3 Steps to Slaying the Giants in Your Life

We can all relate to times in our lives when the odds were stacked against us; this Old Testament story of a shepherd boy bringing down a battle-worn warrior of gigantic proportions reminds us that we, too, can defy the odds. It connects us with the story of our Redemption through Christ that God has woven into our hearts. And it reminds us that the “giants” we face in life can, in fact, be defeated.

Our giants don’t carry swords or shields. They brandish weapons of unemployment, abandonment, sexual abuse, or depression. They don’t parade up and down the hills of our homeland; they stride arrogantly into our offices, bedrooms, and classrooms.

They bring bills we can’t pay, people we can’t please, habits we can’t shake, careers we can’t escape, a past that we can’t shake, and a future that we simply can’t face. We all recognize the roar of Goliath. It’s the first depressing thought of the morning and the last anxious worry at night.  Since we all face giants in life, the story of David and Goliath fills us with hope that giants can be defeated, no matter how insurmountable they look.

Photo credit: ©AdobeStock/fizkes

When we face giants in life, it’s easy to fall into the trap of blaming (or taking out our frustrations) on someone or something other than the giant. David’s oldest brother Eliab did exactly this. David’s father had asked him to deliver some bread and cheese to his brothers on the battlefield. (You might say it was the first pizza delivery in human history!) When David arrived, Eliab turned to him and said:

“Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, ‘Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle’.” -1 Samuel 17:28

Eliab doesn’t want to be on that battlefield or under that pressure. But rather than doing battle with the giant, he started doing battle with his little brother. Instead of taking out his frustrations on Goliath, he fell into the trap of blaming and taking out his frustrations on David.

How many marriage problems started because a couple is facing a financial giant, or a work-related giant, or a poor self-esteem giant, and instead of doing battle with that giant, they throw stones at their spouse? And now instead of having one giant, they have two! We must be careful not to let the pressure of dealing with a giant cause us to create other problems in our lives. We must properly identify the giants in our lives. 

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” - Ephesians 6:12

Identify your giants and don’t let yourself get dragged into the blame game. Don’t blame your spouse, boss, kids, church, or worst of all – God! When we mistakenly blame God, we shut ourselves off from intimacy with the only true source of power that can defeat our giant. Ordinarily, if we could kick the person most responsible for our problems, we wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week! So we must be careful not to turn a personal problem into a family problem, a work problem, a financial problem, or a trusting God problem. Because that’s what our flesh loves to do! And in essence, that’s what David said to Eliab: “And David said, ‘What have I done now? Is there not a cause?’” (1 Samuel 17:29). In essence, David was saying, Yo bro! Don’t take your frustration out on me! There’s a giant out there that needs to be slain!

“And [King] 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 17:33).

Saul, along with everyone else in the army, was focused on how big Goliath was. Basically, Saul said to David, Kid, he’s big, you’re little. He’s strong, you’re weak. He’s a warrior, and you’re a shepherd boy. He can, and you can’t. But David had God’s perspective rather than Saul’s. The Apostle James wrote:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (or we could say when you face various kinds of giants), knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:2-5, parenthesis added).

Notice that the word "wisdom" here is the Greek word sophia, which means to gain a higher perspective, as in an aerial shot of the scenario, or, said another way, to get God’s perspective. James was saying that when we face giants of various kinds, we should ask God to give us His 40,000-foot view. That’s what David did:

“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”. - 1 Samuel 17:36

This is not just smack talk or a polite way of cursing at the giant. David had God’s perspective of the giant, who was uncircumcised, meaning he was not in covenant with God. Everyone else was consumed with how big Goliath was and forgot that they were the people in a covenant with Almighty God.

“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” - Deuteronomy 7:9

They had a covenant with a covenant-keeping God – a covenant that said God would bless them, protect them, keep them, deliver them, provide for them, lead them, guide them, help them, and fight for them! That’s the covenant that Israel had with God. But do you know what the Scripture says about followers of Christ?

“But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for He is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.” - Hebrews 8:6

That means when we face giants in life, we need to get God’s perspective, reminding us that, regardless of circumstances, the giant really isn’t too big. And remember, we fight with the backing of a new and better covenant that promises to double-bless us, double-keep us, double-deliver us, double-provide for us, double-lead us, and double-guide us… because it’s far better!

Photo credit: ©GUnsplash/Anh Nguyen

Everyone on the battlefield was talking about Goliath. He’s so big! He’s undefeatable! He’s this, he’s that… And after much conversation,

“…they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” - 1 Samuel 17:11

Isn’t this just like us? Isn’t that our inclination when we face the giants in life? We spend countless hours talking about the problem. Well, you see, I’ve got this problem, and I don’t know how I’m going to solve it. This problem won’t go away, and it’s not getting any better… matter of fact, it’s getting worse. God, will you help me solve my problem? And when we talk about our problem, then just like the Israelites, we become more and more afraid. Fear grips us and begins to suck the life out of us. But that’s not what David did; unlike everyone else, David talked to his giant! In fact, it’s exactly what Jesus instructs us to do:

“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.’” - Mark 11:22-24).

And don’t talk about how the situation is, talk about how the situation will be! Declare the end from the beginning. Isn’t that what David did?

“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 17:45-47

David’s language was all in the future tense; he was forecasting not how his situation is, but how it will end. He was speaking from the end to the beginning. David starts off his words to Goliath with “The Lord will deliver you into my hand,” and he ends his words with “and he will give you into our hands.” David doesn’t speak about his giant; he speaks to his giant about his God! As a matter of fact, David refers to God nine times but to Goliath only once. Now that’s talking to your giant about your God!

Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/AntonioGuillem

God wants us to understand that the giants in our lives are not stop signs intended to halt our progress; they are simply signposts along the way to alert us to the fact that there are rewards up ahead if we don’t give up. And according to James, we should be very happy as we “count it all joy” (James 1:2), because on the other side of that giant is perfect completeness, lacking nothing. I like the sound of that, don’t you? Then slay your giant!

Frequently Asked Questions about David and Goliath

• What does the story of David and Goliath teach us?
   The story of David and Goliath teaches us that God is greater than the battles we face and that faith sees circumstances through God’s power rather than human limitations.
• What do the five smooth stones represent?
  The Bible does not explicitly assign symbolic meanings to the five stones, but they can help us remember practical steps of faith, such as identifying the real battle, trusting God’s perspective, and speaking His truth.
• How can I face the giants in my life?
   You can face life’s giants by naming the real struggle, refusing to blame the wrong people, asking God for wisdom, remembering His covenant faithfulness, and responding with faith instead of fear.
• Does David and Goliath mean I will always defeat every problem quickly?
   No. David’s victory reminds us that God is powerful and faithful, but it does not promise that every hardship will end immediately. It calls believers to trust God in the battle and obey Him one step at a time.
• What Bible verse says the battle belongs to the Lord?
  First Samuel 17:47 says that the battle is the Lord’s. David’s confidence rested not in his own strength but in the God who fights for His people.

For Further Reading

• How Tall Was Goliath and What Do We Really Know about Him?
• Why David Was a Man After God’s Heart
• Choosing God's Lead over the Fear of Failure
• There Are Battles That Belong to the Lord
• 31 Spiritual Warfare Scriptures: Verses to Help Face Life's Battles

Photo Credit:  ©Pexels/Vinicius Wiesehofer