Dodger: Hi there! How have you been? It's good to see you. I hope you've been enjoying your week. Mine was fine. How about you, Lilly? Did you have a good week?
Lilly: Huh? Oh...sure, I guess so.
Dodger: You don't sound like you did. Is something wrong?
Lilly: I've been struggling for a while in my walk with Jesus.
Dodger: How so?
Lilly: I'm trying to keep my mind thinking things that Jesus would think, but I just struggle with it really often. It's hard too, because I'm having to fight off temptation to think unkindly or be critical or whatever, and I just can't seem to shake it. It almost seems like my enemy is stronger than me.
Dodger: I see. Well, it sounds like you need some of the Bible right about now.
Lilly: That would help.
Dodger: Good, in that case I'll tell you about David.
Lilly: King David?
Dodger: Yep. Except that in the story I'm about to tell you, he wasn't a king yet. It happens in 1 Samuel 17. I won't be reading the whole thing, but I recommend that you do some time. It's really good. Anyway, we pick up the story in 1 Samuel 17:1. "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." (1 Samuel 17:1-4 NKJV)
Lilly: I didn't quite understand Goliath's height. How tall was he ?
Dodger: Well, he was about 9 feet 9 inches tall.
Lilly: That's huge!
Dodger: It is pretty tall. But he was a bad guy. Listen to this. "Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid." (1 Samuel 17:8-11 NKJV)
Lilly: You mean he had the whole army afraid, just because he was so big and strong and tall?
Dodger: Yep. Maybe there was a man in the army who could have defeated him, but no one wanted to try it because they were so scared. And that's the first thing we can remember about fighting the enemy. He is dangerous, but he tries to make himself more intimidating than he really is. In fact, he exaggerates his power and tries to make us feel inadequate to stop him, when in reality we have more power than he does, and he's scared of all Christians. As the apostle John says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NKJV) He who is in us, being God, is way bigger than the devil, and way stronger.
Lilly: So the Israelites had more power than Goliath?
Dodger: Of course they did. They're God's people! But they could only see the challenge in front of them, and they weren't putting their trust in God. The enemy tries to distract us from Jesus and His power and instead make us focus on our trouble.
Lilly: I understand. So what happened next?
Dodger: Well, this is where David comes in. He's introduced to us as the son of Jesse. He heads to where the army of Israel is parked when his dad sends him out there. "Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:17-25 NKJV)
Lilly: What's an ephah?
Dodger: It's about 17 1/2 two liter bottles of soda, or 35 liters.
Lilly: Oh. So what happened next?
Dodger: Well, David asked questions. "Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26 NKJV) Later on we read, "Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:31-33 NKJV)
Dodger: Well, he gave him the wrong weapons. "So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off." (1 Samuel 17:38-39 NKJV) You see, David knew that he wouldn't be able to fight Goliath with the wrong weapons. As Christians, we need to fight the enemy with the right weapons, namely prayer, and the Bible. We can't fight him by calling him names or trying to do the right thing on our own power all the time. As the apostle Paul says, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV 1984)
Lilly: Huh? Oh...sure, I guess so.
Dodger: You don't sound like you did. Is something wrong?
Lilly: I've been struggling for a while in my walk with Jesus.
Dodger: How so?
Lilly: I'm trying to keep my mind thinking things that Jesus would think, but I just struggle with it really often. It's hard too, because I'm having to fight off temptation to think unkindly or be critical or whatever, and I just can't seem to shake it. It almost seems like my enemy is stronger than me.
Dodger: I see. Well, it sounds like you need some of the Bible right about now.
Lilly: That would help.
Dodger: Good, in that case I'll tell you about David.
Lilly: King David?
Dodger: Yep. Except that in the story I'm about to tell you, he wasn't a king yet. It happens in 1 Samuel 17. I won't be reading the whole thing, but I recommend that you do some time. It's really good. Anyway, we pick up the story in 1 Samuel 17:1. "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." (1 Samuel 17:1-4 NKJV)
Lilly: I didn't quite understand Goliath's height. How tall was he ?
Dodger: Well, he was about 9 feet 9 inches tall.
Lilly: That's huge!
Dodger: It is pretty tall. But he was a bad guy. Listen to this. "Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid." (1 Samuel 17:8-11 NKJV)
Lilly: You mean he had the whole army afraid, just because he was so big and strong and tall?
Dodger: Yep. Maybe there was a man in the army who could have defeated him, but no one wanted to try it because they were so scared. And that's the first thing we can remember about fighting the enemy. He is dangerous, but he tries to make himself more intimidating than he really is. In fact, he exaggerates his power and tries to make us feel inadequate to stop him, when in reality we have more power than he does, and he's scared of all Christians. As the apostle John says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NKJV) He who is in us, being God, is way bigger than the devil, and way stronger.
Lilly: So the Israelites had more power than Goliath?
Dodger: Of course they did. They're God's people! But they could only see the challenge in front of them, and they weren't putting their trust in God. The enemy tries to distract us from Jesus and His power and instead make us focus on our trouble.
Lilly: I understand. So what happened next?
Dodger: Well, this is where David comes in. He's introduced to us as the son of Jesse. He heads to where the army of Israel is parked when his dad sends him out there. "Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:17-25 NKJV)
Lilly: What's an ephah?
Dodger: It's about 17 1/2 two liter bottles of soda, or 35 liters.
Lilly: Oh. So what happened next?
Lilly: So David is planning on taking on Goliath?
Dodger: He sure is, but he has a few problems. Firstly, Saul doesn't think he can do it!
Lilly: I don't blame Saul!
Dodger: But listen to David's response. "But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NKJV)
Lilly: Wow. So he went out to fight Goliath?
Dodger: Yes he did. But did you notice how he talked about the lion and the bear? What he was saying was that God had protected him before, and he knew God would be with him now. So Saul let him go, but not before trying to give him help. Saul's help did not work out too well, though.
Lilly: What do you mean?
Lilly: So what did David fight Goliath with?
Dodger: Five rocks and a sling, a weapon used for throwing, not to be confused with a sling shot.
Lilly: That's it?!? He chose that to go to battle against a giant in armor?
Dodger: Yes he did. "Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, 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 and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:40-47 NKJV) David isn't going to let Goliath scare him. He knows that the battle belongs to God. The outcome of his fight is up to God.
Lilly: And that's the case for each one of us as well?
Dodger: Yes. None of us must worry about the outcome of our struggles. Those battles are God's, and He'll preserve us through each one, no matter how many we face.
Lilly: That's comforting.
Dodger: Yes it certainly is. So now I'll get to our ending. "So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron." (1 Samuel 17:48-52 NKJV) Although there are some more verses, that's where we'll stop.
Lilly: I noticed something. When David won the victory over Goliath, he inspired the whole camp of Israel to stand up and fight as well!
Dodger: Exactly. Your success over the enemy will encourage others that, with God's help, they can beat the enemy too. Remember that the enemy is going to lose. He gets on our nerves, attacks us, tries to hurt us, and sometimes we even fall for his schemes, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we have the victory over the enemy, and all that he does will never make him able to beat us. So if you're struggling in one place or another, pray about it. God is right there ready to help. No matter what the odds, you will win the victory over the enemy in Jesus name and in his power, just like David!
Lilly: Thanks Dodger. I feel a lot better, and now I know exactly how to fight future struggles. I'll do it on God's strength, not my own, and I'll fight with the right weapons.
Dodger: That's a great idea. Uh-oh, it looks like we have to get going. Well, I'm glad you could make it again. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week! Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!
Lilly: ગુડબાય! (Goodbye!)
(NKJV Means New King James Version)
(NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984)
