David: The Man of Worship and War

Many of my disciples do the act of worship; they want to worship away the problems, but they forget I have called them to fight. For even David worshipped, but he fought as well. He worshipped and battled, then worshipped, then battled. Would he have won over his enemies if he had only worshipped? No! His victories were marked with worship because he knew I was the mighty one who gave him victory, but I still called him to stand up and fight. 

My body forgets that as the people rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem to keep the enemy out, they were to fight with one hand and build with the other. Fighting is a part of your godly inheritance. The enemy will bow. Many in my body are too scared to fight. They hide and run to worship when I have called for them both.

If Joshua had only stayed in the tent of meeting, would he have taken the land and slain the giants? If the Israelites had only marched, would Jericho’s walls have fallen?

1Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim. 2Saul and the men of Israel assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, arraying themselves for battle against the Philistines.

3The Philistines stood on one hill and the Israelites stood on another, with the valley between them.

4Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,a 5and he had a bronze helmet on his head. He wore a bronze coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels,b 6and he had armor of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.c In addition, his shield bearer went before him.

8And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me. 9If he is able to fight me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and labor for us.”

10Then the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day! Give me a man to fight!”

11On hearing the words of the Philistine, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and greatly afraid.

1 Samuel 17:1-11

This story starts in Samuel 17. The number 17 means victory in Hewbew. We cannot have victory if there is not something to overcome.

Socoh means tents and tabernacles. We become temples for God’s presence when we believe in Jesus and what he did for us, inviting him to be our Lord and savior, and asking him to forgive us of our sins through his innocent blood that was shed on the cross for us. His blood cleanses us from our sins so that God who is without sin can dwell with us, and we can be in a relationship ship with God as children of God, the way he originally intended it to be.

Through our belief in Jesus, we become a living tabernackle, a house of God, where we can commune with God through our spirits in our inner most being with God’s spirit.

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:4-6

The Philistines camping at Socoh for battle physically represents what the enemy does in the spirit realm. Goliath taunted the Israelites and intimidated them. Have you been taunted and intimidated by a certain scenario or person in your life? You may be unaware of a spiritual battle that is active behind that person or scenario. It may feel frustrating, chaotic, and defeating. But God…

The enemy always tries to make himself look bigger than he is. He used a real giant to intimidate Israel. Is there a giant you’re facing right now? He is no match for God. God is with you and God is on your side.

I had a dream once. I saw evil black spirits flying in and out of house windows, giving children bad dreams. My dream was in two colors: red and black. The houses were red, representing the children of God. Suddenly, I was at war with the black side. As far as I could see, many were lined up on the red and black sides—a vast army on each side. I was at the front of the line, and we were face-to-face with the black side. The devil was in front of me and suddenly blew up to a 100ft tall towering over me. Looking up at him was intimidating, but Jesus suddenly slipped in from behind me and stood beside me. As soon as his foot hit the ground next to me, the devil deflated like a balloon, and the war was won.

The living God of the angel armies is behind you; he is for you and beside you to fight your battles. The enemy might try to scare you, but his army is no match for Jesus.

In my dream, Jesus didn’t even speak a word he just stepped onto the scene. He is all powerful, I felt the touch of his presence as he slipped in from behind. No one can resist him. In the spirit realm all know that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s, his glory, his honor, his love, his sacrifice, his authority is righteous and true and none other can stand up against him.

The devil is nothing but a liar who tries to get us to focus on him or on our circumstances. But God is greater…

Maybe you are saying, yeah, but I haven’t had a victory; where has God been?

God needs your faith and trust in him, but he also needs you to draw near and receive his instruction and peace.

Let’s look at how the Lord uses David to turn things around. David puts the proper perspective back in order.

26David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

1 Samuel 17:26

This giant tail spun the armies of Isreal into a backward mindset. They elevated the giants’ worth above their own, focusing on physical strength. They forgot whose they were. David sets it straight.

