What’s Really Needed for Victory?

In I Samual 17 the story is told about David and Goliath. David was just a boy, however he was willing to fight Goliath when none of his older brothers or their fellow soldiers were. He volunteered to take on Goliath and told Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.” 

Why do you think that David was victorious over Goliath and the Philistines?  I think there are a couple reasons. First of all, he was basing his upcoming victory on his previous track record. He had victory over both the lion and the bear, therefore he didn’t have any defeats that the devil could whisper into his ear about. My guess is that his brothers and their fellow soldiers had seen friends, loved ones, etc. killed and/or injured in battle.

Jesus said in Mark 10:15, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Children don’t have a track record of being lied to, misinformed, cheated, deceived, or swindled. When they are told they will get something, they whole-heartedly believe that they will get it. They don’t question it. So David had no reason to believe he wouldn’t get victory because the Lord had always provided him with victory.

The second reason I believe he was victorious was because in all of those battles that he mentioned: the lion, the bear, and Goliath, defeat was not an option! He HAD to finish the battle once it was started. He couldn’t decide in the middle of wrestling a bear or lion that it wasn’t looking good for him and just give up. In every one of those battles, it was life or death. There was no turning back. Sometimes we don’t see our battles in that light. We still see failure as an option. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about finances, relationships, salvation of loved ones, or what ever. If the battle gets too hard, we have a tendency to turn tail and run.

The third reason that I believe that David was victorious was because he was following the leading of the Lord and he didn’t fight as he was expected to. In I Samual 17: 38-39 the Bible says Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them, David decided against it. 

Goliath and the Philistines were not expecting a small boy, much less one that wasn’t in battle attire. They were expecting a sword fight. While the enemy was busy laughing at this young boy with no battle attire on, David used a simple stone and slingshot and easily took Goliath’s life without even having to get within reach. No one saw that coming.

Therefore, I believe that these are three keys to winning the battles that we face. First of all, we have to forget our past failures and refuse to entertain those thoughts when the enemy tries so diligently to bring them to mind. Secondly, we have to fight to the end and not accept failure as an option. Thirdly, we absolutely must hear the leading of the Lord in regards to our battle plan. Sometimes His ways seem unorthodox and don’t seem to fit our plans, but if we attack the enemy according to His leading the victory can be much quicker and less taxing than our way.

Isaiah 55:9 As the heavens are higher than the earth,
       so are my ways higher than your ways
       and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Father God, we ask you to forgive us for thinking on our past failures and giving doubt a place. Old things have past away and all things have become new in you and we will give the devil no place. We determine now to fight the good fight of faith and when we have done all, to continue to stand in your strength and assurance of victory. We ask you, Lord, to help us to hear your leading and your guidance in every decision that we make. Every plan we put into action, we ask that it would be your plan. In Jesus’ name, amen.