David And Goliath

Looking Back, But Moving Forward: Trusting God in the Midst of Our Battles

1 Samuel 17. We’re dropped into an area full of hills and valleys. The Israelites are at war with the Philistines, in the Valley of Elah. Two armies are on opposite hills, facing each other, but the battle isn’t starting. It’s like a standoff, where both sides are waiting, and in the midst of it all, there’s a giant—a literal giant—named Goliath. This guy is HUGE! The description of him is something that stands out immediately.

Goliath’s height is given in the text as "six cubits and a span," which, according to some translations, is about 9 feet 9 inches, and to others 13 feet!. It’s hard to even fathom someone that tall. And when we think of giants, while giants might sound mythological, ancient texts and historical records do explain about people of extraordinary height. Goliath’s size alone would have struck fear into anyone who saw him. It would have me, if I lived back then! It’s as if we’re looking at someone who represents the impossible—like the seemingly impossible problems in our own lives that can feel as massive as a giant.

Dr. Jordan Peterson, a psychologist and author, talks about the importance of confronting the chaos in our lives, pointing out that facing the "dragon" of our fears is a necessary part of personal growth. Goliath is that dragon—a tangible force that looms in front of us, demanding our attention and our fears. We all face these “giants” in life, whether they are failures, insecurities, or things from our past that continue to haunt us. They stand there, daring us to do something about it. And like the Israelites, we often feel too small, too weak, or too trivial to stand against them.

But Goliath is not just tall—his armor is described in detail. He’s wearing a bronze helmet, a coat of mail that weighs 5,000 shekels (about 125 pounds), and his legs are covered in bronze armor as well. It's amazing that he could even walk with wearing all that weight! He even has a spear with a head that weighs 600 shekels (about 15 pounds)—that’s heavy. You can see how this is meant to be intimidating. He’s a walking fortress, and everything about him screams power. He’s not just any warrior; he’s the one they’ve sent out to challenge Israel.

And here’s the thing about Goliath: He comes out, day after day, for forty days (doesn’t that number sound very familiar? But more on that in another message). Forty days of intimidation. Forty days of taunting the Israelites, mocking them, challenging them, saying, "Choose a man to come down and fight me." It’s important to notice that, during this time, no one from Israel steps forward. And we can’t blame them. They’re looking at this giant and thinking, “Who could possibly defeat him?”

But then enters David, stage right, a young shepherd boy, I'd say about 20 years of age perhaps. David isn’t even there to fight. He’s just bringing food to his brothers, who are soldiers in the Israelite army. But when he hears Goliath’s taunts, it totally doesn’t sit right with him. He’s filled with righteous anger. Why? Because Goliath is not just insulting Israel; he’s insulting the God of Israel. And for David, that’s crossing the line. You don’t mock God, and you don’t defy God’s army and get away with it. It just ain't happenin'. not so long as he's there!

Now, when David offers to fight Goliath, his brothers get really ticked. They see him as just a kid, and they think he’s being reckless, wanting to show off. But David isn’t rattled by their criticism. His faith isn’t shaken by his brothers’ words nor by the magnitude of the situation. He knows that God has been with him before. He recounts how, as a shepherd, He defended his flock from lions and bears. And if God was with him then, why wouldn’t God be with him now?

This is key. David’s confidence is not in his own strength. He’s not out there thinking he can do this on his own. David looked back at what God had already done in his life, and that gave him the courage to trust Him again. How often do we forget the times God has already carried us through, and instead focus on the size of our problems? David says, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:37). It’s a beautiful example of how we can build our faith by looking at how God has shown up in our past, even in small things, and trusting that He will show up in bigger things.

So, David goes to King Saul and insists that he’s the one who should face Goliath. Saul, who is the king, tries to put his armor on David, but David doesn’t feel comfortable with it. It’s too big and awkward. This is another important moment. David isn’t trying to fight Goliath the way everyone else would. He’s not using the tools of the world or relying on their methods of battle. He’s going with what he knows: a sling, five smooth stones, and his faith in God.

This is where something profound happens that hits the mark beyond the biblical narrative. When David refuses to wear Saul’s armor, he’s essentially saying, "I’m not going to try to do this in someone else’s way, with someone else’s power." This moment of independence and trust in God reminds me of the idea that Peterson talks about when he says, “You need to be yourself, and you need to be that honestly. And part of that honesty is knowing what you’re capable of and trusting it.” David trusts what he knows and steps into battle with the tools that have worked for him in the past. He’s not trying to mimic anyone else’s success, just trusting what he has, God.

As David steps forward to face Goliath, there’s something almost poetic in the way he approaches the giant. Goliath sees David and mocks him, asking if they’ve sent out a dog to fight him. But David doesn’t back down. He speaks with boldness, saying, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45). David knows that this battle is not his to fight alone, but God’s. And that’s the key to his courage. It’s not about David’s skill; it’s about God’s strength.

When David takes his sling and hurls the stone, it strikes Goliath right smack in the middle of his forehead. The giant falls to the ground with a thud. And that’s it. David doesn’t even have a sword to finish the job, so he takes Goliath’s own sword and uses it to decapitate him. The Israelites see Goliath defeated, and they’re filled with courage. They chase the Philistines off, and the victory is won, not by the might of man, but by the power of God.

There’s so much to unpack in this story. But here’s the thing: On the surface, it’s about the little guy defeating the giant, but when we dig deeper, it’s about how David’s relationship with God gave him the courage to stand up against something far greater than himself. It’s about putting faith into action, about how trusting in God’s faithfulness leads to victory.

