David vs. Goliath: A Tale of Spiritual Warfare - 1 Samuel 17:1-30

This evening we begin our three week study of one of the most famous stories in the entire Bible: the story of David and Goliath. It’s every little boy’s favorite story for obvious reasons: bravery, fighting, and victory despite overwhelming odds.

It’s such a popular story that we refer to David and Goliath to describe an underdog story. Broadcasters, sportswriters, and historians have frequently used the David vs. Goliath analogy to describe for example the U.S. hockey team’s unexpected victory over the heavily favored Soviets in the 1980 Winter Olympics famously referred to as the Miracle on Ice.

For many of us, the story of David and Goliath has become so familiar we assume there’s nothing else we can glean from it. I don’t know about you, but whenever I sit down to read a familiar story, I notice things that I had never paid attention to.

Which becomes a problem, especially for Biblical stories, whenever we apply the text to our lives. We draw applications and conclusions based upon how we like to tell the story rather than the way the Bible tells the story.

Many of you I’m sure remember the movie Facing the Giants. Facing the Giants was, of course, an analogy for David and Goliath. Perhaps you remember, struggling high school football coach Grant Taylor, hit rock bottom and then turned to his faith and inspired his team to play for God’s glory rather than just winning.

And of course, after that decision was made everything in his life immediately improved. His personal life improved, his football team, Shiloh Christian Academy, began winning football games, in fact, things were going so well for Coach Taylor someone gave him a new truck. Everything culminates with his football team defeating the undefeated Giants on a last second field goal.

The takeaway from the movie seemed to be that if you have enough faith, God will grant you victory over your Goliaths. All you need to do is turn everything over to God, and your life will immediately improve. If you’re not careful, the interpretive lens is all so subtly taken off of God and put on you.

A number of years ago, a friend bought me a coffee mug with a picture of David and Goliath on it. And it has an arrow pointing to Goliath that says, Goliath, and an arrow pointing to David that says, not you.

And to be fair, this is a common interpretative pitfall. There is a real temptation to insert ourselves into the Biblical text and ask ourselves what does this passage say about me? When the better question whenever we approach a passage is, what does this passage tell us about God?

And the same is true for us this morning. We must approach this famous story asking ourselves that very basic question: what does it tell us about God?

When you approach this passage that way, you’ll quickly realize that it tells us a lot about God. Just in the introduction to the story of David and Goliath we learn that God is displaying his strength, power, and superiority over any false gods that may lead us astray.

And so through this passage we’re reminded of several things: first, we’re reminded that the enemy is intimidating (vv. 1-11), second, we’re reminded that sometimes God’s people falter in fear (vv. 12-23), and lastly, we’re reminded that true courage comes from faith in the Lord (vv. 24-30).

You’ve probably already noticed that 1 Samuel 17 is a very long chapter. And the reason for that is it marks a pivotal transition in the nation of Israel. David emerges as the de facto leader in Israel after he defeats Goliath.

Which of course makes sense when you consider what we read about last week. Last week, we looked at how the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. Which was in direct contrast to what happened to David. Remember how when David was anointed king in Israel the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him.

The enemy is intimidating (vv. 1-11)

God has chosen David as his instrument to work through. And so, David’s defeat over Goliath is the moment where that reality is revealed to all of Israel.

But these first thirty verses of 1 Samuel 17 is a lot of introductory material. In fact, we’re given a lot of very specific information. We’re told exactly how tall Goliath was (six cubits and a span or nine feet six inches), we’re told how heavy his armor was (five thousand shekels of bronze or 126lbs of armor), we’re even given the weight of the head of his spear – six hundred shekels of iron or fifteen pounds. Apparently, his shield was so massive that someone else had to carry it for him.

That’s a lot of detailed information about Goliath isn’t it?

Most of you already know that I wrestled in high school. And the truth is, you could tell who the good wrestlers were from the bad ones simply by looking at them. The guys were tall and jacked were intimidating as opposed to the guys who were doughy and soft - not so intimidating.

We’re told all of this specific information about Goliath in order to paint a picture. We’re told exactly what he looked like so that we can understand just how intimidating of a man he was! He was absolutely massive! He was a mountain of a man! He was a scary individual.

Not only that, but we’re told in verse 4 that Goliath was a “champion.” Apparently, this had become standard operating procedure for Philistine warfare. Whenever they would go out to battle against an enemy nation, rather than having the armies fight against one another and lose countless lives, they’d just trot out Goliath and have him challenge the best warrior of their enemy nation! It was a high stakes, winner take all, one on one battle to the death between two nations represented by a single warrior of their choosing.

