TOPIC: FIGHT TO WIN
Text: I Samuel 17:50
“So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”
Introduction:
How did David won over Goliath? The normal answer to this question is, “Using his sling and stones that is how David killed Goliath.” Partly this is true, but behind this truth is deeper reasons of David’s triumphed against Goliath. And from this reasons we can also derived principles that we can apply when it comes to the battle that we encounter daily in our lives, battle that we need breakthrough. I would like to read David’s battle cry against the enemies – vv. 45-47 (read).
There are three reasons I would like to share from David’s victory against Goliath:
1. HE FACED GOLIATH
David confronts, challenge, and deal with Goliath. In I Samuel 17:4-7 described who Goliath is. Not to mention that he always shouting towards the Israelites and defy God. He is some kind of using manipulations and intimidation that even Saul, the champion and king of Israel with the Israelites people, trembles in fear and dismayed whenever they hear him (vv. 11, 24). In the midst of Saul and Israel’s fear of facing Goliath, David stands out to face him (v. 32). (ILL. To View Goliath – When the soldiers of Israel saw Goliath, they thought to themselves, "He is so big that we can never kill him.” When David saw Goliath, he thought to himself, "He is so big that I cannot miss him." —Michael P. Green.) Trying to avoid Goliath is not the solution because he never disappear, he is always there keep on calling and their fear is getting bigger and bigger all the more, in v. 16, “For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.”
What is your biggest fear in your life right now that never disappear, and its getting worse all the more everyday as you continue to avoid and hide from it. The first step to overcome it victoriously is to face it, just what David did to Goliath. When Jesus asked the disciples to feed the more than 5000 people, the answer of the disciples is to have them go home. For the disciple the solution is to avoid it, run from it, but Jesus told them, “Have them sit and feed them.” Jesus is trying to teach them the principles on overcoming and that is, “Face it!” not facing it will not make any good or progress, instead it will become more and more bigger and bigger everyday except you face it and stand before your Goliath.
2. HE FOUGHT GOLIATH
Second, David didn’t just face Goliath but he fights Goliath, he fights Goliath with battle cry trusting God. Actually Saul and the Israelites also facing Goliath – vv. 1-3 (read). But it only stops there, everyday they just stand face to face with their enemies, talking about him (vv. 25-28), they just talk over their enemy but without any progress because they afraid to face them in close combat, to fight them. But David not just face Goliath but fights Goliath – v. 32, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” While Goliath taking his advance against them, against Goliath, David also taking his advance against Goliath – v. 48, “As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.”
Many times we love to talk over and over our problems, our biggest fear trying to comfort ourselves with our talking, but still not advancing to fights against it. Like David we also say our battle cry but without convictions and faith that God will fight for us, that God will deliver us from any Goliath we are facing. When Jesus was about to go to the cross he really struggle praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, because he is facing his enemy but Jesus didn’t stop there he fight by going to the cross. Are we fighting to win or just fighting to survive or fighting to compete? Jesus, David and others in the Bibles fights to win! How we should win the fight? Face our Goliaths and fight our Goliath!
3. HE FINISHED GOLIATH
Lastly, David didn’t stop in facing and fighting his enemy, but he finished his enemy – v. 51, “David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.” David’s final battle cry is “No Mercy!” He did not just killed Goliath with his sling shot but he makes sure Goliath is completely dead by cutting his head with Goliaths own sword, to end completely he started. He did not just presume Goliaths death but he makes sure of it by finishing him. When the Israelites was commanded by God to enter the promise land God gave them instructions to kill everything, to burn everything, to finish everything even animals. The reason is that God don’t want any thing however small it is to bring them into idolatry or associations with the people on that land that they are going to conquer. But Israel did not heed God’s instructions; instead they spare the lives of the kings, some people and the animals. Because of this they did not only disobey God but later on in their living in Canaan, these people that they spare influence them to worship idols and to go away from God. Notice that when David cut off Goliath’s head finish him up not only the enemy run away terrified but the Israel shout and pursued the philistines with courage. (ILL. Fearing "Whips" In Battle – The Scythians slaves once rose in rebellion against their master, and many a bloody encounter followed. At length, one of the Scythian masters said to his followers: Let us throw away our spears and swords, and fight in future with whips So in the next encounter they armed themselves with whips, and immediately the slaves saw the whips, remembering former scourging, they turned tail and were no more trouble.—E. Cobham Brewer)
We should not only face, fight but finish whatever our Goliath is. It could be a sin in our life, habitual sins that keeps on coming, vices that we struggle with, or an attitude that we need to change, or a problem we are facing, etc. Don’t just face it, don’t just fight it but finish it, bring it to closure. Bring it to the cross of Christ who once and for all finished everything for us. So that we may live in freedom and in victory!
Challenge:
What is your Goliath in your life that makes you terrified, that makes you fear, that makes you dismay? It’s about time that you stand by facing, fighting and finishing it with the battle cry of faith through our God.
(ILL. Boxer’s Advice: One More Round – The following is attributed to "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, who held the heavyweight boxing title for five years at the end of the nineteenth century: "Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round—remembering that the man who fights one more round is never whipped.")
