Lessons from David: How to Be a Giant Killer (6 page)

What made David able to fight this giant, kill him, and bring this great deliverance? He wasn’t bigger or stronger than anyone else. It wasn’t because he had been trained in a military school and had natural combat knowledge. It wasn’t anything in the natural at all. The difference was David’s heart—specifically the attitude of his heart. His heart was sensitive to God, therefore, he was fearless. He didn’t see things the way other people saw them. They were looking on the outward appearance, but David knew that God looks on the heart. That’s why he was chosen!

David not only saw himself the way God saw him, but he also viewed other things—including giants—the way God saw them. Goliath’s heart was not right with God. He was not sensitive to the Lord at all. So in that sense, David already had him beat. It was an unfair fight, it really was. Goliath didn’t stand a chance! Most people who consider outward appearances would have said, “David doesn’t stand a chance. It’s an unfair fight!” But when you look at the competitors from the inside, it was absolutely lopsided. David was the one who had the right heart, was anointed, and had the covenant relationship with God. Goliath had nothing. He was powerless. Now that’s the right way to look at things!

What I’m saying here is different than the way most people think. That’s why most people run and hide from their enemy behind rocks, in holes, and in caves. They don’t think this way, but this is how the Bible will teach you to think. It’s the right way to think!

A Word-Dominated Attitude

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David was expressing an attitude that was exactly opposite the rest of the Israelites. He was saying, “This guy is nothing. He’s a nobody. He’s easy!” Everyone else was saying, “He’s so big and powerful! I’m nothing. I’m a nobody!” David had an entirely different attitude. Where did it come from? He stated it right here:

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

When David used this term “uncircumcised Philistine,” he was saying that Goliath didn’t have a covenant with God. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant God had made with the nation of Israel. He was saying, “We’re superior. Why are we letting somebody who doesn’t even have God on their side intimidate us?” David’s attitude came from the covenant, the Word, and the promises of God.

Do you want a different attitude? Do you want to stand apart from all the people who are so fearful today? Those people are always griping, complaining, and talking about everything that could possibly go wrong. Do you desire to go out and make your life count? If you want to do exploits like David did, you need to have a different attitude. You have to look at God’s Word and evaluate your enemy, circumstances, and problems based on what the Word says about them. David’s confidence came from the fact that he had a covenant with God. He was dominated by what the Lord had to say, not what the physical presence of this giant or the army of Israel was saying. Only the Word—not other people—moved him. That’s powerful!

Tremendous Opportunity for Victory

Even though I’ve seen this truth and lived it to a great degree, living in this physical world is like gravity. Unbelief, doubt, and negativity pull on us constantly. We need to be so dominated by God’s Word that we do not let other people’s opinions and what things look like in the physical realm dominate us. I have lived like this to a degree, but I desire to be stronger than ever before.

That’s what made David different. He wasn’t the strongest, biggest, meanest, or toughest. But David saw things differently than other people did. He looked at Goliath and said, “He’s powerless. He doesn’t have my covenant!” Nobody else had thought of the covenant or the promises of God. They were all just evaluating the situation based on Goliath’s height, the size of his weapons, and the weight of his armor. They were only looking in the physical realm, but David was looking at the heart. Therefore, his conclusion was,
This man is bankrupt! He has nothing!

It doesn’t matter how big your problems are. If you would evaluate things as David did, you would recognize that you’re the one with the promises. You’re the one with an edge on any enemy you face. Really, the bigger the problem confronting you, the greater the opportunity you have to do an exploit for God, to see Him come through, and to have a better testimony. You’ll be so blessed just knowing that you will get to see God deliver you from this totally impossible situation.

We never would have heard of David if he had killed a dwarf. Instead of praising him and talking about what a great battle it was, people would have criticized him and declared, “This was unfair!” The headlines in the morning paper would have read, “David Kills Dwarf: Sent to Prison for Life!” People would have criticized David if Goliath had been a dwarf, but the fact remains that he was a giant. This meant that David had a tremendous opportunity for the Lord to come through with an awesome victory. Therefore, instead of looking at how big our problems are, we should think of how great a testimony it will be when the Lord gives us victory over them.

Raised from the Dead

Even though facing the death of a child is a terrible thing and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, I’ve seen my son raised from the dead. When I first heard that he had died, I felt the same emotions anyone else would feel, but within a very short period of time I spoke my faith. Then I started thinking,
This is wonderful. What an opportunity this will be. I believe the Lord is going to raise him from the dead.
My son had been dead for approximately five hours, had turned black, and had already been toe tagged in the hospital cooler. Yet God raised him from the dead!

During the hour drive into town, before I knew what the outcome would be, I was excited—rejoicing and praising God. You might think, “Come on Andrew, that’s impossible! You couldn’t have been rejoicing,” but that is my testimony. I was there. I remember. That is how it was.

David was the same way. He wasn’t intimidated. He knew he had a covenant with God. Due to this, David had a completely different attitude than most people. He thought,
What a great opportunity! I’ve been anointed king. This is what the Lord has called me to do—defend His people. So by His grace, I’m going to stand up and do it!

