israeli soldiers could only say “Have you seen this man”, David could only say “Who is this man?”—“this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (verse 26).
There is a lot of fear in our lives. Our failure to be in awe of God is reflected in our feeble witnessing.
D. David had a spiritual Authority. The church today is lacking in spiritual authority. David did not have to rehearse his words beforehand. He did not take into account what others might think of him. David’s words reveal his heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:4). David had a genuine consciousness of the greatness and majesty of God. And yet, David not only saw God high and lifted up, but He saw God as One who was near, and an Almighty God that would stoop down to David and help him.
Now here is an important truth: if you are on the Lord’s side, then the Lord will be by your side. David knew this, and so after Goliath is done spewing out his threats, David starts claiming the authority of heaven against this mere man who blasphemes the Almighty God!
He says in verse 45-47, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands”.
1. You’ve defied God.
2. God will deliver you into my hands.
3. I will kill you
4. I will cut your head off
5. In fact your entire army will be defeated today!
Why is David so confident? Because he’s living as if God is real! He is an evangelist on that field! He is preaching the Gospel in a sense! He says “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Application:
· You have the spiritual authority to GO “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
· You also have the spiritual authority to resist the devil’s temptations, just as Jesus did, by confidence in the Word of the Lord! James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
II. Now look at the Foe that David faced. It seemed that day that David’s greatest enemy was Goliath of Gath. It is probable according to Joshua 11:21-22[1] that Goliath was a descendant of the Anakim race of giants. But though Goliath was a giant, he was no different spiritually than any other person without the Lord.
A. Goliath’s spiritual state. Goliath was a lost man. He was just a man like you and I made of flesh and bones with an eternal soul and an eternal destiny. David’s greatest foe was not Goliath that day. Behind the confusion and fog of Goliath’s threats was a crafty and powerful being whom the Lord Jesus called “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). The one who, according to Ephesians 2:2 is now at work “in the children of disobedience” was very much at work in Goliath and in the Philistine army.
B. You see Goliath’s spiritual father was “the father of lies” (John 8:44). “The Bible clearly shows that all human beings, without exception, are helpless victims of satanic control, apart from Jesus Christ.”[2] Goliath was controlled, as all lost people are by the “rulers of the darkness of this world”, those who are filled with “spiritual wickedness” who have great, but very temporary authority (Ephesians 6:12). The same wicked forces that were dedicated to David’s destruction and are the same deadly forces dedicated to our destruction today. The devil is strategizing to destroy your soul, and that is why Martin Luther wrote these words of warning:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe--
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
C. Listen to Goliath’s threats. Like father, like son. Goliath reveals all the intentions of the wicked one. Verses 43-44, “And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field”.
Words are just words. The tongue of the enemy has a great effect if we allow it. James says James 3:5-6, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
Goliath’s threats were powerful, but they were all false. Basically Goliath made three false statements.
1. Lie #1: You are nothing. Verse 42, “when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” He says, ‘You’re coming to me with sticks, do you want to play catch, as if I am your pet dog?’ You are nothing!! Don’t believe the lie that you are nothing and have no purpose. It is true outside of Christ you are nothing but a wretch! But in Christ, you are adopted! You are a joint heir with Christ. You are omnipotent until God is through with you!
2. Lie #2: You are cursed. Verse 43, “And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” In other words, you are nothing, and by the power of my gods, you will never be anything! Don’t ever listen to the lies of the world that you have to follow their way to be something. Goliath’s gods had no power. There is only one living and true God, and if you know Him you are BLESSED beyond anything you can imagine!
3. Now here is Lie #3: I have the power to end your life. Verse 44, “And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field”. David knew that God appoints the day of life and death. Always remember that. We have nothing to fear but the true and living God. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 12:4, “I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
Application: This world has many threats and curses.
Ø It says, “If you don’t have the latest and the greatest you’ll be cursed! You’ll be unhappy!”
Ø It says you’ve got to have friends and be well liked to be happy.
Ø It says to the married—you’re marriage was a mistake, even though God says that he’s worked all things, including your marriage after the counsel of His own will!
Ø It says to the singles—I must be married to be happy, and God says, be content in Me alone!
David didn’t listen to the boasting giant. His attitude was like Jeremiah’s in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me”
III. Now look at the Fight that David Fought!
A. David’s Battle Strategy: Verses 47, “the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands”. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).
B. David’s Battle Action: how he responds and implements his philosophy
David began running as fast as he could. Suddenly, David kneeling by the brook, but he is RUNNING. He’s not running away, but toward the giant!! Verse 48, “And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” David’s brothers can’t believe their eyes—their little brother is going to embarrass them in his death! King Saul is probably beside himself in worry, watching this young musician that served in his court commit suicide. The moment is so quick, it hardly registers in the eyes of the armies that are watching. David runs as fast as he can with his shield bearer in front. Two or three swings of his sling and one of the five smooth stones is catapulted into the air. Verse 49, “David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.”
In a moment the boasting giant has that rock sunk into his forehead. He crumples the ground. The entire army flees. There was a rout that day of the Philistines!
Conclusion: The only person fully in touch with God that day in the Valley of Elah is David. He understood spiritual warfare in all of life’s battles. He made history that day. David did this he said in verse 46 “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” And they know. Do your friends and neighbors see the spiritual victories in your life?