David reminds the men of their identity in God. When he says armies of the living God, they are reminded of all the battles the Lord won throughout history on Israel’s behalf. He reminds them of their all-powerful Living God, who is in covenant with them. He reminds them they serve the one true God who does not break his promises. His honor, his integrity is true. No one is more powerful than him.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, through Jesus’ blood, he brought you into covenant with him. Your identity is in Christ. How dare the enemy defy your identity in Christ and make you feel anything less than. You are in right standing with God because of Jesus’ blood that was slain for the forgiveness of your sins, not because you are perfect. You are a child of God. The enemy is under your feet.

Once David reminds them of their Identity in the Lord and that God is greater than a giant, he is called to speak with Saul in his tent. The name Saul means to pray. Learn more about prayer that hits the mark in this post on prayer.

The tent is the place of meeting with God. Go to the Lord, worship him, remind yourself of the goodness of God, and trust that he has your victory. If faith is our trust in the Lord, fear is our trust in the enemy. Sing praises loud enough to drown out fear and doubt; sing songs that remind you how great he is. Amplify God, not the problem. Train your mind to stay on the Lord.

In this place of intimacy with the Lord, as you focus your mind on him, he will strengthen your inner man. He will comfort you and lead you. You may be led to pray his words that rise up within you. His words carries weight and authority because they are issued forth from his thrown, he has the final say, he has the final authority. The realm of the spirit has no choice but to submit to his holy word. The words God has given to you to speak out in prayer will not return void because his will is the highest authority.

How do you hear his order and speak it out in prayer? It’s more natural than we realize. It may not be words you hear, but a knowing, a tenacity that bubbles up inside of you, and suddenly you feel like David saying, who is this disgrace, this uncircumcised philistine? He may lead you to a scripture to pray out. He may show you a picture, a vision. But suddenly, it will come to you because he loves you, answers you, and wants you to overcome the oppressor.

Prayer doesn’t look like: please, god, oh God, help me. Begging God. It’s ok if you have done that. I have many times. But now it is time to turn that despair into faith. He wants you to have faith in who he is and know you are worthy to be helped by the living God. When you understand this, you will approach him boldly with a heart ready to receive his word of peace and instruction.

If you do not believe you are worthy, this is a lie of the enemy.

If you are in sin, and it has created distance between you and the Lord, ask the Lord for forgiveness and draw near to him. He wants to give you the Grace you need to overcome sin.

When David leaves the tent, he immediately picks up five smooth stones. Five represents God’s Grace.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

You can come boldly to the throne of grace because of Jesus’ sacrifice, taking the punishment of our sins; we are made righteous in God; we can approach the Father God through our right standing in Jesus because we are covered by his blood. We can say, ‘God, I need your help!’

His help may not look like what we expect. David, a young man with a sling and stones, was not what the Isrealite armies expected to defeat a giant. But trust that God is good and he answers rightly.

Because of Jesus, we are seated in the heavens with him. The verse says come boldly to the throne of Grace. Father, God is on the throne. His Grace is available for you today. Jesus willingly laid down his life according to the Father’s will so you could enter boldly to obtain his mercy and Grace. Believe in his grace towards you today. He sacrificed it all for you. He loves you, you are his child, and he is a good Father.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16-17

The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart. David knew his God; he knew his identity in God because he gave God space to dwell in relationship with him so david could receive God’s peace. God is not a god that should lie like man. He doesn’t break his covenant or promises. David knew the reputation of the Lord through history, not only for the people of Isreal but for himself and how the Lord delivered bears and lions into his hands to save his flock of sheep. He knew the Lord would enable him to overcome.

45But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

1 Samuel 17:45-47

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
⁷ ‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”

The enemy tries to enslave us by defying God’s covenant with us. He tries to make us believe we are not worthy to receive his Grace when he already gave it to us. His Grace doesn’t run out. The enemy wants to enslave us with his lies. Through the name of Jesus, we have the authority to shut up the enemy and drive him out.