This was what God used to propel David into the national public eye. Perhaps He could have done it some other way, we don’t know. But this was how the Lord promoted David and got the entire nation to love him. After David killed Goliath, the women came out dancing and singing, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). David made the hit list! He was front-page news in all the papers. Beating Goliath actually paved the way for David to take over the kingdom of Israel. What an opportunity!

All the other fighting men were there, too. They had the same opportunity as David. They were Israelites—God’s covenant people. They could have been used like David, but they weren’t looking at the situation with Goliath through the covenant.

Speak Forth Your Faith!

David saw this opportunity through the covenant:

Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David declared, “I have the Lord’s promises, and this guy doesn’t. He is separated from God. I have him licked, no problem!”

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

David had to start speaking forth his faith. If he had just stood there and not spoken his vision, it wouldn’t have come to pass. It wasn’t enough for him to just boldly stand there while everyone else was running and hiding behind rocks, in caves, and such. He had to start speaking his faith. After he spoke those words of faith, the Lord promoted him. God took those words and passed them through the army, all the way up to the king.

You have to speak forth what the Lord has put in your heart. You can’t be timid. Words are powerful. God will use your words to open up doors and stop the devil in his tracks.

Chapter 7
Overcoming Criticism

And Eliab his [David’s] eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

1 Samuel 17:28; brackets mine

David was standing up to the enemy, operating in faith, and doing nothing but good things that should be admired and praised. Yet when his older brother heard David’s words, he railed on him. Eliab turned on David and began to question why he came, saying, “You’re irresponsible. You’ve left those few sheep alone in the wilderness!” The truth was that David had not left the sheep alone. He left them with a keeper. Also, he didn’t come down there on his own out of pride. David was submitting to his father, who had commanded him to go. David did everything
exactly
right.

Faith Condemns Mediocrity

If you’re going to be a giant killer, you need to recognize that criticism will come your way. If you get a different attitude and start operating in faith instead of fear, if you stand up to your giants instead of running from them, if you recognize your covenant rights and privileges and start speaking forth your faith, you will be criticized. If you decide you aren’t going to sit there and bow down to sickness, disease, poverty, oppression, and fear the way everyone else does, there will be people who will turn on you. They’ll criticize your vision and mock you. It happens every single time.

When you believe for victory, speak forth your faith, and go for it, you condemn the average person’s mediocre life. That’s the number one reason they criticize and fight against you. If what you’re saying about walking in health, prosperity, and joy is true, then they must be wrong. If you don’t have to be defeated by circumstances, then their excuses are exposed. If you’re saying, “It doesn’t matter where you come from. All that matters is where you’re going, because you can do all things through Christ,” that confronts these people who have been saying, “Well, I’m a mess because of what my parents did when I was two years old. I was hated in the womb. I wasn’t wanted. I’m a victim.” Those who have been moaning, bellyaching, and using these things to excuse their ineffective, defeated, and powerless lives are going to be condemned by what you say. They have to do one of two things: repent and change, or criticize.

Either they will criticize, or they will say, “You know what, I’ve been wrong. I believed a lie. I can be prosperous, victorious, and healthy too. I’m changing, and I’m going to believe God’s Word.” Very few people do this because it requires integrity and taking responsibility for their attitudes and actions. Not many people are willing to do that. The average person will just try to discredit or stop you. Instead of climbing up to your level, they will just try to pull you down to theirs through criticism.

Anger and Jealousy

This was why David’s oldest brother was so vicious toward him in saying these things. Eliab was there when David was chosen as the next king. The Word says David was anointed “in the midst of his brethren” (1 Samuel 16:13). And if you remember, Eliab was the first one the prophet Samuel looked at and rejected.

He looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.

When Samuel first saw Eliab, he became excited and thought that surely he must be the next king! This must have caused Eliab’s hopes to soar. He must have thought,
I’m the oldest and strongest. I’m the toughest and meanest. Who would be king better than me?
Then he saw Samuel hear from God and pass over him—and all the others—in favor of the runt of the family. Eliab had to stand there along with all of his rejected brothers and honor David for however long it took for someone to go and fetch David. Eliab was angry and jealous. He must have wondered why God did not choose him.

When they were on the battlefield with Saul’s army, Eliab had been hiding from Goliath just like all the other soldiers. He was operating in cowardice and fear. Then here came his little brother David, saying, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?” Boy, that must have gotten under his skin. It had to, because it forced him either to admit that his youngest brother was right, that David was a powerful man of God and he was a zero, or it would force Eliab to contend that he was right and David was not. In order for him to choose the latter, he would have to impute some kind of wrong to David.

Lawyers and Family

This happens all the time in court. When a person testifies and gives a condemning testimony against someone else, nine out of ten times this is what the lawyer’s tactic will be. They won’t try to disprove what the witness is saying or defend their client. Instead, they will turn on the witness and try to discredit him. They will say, “This guy is a loser. He’s been convicted of perjury. He’s done this and that. He doesn’t have any character.” If they’re successful in their efforts, the court will throw the witness’ testimony out and all of the damage it could have done is reversed.

This happens on an individual basis, too. When you start talking victory saying, “God wants me well. I will prosper and succeed. No weapon formed against me will prosper,” the person who is living a defeated life has to either repent or condemn you. The average person will condemn you, which is why criticism comes. If you get the attitude of David, if you start basing your evaluation of things on the covenant and get bold enough to speak it, you will be criticized. I guarantee it!