David didn’t just win a physical battle that day—he proved a spiritual point. The battle wasn’t about David’s abilities; it was about God’s power. And in that, there’s a huge lesson for us. How often do we look at our own limitations and think, “There’s no way I can do this,” forgetting that the real victory comes when we let God fight on our behalf?

This story challenges us to trust God when the odds seem impossible. It asks us if we truly believe that God is bigger than any giant we face. Whether that giant is fear, doubt, sin, or an actual situation we’re going through, we need to remember that if God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

And we can’t miss the beauty in David’s heart. It wasn’t pride or arrogance that drove him to fight Goliath—it was a deep, unwavering trust in the Lord and a desire to honor God’s name. His motivation wasn’t for personal glory, but for God’s glory.

So, when we read this story, we’re not just reading about a battle; we’re reading about God’s faithfulness, His power, and how He equips us—even when we feel small and powerless—to face the giants in our lives. It’s a powerful reminder that with God, all things are possible. David’s victory wasn’t just about him—it was about God’s power working through him. And that same power is still at work today.

When we look at the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), we see more than just a victorious battle—it’s a powerful example of how our past can shape our future, but it does not have to define it. David didn’t come into his battle with Goliath unaware of the evil he had witnessed. In fact, he was well-acquainted with danger. He was no stranger to threats from lions and bears. But when he stood before the giant, David didn’t rely on his own strength or the fear of past foes; he trusted in the living God who had delivered him before, and would do so again.

The name “Goliath” (גָּלְיָת, Golyat) in Hebrew can be broken down to mean “splendid” or “exile.” Here we see the juxtaposition of splendor and the curse of exile. Goliath was a giant in terms of his stature, but his presence in the battlefield was a reminder of the exile from God’s favor, a battle against something foreign to the people of God.

David, on the other hand, is a symbol of the one who trusts in God—his name (דָּוִד, Dawid) means “beloved.” Here we find a subtle but profound contrast between the enemy who brings exile and the one who brings reconciliation and love. David’s victory wasn't just personal—it was a declaration that exile (represented by Goliath’s presence) can be overcome through trust in the divine.

This sets the stage for understanding how we are called to overcome the “giants” in our own lives. Just as David had faith that God would help him stand against Goliath, we too are invited to stand against the giants of our past hurts, trauma, and evil forces. But how do we do that? How can we move past the evil that has been done to us, and trust that God will help us live as He intended us to—victorious, whole, and renewed?

In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul urges us, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The Greek word for “transformed” here is μεταμορφόω (metamorphoō), meaning to change into another form. This is the same word used to describe Jesus’ transfiguration in Matthew 17:2. It’s not just about changing our thoughts, but completely being changed from the inside out.

This renewal of the mind can only happen when we choose to let go of past wounds and place our trust in God’s ability to make all things new. The word renewing (ἀνακαινόω, anakainō) in the Greek refers to a process of renovation—rebuilding something that has been broken or corrupted. It speaks to the ongoing work of God in our lives, making us new by transforming how we think and live.

Let’s bring this into our very human experience. We often hear people say, “Just forget the past, and move on.” But the Bible isn’t telling us to pretend the past didn’t happen. It’s telling us to stop letting the past control our present. The “giants” in our lives are not just physical forces; they are the emotional scars, the fears, and the trauma that shape our behavior, thoughts, and decisions.

So many people today, including psychologists and doctors, tell us to face our past, to process our trauma. They encourage us to reframe our thinking. While many of them may not share our faith, some do—like Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist who has written extensively on how the brain processes and heals from negative thoughts and trauma. Dr. Leaf emphasizes the power of the mind to rewire itself—something that aligns deeply with the biblical concept of renewing the mind.

The Greek word for “mind” (νους, nous) speaks not only to our cognitive function but to our entire thought process and moral reasoning. It’s the place where our values are formed and decisions are made. This is where the battle is won or lost. The more we allow God to renew our minds, the more we become transformed, no longer slaves to our past, but free to live according to His will.

This process of transformation is also illustrated in the Hebrew word for “heart,” לֵב (leb). In ancient Israel, the heart was not merely a seat of emotion as we think of it today. It was the center of thought, will, and decision-making. When Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life,” it’s directing us to guard our minds—our entire inner being—against the lies and the wounds that would keep us in a place of spiritual exile.

It’s not enough to simply pray away our pain. While prayer is vital, the transformation also involves actively choosing to release the past, to forgive those who have wronged us, and to take God at His Word that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37). The Greek word here for “conqueror” (νικητής, nikētēs) refers to a victor, one who overcomes through strength. This is the same victory that David claimed over Goliath, and it is the same victory we can claim over every attack of the enemy.

The truth is that Satan will always try to pull us back into the chains of our past, whether through guilt, shame, or fear. But the Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:13–14 that “this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word ἐπεκτεινόμενος (epekteinomenos), meaning “reaching forth,” brings out the idea of stretching toward a goal with all our effort, everything we are. It’s an active, intentional pursuit of the future that God has promised.

This isn’t easy work—it requires daily choice. It means refusing to let the past dictate our present or our future. It means choosing to trust in God’s victory over evil, just as David trusted in God’s deliverance from the lion, the bear, and ultimately, the bully, Goliath. We are called to trust in God’s power and promises, to know that through Christ, we are victorious, no matter what evil has come against us.

We know that through Christ, we are healed, free, and made new. The victory is already ours, and we can stand strong against anything that comes our way, trusting that God is with us, just like He was with David in battle.

I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Anna M. C. Hazen  2025

The image is AI generated on chatgpt.