It Starts Small

It would be easy to allow fear or complacency to take over, but thank goodness, the Lord has given us reminders in His word that He is faithful…no matter how the battle rages on. We have spent the last 12 days on a journey in Ephesians. We have taken a deep look at what Paul said were the requirements for a battle ready soldier for Christ.

Now I want to us to look to the Word of God in understanding what is the context and meaning of “the battle belongs to the Lord.”

In 1 Samuel 17, we find one of the most famous stories from the Bible. The story of David and Goliath. Most of us probably heard the story as children and as adults were were taught it as an example of how trusting in God helps us slay the “giants” in our lives. I remember this Precious Moments bible my sister had. It had a picture of a little character standing up against a giant. listening with wide eyes as In Sunday school I was taught how David, a small shepherd boy, armed with only a slingshot and five smooth stones, defeated a giant because He trusted in God. It was amazing to think about!

But the reality was much more than a cute little picture in a children’s Bible. The Israelites were in trouble. Real trouble. The Philistine champion, a nine-foot giant named Goliath, had challenged them to send one man to fight him. And whichever man lost, that army and nation would be the other’s slaves. Fear had settled in the hearts of the Israelites, and they were “deeply shaken”.

When Saul and all Israel heard these words from the Philistine, they lost their courage and were terrified.

But David.

One day, David’s father asks him to leave his shepherding duties and take gifts to his brothers, HIs brothers were stationed in the Israelite camp.

David spoke to the men who were standing with him: “What will be done for the man who kills that Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:26

When he arrived, he heard Goliath’s taunts and asked, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” His brothers rebuked him for inquiring about the reward for killing the giant, but as word spread, David was summoned by Saul.

Saul argued that David was not able to defeat “a man of war since his youth”. David was just a boy! But little did he know, he was a boy with amazing faith. David told Saul:

Then David said, “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 may the Lord be with you.”

1 Samuel 17:37

So Saul relented, offering him his own armor to wear, but David chose to take only his shepherd’s staff and sling.

As David approached Goliath, he was mocked, but his response is everything.

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel—you have defied him. ⁴⁶ Today, the Lord will hand you over to me. Today, I’ll strike you down, remove your head, and give the corpses of the Philistine camp to the birds of the sky and the wild creatures of the earth. Then all the world will know that Israel has a God, ⁴⁷ and this whole assembly will know that it is not by sword or by spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s. He will hand you over to us.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47

David hurled one stone at Goliath with his sling, and it hit him in the forehead. The giant fell face down, and David used Goliath’s own sword to kill him and cut off his head. When the other Philistines saw this, they ran away. So what does this mean for us?

What Does It Mean that the Battle Belongs to the Lord?

The Lord has such a beautiful way of taking everyday moments in our lives and tying them to His Word.

Y’all, Goliath came with a sword, spear, and javelin. But David came in the name of the Lord.

Sword, spear, javelin…God.

It does not matter what earthly things we bring to the battle. Those who trust in the name of the Lord will have the ultimate victory. But how do we set our minds to know, without a doubt, that He is enough…and we can trust Him?