Slaying the Giants Within

“Everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)

Before David faced Goliath in 1 Samuel, he had to fight four other giants. But they weren’t physical giants; they were giants in his mind.

I'm far more likely to face those kinds of giants than an actual Goliath, but they can be just as big and intimidating. They can keep me from becoming who God wants me to be and fulfilling the dream that God has put in my heart. 

The first giant in facing my dream is delay. No dream is fulfilled instantly. It may be years before I see the fulfillment of my life dream. There is always a waiting period.

In David’s case, his dad held him back from the dream. After Samuel anointed David as king, Jesse told David to get back to tending the sheep!

When God’s plan contradicts somebody else’s plan, there’s going to be a delay, and people may try to hold me back. But God is faithful, and he will complete his work in his timing.

The second giant I may face is discouragement. Goliath created a climate of fear in Israel, and everybody was convinced they were going to lose the battle.

What people are I listening who say it can’t be done? Who’s putting down my dream, saying it won’t ever happen?

Sometimes I just need a fresh voice—a kid from the village with fresh eyes who says, “This giant is nothing. We can take him down.”

The third giant standing in my way is disapproval. In David’s case, his own brother questioned his motives and disapproved of him going after Goliath.

When God gives me a dream that scares other people and I go for it anyway, I will be misjudged, maligned, and misunderstood. That’s when I have to decide what matters most: the approval of others or God’s approval.

The fourth giant I may have to face is doubt. King Saul was an expert on war, and he told David he was crazy for thinking a boy could fight a warrior like Goliath.

Maybe the expert is saying I can’t do it, either. That’s enough to make me start doubting myself.

Besides, the experts are often wrong. Don’t let doubt hold me back from God’s dream for my life.

In summary:

Before David ever faced Goliath, he had to overcome four invisible giants—delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt—that threatened to stop him from fulfilling God’s dream for his life. Like David, I often face these internal giants that arise from people’s opinions, setbacks, or even my own insecurities. Delay may come from being held back by others, discouragement from fear-driven voices, disapproval from those close to me, and doubt from so-called experts. But as David declared in 1 Samuel 17:47, the battle belongs to the Lord, and with faith in Him, I can overcome these giants and walk boldly toward the purpose God has placed in my heart.

Bottom Line:

Before I can defeat the external giants in life, I must first overcome the internal ones—delay, discouragement, disapproval, and doubt—by trusting that the battle belongs to God.