Always: A 5-Day Devotional With Chris TomlinSýnishorn

Goliath

“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.” 1 Samuel 17:50 (NIV)

Strongholds aren’t always walls and they aren’t always idols. Sometimes strongholds come in the form of giants — the struggles, obstacles and challenges in our lives we just can’t seem to overcome.

The most famous giant in the Bible was a nine-foot-tall Philistine named Goliath. The story, chronicled in 1 Samuel 17, is legendary. At his father’s request, a young shepherd boy named David goes down to the battle lines to deliver food and supplies to his older brothers. When he gets there, he discovers that Goliath has been taunting the Israelites for 40 days. After being teased by his brothers, David goes to King Saul and says he will fight the giant.

He tries on Saul’s battle gear, but he isn’t accustomed to the weight of armor out in the pasture. So, he settles for his trusty slingshot and five smooth stones.

Here comes Goliath again, casting a large shadow over the terrified Israelites with his mere presence. David, however, doesn’t flinch at his size or the sound of his menacing jeers. He simply says he is fighting in the name of the Lord and fires up his slingshot. Then, he extinguishes Goliath with one stone to the forehead.

While it might seem like a scene out of a Tolkien novel, the story of David and Goliath can teach us a lot about the perceived giants in our lives. Those giants might appear too overwhelming or intimidating even to attempt to fight, but the reality is that we are already equipped for battle. Just like David used the slingshot and stones he held in his hands, God has given us powerful, familiar weapons He can use to break strongholds and defeat giants in our lives.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4

Like David, we can go into battle armed with a faith that can slay giants, win wars and conquer strongholds. We never have to fight alone. This is the Lord’s battle. And it’s only by His strength and might that we’ll be able to see strongholds in our life crumble.