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

Mark 16:17-18

17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”

18So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:17-20

It could be a simple command like this. In the name of Jesus, I forbid all demonic spirits to continue influencing this situation and person. I bind your works and command you to leave this situation now.

Be led by the Holy Spirit, and he will lead you on how to pray.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

John 5:19

Jesus repeatedly slipped away to pray. He sought his Father, and the Holy Spirit revealed his Father’s will. The word “see” “in this verse is the Greek word blepó, which means to look at. But it also means to perceive or discern. Sometimes, you may not even see something, but you may perceive or discern something from the Lord and what he is leading you to do. He may lead you to scripture that speaks to your situation or listen to a sermon that highlights something to you. You may be led to worship him to center yourself on him and position yourself to hear his voice instead of the drowning voices of negativity.

Speak to the giant, and it will move.

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

Mark 11:23

How do we have faith to speak to a mountain and cause it to move? We do what Jesus did. We go to the one that gives us faith. We seek the Lord and receive his guidance.

David was called to Saul’s tent; then, he went out by Saul’s word (the king’s authority) to fight this giant. His weapon is the sling and five smooth stones representing God’s Grace, which helps him in a time of need. He trusts in God, he knows it’s God’s strength, his Spirit, that will defeat this giant, not his own. But he still has to step out and fight the giant. David puts his faith in the Lord into action. He takes the Lord’s guidance and instruction with him (shepherd’s staff). As he steps out in faith to fight, the Lord backs him, and in one sling of the stone, the giant is knocked down. The fear of the Lord gripped the army. They could’ve easily gained up on David and continued in battle, but the Lord’s presence and authority gripped them and drove them out.

48So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.

1 Samuel 17:48-51

The enemy likes to twist the word of God so he can get us to believe a lie. When satan twisted the word of God to test and tempt Jesus, Jesus spoke the truth of the word, and satan left him. Resist the negative thoughts of the enemy. Cut of his head with the truth in God’s word. Speak the truth because his word is the truth, not what the devil tries to throw at you through circumstances or lies. God’s word has the final authority, and his word does not return void.

You are not rejected. You are the beloved of God and a child of God.

You are not unworthy. You are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.

You are not a nobody, but the very creator of the universe says he knows the thoughts he thinks towards you, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future. He counts the number of hairs on your head and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. You were created for such a time as this, and he has a hope and a future for you.

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:10-12 & 17

3For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. 4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Review

1. Know your God (Find these truths in the Bible)
2. Know your identity in God (Find these truths in the Bible)
3. Replace the lies with the truth of God’s word
4. Know your right standing and come boldly to the throne room to receive mercy and Grace to help you
5. Seek the Lord in worship, prayer, and reading his word. Seek the fellowship of believers to encourage your faith.
6. Look to the Lord, discern, perceive his leading, his word, his impartation of faith, his instruction, his peace.
7. Take authority by speaking the words or leading he has given you in prayer
8. Take more action if needed by taking physical steps of faith in accordance with the faith, guidance, and instruction he has imparted to you.
9. Remember, it is the Lord’s power, his Spirit, that goes with you and empowers your victory
10. If you falter in your faith, rinse and repeat.

The Lord will lift you up and impart more faith. When Peter looked at the wind and the waves and started to drown and called out to Jesus, he picked him back up. I don’t think Jesus was criticizing Peter when he said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt.” (Matt. 14:31). He gently reminded Peter of God’s goodness and power to save him but also stated the fact he had little faith. Although Peter had little faith in that moment, the Lord lifted him back up above the water.

Jesus said if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will be done for you. Little faith was a fact. Why did you doubt I am with you? I called you out on the waters. Who did Peter turn to? The author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ. If you step out in faith on the word of the Lord but start to drown with doubt over the winds and the waves intimidating you, call out to the Lord. He will reach out to grab you and is ready to give you another impartation of faith. Despite all the mistakes Peter made, Jesus never dismissed him, even when he denied Jesus. Jesus continued to strengthen and love him into great faith.