The Battle is the Lord’s
The Battle is the Lord’s is the third post in the “That All the World May Know” series by Mark Hillis. Learn how God helps us during struggles.
A World of Conflict
Today’s world is filled with many conflicts. There are battles being fought that have nothing to do with force or the military, like the fight against poverty, human rights violations, and disease, to name a few. There are simply some conflicts that can’t be won with swords, spears, bombs, or guns.
God Himself won many great battles for Israel. They were a nation of ambassadors for God on this earth, and time and time again they had to learn the hard lesson that when any opposition confronted them, victory was not possible by themselves; their only means of triumph was in the Lord’s strength. Their confidence was not to be found in the size of their army, skill and weapons but in the Lord alone.
David’s Faith
David was a young Israelite who understood this. One day he faced an opponent that he knew he himself could not beat, but by his strength of faith in God, he knew his foe didn’t stand a chance.
He faced this challenge for only one purpose:
1 Samuel 17: 46,47
“That the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”
1 Samuel 17: 46,47
This is how it happened…
Israel and the Philistines
The army of Israel had gathered to battle the Philistine army, but the Philistines had a secret weapon that they put much trust and pride in; a man named Goliath. He was over 9 feet tall; he bore armor weighing amounts above what a normal human could bear. He was a warrior, bred and trained for combat. A champion of the Philistines.
Goliath walked toward the Israelite camp and stood in the gap between the two-opposing sides. He proposed a wager to Israel; bring out one man to fight to the death in hand-to-hand combat, and the one who loses, their nation will be slaves to the winning side. He said in front of everyone, “I defy the armies of Israel today!”
The Philistines had great confidence that there was no-one within the military ranks of Israel capable of defeating this monolith of a man.
All the hearts in Israel’s army sank. It seemed hopeless. It was impossible for anyone to kill such a monster. Israel turned into a laughingstock, and the world was about to witness the humiliation and probable slavery of God’s chosen people.
David the Shepherd Boy
David was merely a shepherd boy. He came to visit his brothers who were in the army, and he happened to hear firsthand the insults coming from the mouth of this giant, Goliath. He was disgusted that a savage would speak to the army of Israel like that. He actually saw it more as an afront to his God. His nation was a people rich in a heritage of faith in promises God gave them.
About 435 years prior the Lord delivered them from Egyptian slavery, then led them into the promised land of freedom. This people that God had loved, protected, and provided so much were now being defied and threatened to become slaves again.
It didn’t look like they stood a chance. They were all afraid. Even Saul, the King of Israel felt defeated in heart and spirit.
The Bible says; “For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.”
A Reminder of the Lord’s Faithfulness
This event was not only newsworthy for the entire world, but it also served as a much-needed reminder to Israel of the Lord’s unwavering faithfulness.
Do you often feel the same way? Are you faced with giant opposition that taunts you day after day?
Do you arise each morning and go to bed in the evening unsettled and fearful? Feeling defeated, overwhelmed, and that all hope is lost?
Listen on…
David Stepped Up
David, who was but a youth, stepped forward when no-one else would; the most unlikely person to confront a cold-blooded killer. He said, “I have killed both lions and bears, and I’ll do the same to this pagan Philistine, for he has defied the armies of the living God!”
There were two things that propelled David forward with confidence in facing this godless giant, and maybe we can learn from him:
Goliath From a Heavenly Perspective
First, he saw Goliath from a heavenly perspective. On earth he was huge, but from God’s viewpoint… not so much.
As a shepherd boy, his job was to protect the sheep from predators that threatened his flock; lions, bears, all manner of beasts that had far more strength, were much greater in size and way faster than most men. He didn’t see Goliath as any different… maybe he saw him as even less of a threat.
Goliath, humanly speaking, was undefeatable, but David merely saw him as an earthly problem that needed to be overcome and dealt with.
Wouldn’t it be helpful to us when we are confronted with difficulties and conflicts to see them this way? Everything on earth looks small from heaven. By faith in God, we can overcome our overwhelming circumstances. They are small and easy to deal with when the greatness of God overshadows them.
Proverbs 3:5,6 states,
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5,6
God is Greater
This leads into the second thing that gave David great confidence – he saw God as greater. His faith stood on God being the creator and sustainer of the whole universe. Not like an idol god the pagan Philistines would worship; but one who lovingly delivers those who trust in Him as their savior.
