Jason Bryant

1st Samuel 17:1-54 KJV

"Standing Against the Enemy Even When He's Bigger Than You"

In life's reality, there is always someone physically bigger than you are, stronger than you are, and tougher than you are. Since we live in a fallen world, there are enemies, there are always bullies real and percieved. Let's face the truth folks, we all have giants of adversity, sickness, bondage, and bullies we yearn to be free of. The real enemy is the lack of faith, and in Whom we fail to trust. We seem to always see the enemy, or hear he may be coming our way, and in our flesh we begin to worry, to run to and fro searching ourselves for answers, trying in our own strength formulate strategy, and a way to overcome the big "ole enemy." Beloved and friends, let me remind you as I have to look in the mirror and remind myself, those of us who are children of the King, redeemed of Christ sin when we do this. We don't look unto the King of kings, Creator, Lord of Heaven's armies, and we worry. Admit it, I do alot of times seeking His face comes at the latter part of our efforts when all along our times are in His hands. Let's look at a story we've heard many times since childhood, or most of us anyway. Turn in your Bibles to 1st Samuel 17 and we will be in this chapter for God's solution for the enemy who appears big to us but is insignificant to God.

I.) In this life we will face the enemy Jesus said so, if the hate our Lord, they will hate us. Verses 1-10 of chapter 17 is a type of the adversary Jesus was speaking of. "17 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.


2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.

3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.

4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.

10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." Clearly the enemy is defined here and He's a GIANT!

II.) Jesus faced the giant of separation from the Father, the entire weight of humanity's sin on his flesh, spirit, emotions, and yes, His humanity. But Jesus trusted in the Father for He knew His father intimately. Now let us look at David's intimacy with the Father. Verses 36-37 "36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee." Make no mistake, David knew God intimately also.

III.) How do we confront the big enemies we face? We must recognize the enemy, and the one who is bigger than our enemy. Jesus prayed unto the Father in Gethsemane, He knew sin was His enemy, He knew Satan was His enemy, BUT He knew God's will, and set Himself against the one whom destroys man's souls. Look at verses 19-32 "19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.

29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine." David responded in a like manner that Christ would in Gethsemane. Both prevailed.

V.) The victory came in trusting the Lord, by way of intimacy, and being in the will of God. David would live through His battle, and Jesus would seem to die in His battle ONLY to rise victorious, triumphant, following the Father's perfect will and plan, as Christ physically died He gave LIFE, as He slew the Giant of Death. David would give physical life to the armies of Israel as he brought death to the God of Israel's enemy. Verses 47-53 "37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.

42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents."

Conclusion: Beloved your Father in heaven is bigger than your enemy, we would know this all the better if our relationship was as intimate as David a shepherd boy, or as Christ the Son of God. When we are in genuine fellowship we see the conflict through spiritual eyes and not the flesh. Then we respond and not react. Perspective makes all the difference. We will have adversity, cancer kills, death comes, families are broken, relationships have conflict. The flesh battles for supremacy against the Spirit, but the more intimate, the deeper the relationship, the sooner we realize just how tiny the giants are in view of our Father. Only those of us redeemed have this security, this hope, this champion of our giants. Friends, you can have Him too, that giant of sin, death, and Satan Jesus conquered for you too! Will you trust the King of kings, the slayer of death and the Lord of the Ressurection? The choice is yours.