David and Goliath: Facing the Lion Before You Face the Giant

Many people know about David and Goliath and how David took down an older, more experienced GIANT warrior, but the real truth behind David’s victory isn’t what you think.

Yes, the power of God was with David as he faced the giant, but what brought David to the field that day wasn’t self-confidence, righteous indignation, or even courage. David was able to stand and face Goliath on that fateful day in spite of his fear because he had experienced victory over the lion and the bear, first.

In your own faith journey, the same will be true. In fact, the Lord noted that accomplishing overwhelming victories “is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit.” (Zechariah 4:6).

So, like David, as you draw near to and rely on the Lord in your hard times, you will be able to secure victory over the giants in your own life not because you are strong and capable, but because His Spirit will help you be READY.

You’ll Face Lion and Bears in Battle Before You Face Giants

Like everyone else, you are going to walk through seasons of trial and difficulty in life. You’re going to face adversaries and confront fear and wonder if God hears you or sees you or is helping you as you battle the enemy, or your flesh, or to stand firm when everything is being shaken.

The spiritual battles you face in your life will vary in size and severity, but it is in the process of confronting the “lions” and the “bears” of the enemy and standing firm on God’s Word that your faith becomes stronger and more able to endure. (James 1:3)

…you will be able to secure victory over the giants in your own life not because you are strong and capable, but because His Spirit will help you be READY.

~ Alicia Purdy ~

Before he was famous for “David and Goliath”, David was a real person with real emotions, real failures, real victories and a very real love for the Lord. He had seen the Lord help him in his other battles, which is why he was able to stand with confidence before the giant.

Today’s Battles Point to Tomorrow’s Victories

In Jeremiah 31:21, Lord spoke to His people through Jeremiah and said:

“Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came.”

The spiritual principle of remembrance is one that will sustain you in hard times. You remember the Lord through His Word, but also in your praise, your prayers, your communion, your fellowship with other believers who have walked through battle seasons. This is how you strengthen your faith!

David kept close his testimonies of God’s faithfulness throughout his life and when it came time to face the giant, he relied on those to strengthen himself.

In fact, in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 David said to King Saul:

“Your servant was a shepherd for my father’s flock, and the lion came and the bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered the lamb out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I took hold of his beard, struck him, and killed him. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them, because he has reviled the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.'”

It is the same in your own life: As you look back and see what the Lord has done, you’re more able to look forward the next time and hold fast in anticipation of what you know in faith the Lord is going to do!

Are You Walking in Victory? Or Victimhood?

When the people of Israel were faced with the taunting of the Philistine army and Goliath, their 9-ft. giant whose weapon was the size of a tree trunk, even seasoned warriors cowered in fear.

However, David, who had never been in a “real” battle at that point, stepped forward with the courage of a true warrior because he had experience with the Lord in battle.

However, David, who had never been in a “real” battle at that point, stepped forward with the courage of a true warrior because he had experience with the Lord in battle.

~ Alicia Purdy ~

Everyone tends to look at the events in life through their own limited perspectives, but the Lord has a perspective of eternity. He doesn’t see your situations the same way you do. Maybe you look back and see struggles, disappointment, defeats, and pain and questions. But…

Think about this: As hard as life may have been for you, what would it look like if He hand had not sustained you through it all? What would your life look like without the Lord’s intervention?

The Psalmist wrote:

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm 103:1-2)

As a person in the Kingdom of God, you have access to the Lord’s many benefits that the rest of the world does not have access to:

• God’s promises
• God’s power
• God’s protection
• God’s provision
• God’s presence

LIFE is hard, but GOD is GOOD.

If you can learn to look at your life through the perspective of an overcomer who lives in a fallen, sinful world and is alive to fight another day, you’ll then begin to see that the lion and the bear were not God’s punishment (although they may have been punishment from the enemy or a natural consequence of sin).

However your hard times have come, the Lord was faithful to use those experiences to prepare you to face the giant! (See Genesis 50:20, and Romans 8:28 about the Bible perspective on what the enemy intends for evil.)

When Goliath Wants to Fight, Remember the LION!

David didn’t look back in anger and resentment at how he had to fight a lion and a bear, demanding to know why God had “allowed” the fear and pain of those situations into his life, or “why” the lion and the bear attacked him and his sheep.

Instead, David used the difficulties of his life as testimonies of victory – and he used them as reasons why he should be allowed to take down the giant! Even David didn’t get his “David and Goliath” story until he learned how to take down the lions and the bears.

David used the difficulties of his life as testimonies of victory – and he used them as reasons why he should be allowed to take down the giant!

~ Alicia Purdy ~

Your perspective of your life and its past battles will shape how you confront the enemies in your future.

So many people look at all the bad things happening or that have happened in their lives – some of it very, very, very evil and terrible – and use it as an excuse for how they now live, or why they fail, or why they can’t move forward.

If you want victory and freedom in your life, you’re going to have to learn to see the events in your life from a different perspective.

• God isn’t mad at you.
• You have an enemy who hates you, who seeks your destruction.
• You make bad choices.
• Other people do bad things that affect your life.

BUT GOD IS GOOD. Choosing to see your life through the lens of God’s Word, and His faithfulness will take time, and effort and real intention in Christ, but you can do it! You can’t help the fact that “in this world you will have tribulations,” (John 16:33) but you can choose to walk by faith and take control of how you respond and react.

If you’ve faced down lions and bears in your life and there is a giant in front of you, don’t allow yourself to slip into fear or resentment toward the Lord. You need Him to prepare you for the battle! LOOK TO THE LION AND GO AFTER THAT GIANT.

Thought for today: Spiritual Battles Require Spiritual Weapons

According to 1 Samuel 17:34-37, the bear had stolen a lamb from David. In the same way, the enemy will try to “steal, kill, and destroy” in your life too! (John 10:10) That is why David ran after a bear, beat him to death and got his lamb back.

The next time, he grabbed a lion by its mane while it was charging at him, and beat him to death too – and he did it alone in that moment, yet later he credited those victories to the help of the Lord.

Do you realize how many people do not survive attacks from bears and lions, even with weapons? The David and Goliath testimony in your life is coming so don’t resent the lions and the bears – learn how to fight them!

Just like in the natural sense, in the spiritual sense there will always be more lions and bears in the world than giants meaning that the hardships and struggles you experience can feel a constant attack instead of one, big thing. What did David do?

Instead of using these experiences to justify why he was traumatized, triggered, depressed, filled with anxiety about facing those fields day after day or mad at God.

• David saw God’s hand in saving him.
• He saw God’s help in times of trouble.
• David shared his testimonies of victory.
• David praised the Lord.
• David gave all the glory to the Lord.

David did not see himself as a victim of the lion and the bear. David saw himself as a fighter, a warrior, a conqueror. How do you see yourself?

Learn more about the 7 Hebrew Words for Praise and how each one helps create strength, intimacy, and fresh revelation as you understand more about God’s plan for praise in your life!

You probably won’t feel “ready” when hard times come, but God sees the end from the beginning, and He sees something in you that you don’t see in yourself yet – a mighty warrior ready for battle.

How do you prepare for obtaining victory against a giant? You must fight the lions and the bears, first.

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