Goliath would always represent the Philistines against whoever was willing to fight him. Obviously, you don’t become known as a “champion” for losing! The idea is that Goliath had killed many men in this fashion! The Philistines thought they had the ultimate secret weapon.

As men and women living in the year 2025 we tend to assume that warfare is always geopolitical. Take the war in Ukraine. There’s the Russians, the Ukrainians, and even the Americans all competing for their interests - whatever they may be.

But that’s not necessarily how things worked in the ancient world. Warfare was geopolitical too, but it was just that – it was also theological.

What I mean is that war wasn’t just a contest between armies, it was a contest between gods. Whenever a nation defeated another nation in war, that meant that their gods were superior to the gods of the nation they defeated.

We saw this in 1 Samuel 5! The Philistines defeated Israel and put the ark of the covenant before their false god, Dagon – symbolizing the fact that Dagon was superior to the one true God in Israel. And of course, Dagon was thrown down before the ark and his head and hands were chopped off, demonstrating the superiority of God over Dagon — but hopefully you get my point!

In the ancient world, everyone understood there to be a theological component to warfare! We see this in the way Goliath challenged Israel. Did you notice what he said in verse 8? “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul?”

When Goliath says, “Am I not a Philistine?,” he’s effectively saying, “don’t you believe that I’m a pagan? Don’t you believe your God is greater than ours?”

Goliath even calls the men of Israel “servants of Saul,”implying they serve a man and not God. He’s basically saying that they have no divine backing!

And so this meant that whoever was willing to fight Goliath would not only be representing Israel, but they’d be representing the living God. They would be literally fighting for the Lord.

What I hope you see is that the battle between David and Goliath was every bit as spiritual and theological as it was physical.

The theologian A.W. Pink understood this passage to reflect the realities of spiritual warfare as well. He wrote, “Goliath pictures to us the great enemy of God and man, the devil, seeking to terrify, and bring into captivity those who bear the name of the Lord.”

The point being, the showdown between David and Goliath is more a showdown between the living God of the universe, and the false gods, pagan religions, and ideologies of the world!

As you read in the introduction to David and Goliath, I hope you picked up on exactly why we’re given so many specific details about Goliath – the writer of 1 Samuel is underscoring just how huge, threatening, and intimidating he was!

And so what we need to recognize is that just as Goliath was huge, threatening, and intimidating, so are the false gods, religions, and ideologies of the world are often huge, threatening, and intimidating.

It can be very intimidating to defy or even challenge the gods and idols of our world. An example of this that I think we’d all agree is that it’s incredibly intimidating to stand for Christian sexual ethics in our current cultural climate. It is highly unpopular to defy, challenge, or even question anything regarding the LGBTQ community. Some have even been put in a position where standing for Christian values cost them something like their job or reputation.

Goliath stood no chance against the Lord, in the same way false gods and ideologies of the world don’t stand a chance against Christ, but that doesn’t change the fact that our spiritual enemies whether it is, the world, sin, or Satan himself, can look incredibly intimidating.

Sometimes God’s people falter in fear (vv. 12-23)

Hopefully, this helps you better understand David’s reaction to Goliath. Because David isn’t looking at this exclusively through a physical lens, he’s looking at it through a spiritual lens.

And we know the story. David would bring his brothers food and supplies. Again, we have a lot of specific information don’t we? David would bring ten loaves of bread and ten cheeses.

And we’re told this information in order to underscore the insignificance of David. He was the young man who was responsible for delivering the bread and cheese.

The writer of 1 Samuel is emphasizing just how unintimidating David was. He’s the shepherd boy who delivered parched grain, bread, and cheese!

He was a nobody! But for forty and forty nights Goliath would go out and challenge the army of Israel. Throughout the Bible forty days and forty nights are understood as a period of testing. Think Jesus in the desert for forty days and forty nights.

Goliath is a test! Will someone from Israel fight against him? Does anyone have the courage to defend the Lord?

The writer of 1 Samuel walks us through a variety of options. David’s brothers Eliab, Abinadab, and Shammah are out there on the battlefield, but they don’t have the courage to challenge Goliath. Will they challenge Goliath?

The one who makes the most sense to challenge Goliath is Saul, right? He’s the King in Israel, he’s specifically mentioned by name by Goliath. But of course, he’s too afraid as well.

Why is everyone so afraid? Because everyone is looking at Goliath strictly through a physical lens. All they see is a nine foot six inch giant with a massive spear. Saul and David’s brothers simply see the situation as a man-on-man.

They don’t see it as God versus man. Only one person sees it that way. Only David sees Goliath’s challenge through the eyes of faith in the Lord, which is why he says in verse 26,

“What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

David understood the spiritual implications. Goliath wasn’t simply challenging Israel, he was openly challenging and defying the living God. After all, the Lord is not like the gods of the Philistines - the Lord is alive. He is the living God.