He saw God as much greater than Goliath in size, skill and strength. Also, God being mightier than the Philistine army; He had wiped out the army of the Egyptians in one fell swoop in the Red Sea, and this wasn’t going to be any different.
Belittling the Lord
The Philistines had belittled the Lord and His nation, and David saw the important need to confront them to honor God’s name and his people. He had his focus set on principles and goals that were above all odds, contrary to the perspective of his companions, as they were blind to doing what was right. They were weak in faith.
Facing life on our own and confronting the odds that come against us day by day, can cause much discouragement, weariness, and loneliness. David was totally alone in his confidence to defeat Goliath. The only encouragement and strength he found was in the Lord his God. The sense of His presence combined with the faith of knowing His power gave him unwavering courage. He saw God as far greater than this circumstance. It was a “no-brainer” to David.
Facing Challenges
May we apply David’s perspective when facing challenges to our own way of thinking.
In an attempt to give David a fighting chance, King Saul tried to persuade David to wear armor and use weapons. David couldn’t. He wasn’t familiar with the ways of the world’s warfare. He only knew his staff, sling, and a pouch with stones. He rejected human reasoning and went out to meet Goliath with the total assurance of his defeat; for David had armor and weapons that the Philistines could not see, and the army of Israel failed to recognize.
When Goliath saw a skinny youth approaching him having no means of defense or weapon worth mentioning, with the intent of killing him, he took it as an insult. It defied all logic.
1 Samuel 17:42-44
And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
1 Samuel 17:42-44
David’s Response to Goliath’s Taunting
Goliath taunted and threatened David with demeaning words backed by his confidence and pride.
David gave a counter response (1 Sam 17:45-47);
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
(1 Sam 17:45-47)
David essentially said to him, “you approach me with great weapons and armor, but they are nothing compared to the means by which I approach you; I come to defeat you in the strength and might of the Lord God of Israel, and when I’m finished, everyone in the world is going to know the salvation of God.”
David Slaughters Goliath
Goliath threatened to kill David and feed his corpse to the birds and animals. But, David, full of faith, went a step further and responded by threatening to not only chop off Goliath’s head but also to feed the entire army of the Philistines to the birds and animals. What great assurance David had of the outcome of his confrontation with Goliath.
Without hesitation David placed a stone in his sling, and with one single shot he hit Goliath in the dead center of his unarmored forehead. He instantly fell. David came and stood over the giant, took his sword in his hand and cut off his head.
Verse 50 reconfirms David’s earthly means of victory; So, David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.
Nothing glorious, just humbly awesome; David killed a mighty fully armored warrior with a sling and stone.
The Lord Gave the Victory
There was no doubting that day, as the world looked on, that the Lord gave the Philistines over to Israel. With this victory, God’s people felt confident again, and it was clearly proven to the world that He was their deliverer. All the earth witnessed that there is a God in Israel; word of such a glorious victory would have spread like wildfire throughout the world, and the praise would be totally towards the Lord. The battle was His.
This story was recorded in the Bible for us to know today; that God will also deliver those who humbly place their faith and trust in Him, and God is the ONLY One by whom we can defeat the giants of this world. God does not accomplish His purposes in ways that make the most sense to us; His ways are not our ways.
Victory Over Sin and Death
The greatest example of this is when God sent His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to face the overwhelming problem of our sin. Even though Jesus faced overwhelming odds and looked defeated during His crucifixion, His opponents misjudged the outcome of His death. They believed He was gone, but in reality, His death served as a means of atoning for the world’s sins, and because of His resurrection, He now lives on for eternity.
This was a battle He fought on our behalf, and the greatest challenge we now face is when opposition approaches, we must humbly put our armor of pride aside and surrender the battle over to the Lord.
The Son of God suffered for our sin, bearing the full extent of God’s wrath in our place.
Of all the battles fought through history, this is the one most worth noting.
Isaiah 52:10 says,
The LORD has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.
Do you believe the battle is the Lord’s? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio
Mark Hillis
Mark lives in the small rural village of Fenwick, Ontario with his wife Michelle and three boys.
He joined the FBH International team in February 2022, coming from the business world with a design and art background.
Mark is particularly interested in seeing people come to Christ and grow in their faith. He recently produced the series entitled: Sow to Grow.
Mark serves as an elder at Brockview Bible Chapel in St.Catharines , Ontario.
Visit Mark’s contributor’s page here.
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David – Catholic_Bellator
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Cross – MabelAmber
David & Goliath – Caravaggio
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