David thought that the fear that was running through all of Israel was completely uncalled for, because of the God they served. And yet, when he makes this point, he’s not supported is he? He’s chastised. He’s put in his place.

Look at verse 28:

“Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke to the men. And Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

Eliab accused David of pride and arrogance. And of course, David says that he didn’t do anything wrong… because he didn’t!

But isn’t it incredibly ironic that the person Eliab is the most upset with is David? You have this man Goliath – openly defying the army of Israel and their God - and yet, the person who has really offended Eliab is his own brother, David.

In many ways it reminds me of Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms, not to be confused with a diet of worms. The Diet of Worms was the trial before the Emperor Charles V for Martin Luther to recant his writings, particularly, his rediscovery of the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith. That fundamental gospel truth, that it’s your faith in Jesus Christ that makes you right with the living God.

It was at the Diet of Worms Luther famously said,

“I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

Church history can be incredibly interesting. Because you’d expect the Roman Catholic Church to thank Martin Luther for rediscovering the glorious doctrine of justification by faith. But of course, if you know the story, Luther was later declared an outlaw and a heretic by the Edict of Worms.

My point is, you’d expect God’s people to take courage as well. You’d expect Eliab to say to David, you know what, you’re exactly right – Goliath has no right to insult our God like that.

But the reality is, he cowered in fear. The truth is, far too often it’s the people who are wearing the same color jersey as you who are the first ones to say, “don’t rock the boat,” “don’t be controversial,” “it’s best to just leave that alone.”

And of course, I hope no one is hearing me say, go out of your way to be offensive and controversial simply to ruffle feathers. I don’t believe that that’s right. But I do believe that all of us at some point or another will find ourselves at a crossroads. And that crossroads is, will you stand for Christ or not even when those around you, those who profess the name of Christ are afraid to do it?

Are you offended when the name of Jesus Christ is openly mocked? There may come a day where you will have to make the tough decision to stand alone for Christ or to not stand at all.

Courage comes from faith in the Lord (vv. 24-30)

Here’s something that I think is absolutely critical for every one of us to remember this evening. Eliab thought that David’s arrogance was coming from himself.

That when David said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” that it was a statement of sheer bravado from a shepherd boy who had no business being out there on the battlefield.

But what Eliab failed to realize was that David’s confidence was not in himself, his confidence was in the Lord. David didn’t see the battle as man versus giant. David saw the battle as God versus man, and who can possibly withstand the Lord?

Remember what the writer of Hebrews said? “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

So when David arrived at the battlefield and found everyone paralyzed with fear he was miffed! He didn’t understand it!

This is the critical difference between worldly strength and true strength. The Israelites measured their ability against Goliath and despaired. David measured Goliath against God and had confidence.

David was confident in what the Lord could do. He was confident that the Lord would save! And so, the size of the opposition didn’t matter because the battle belonged to the Lord.

This is a reminder that true strength does not come from our abilities, resources, or circumstances but from our trust in God.

Just as David didn’t let fear dictate his actions, we too must anchor ourselves in our faith in Christ. True courage is not about self-confidence; it’s about God-confidence. When we trust in Him, we can stand firm, even when others shrink back. The real battle is not won by might but by faith in the Lord.

Everyone in this passage is simply looking at Goliath’s size! Goliath is too big! He’s too mean and dangerous! No one can defeat him! We better go ahead and give up now!

When you look at this passage on a broader, more holistic level, you quickly realize that 1 Samuel 17 is an extension of what God said in 1 Samuel 16:7, “Man looks on outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.”

All anyone could see was Goliath’s outward appearance. But in God’s economy, physical size and strength is irrelevant.

I keep seeing stuff on the internet about this guy Bryan Johnson. He’s the biohacking guy who’s trying to live forever. Apparently he spends something like $2 million dollars a year on anti-aging efforts.

I was joking with Lauren about this guy the other day, and said, “he’s going to die in a tragic car accident or something.” All his efforts will be for nothing.

It’s good to take care of yourself, but at the same time, your life is in the hands of the Lord. Health and fitness will only take you so far because at the end of the day, the Lord has your days numbered.

Time and time again, humanity puts its trust in idols—people are searching for security in wealth, influence, or even attempting to biohack their way to eternal life.

When the ultimate truth is found in the words of Christ: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The false powers, fears, and doubts that loom over you cannot stand before the risen Christ. God alone reigns supreme and because Christ has already won, you and I can stand with courage and confidence.

Amen. Let’s pray together.