I have heard various interpretations from trusted bible teachers regarding their understanding of David and Goliath, and I am happy to support what the Lord has revealed to them. The reason I would like to share with you what I believe the Lord showed me, is because it also offers a message of how to defeat a spiritual giant, but from a different angle. My hope is that this message will show you that the Lord has given us spiritual weapons (a sling and a stone) which we can use to defeat the spiritual giants we face. Thank You Jesus!

Let’s take a look at the story of David and Goliath in Scripture, and then I will explain the allegory as I believe the Lord has taught it to me:

Then he (David) took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained (belittled) him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 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.”

So it was, when the Philistines arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then 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. So 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. Therefore 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. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

1 Samuel 17:40-51 NKJV

A few years ago, I continually faced the same spiritual battle (or giant), and one day out of absolute frustration I cried out to the Lord for help. I was thinking about the story of David and Goliath, and I knew that David only needed one stone to kill Goliath. I also knew that most things in Scripture have a deeper spiritual meaning. Therefore, I knew that the attack I was facing came from a spiritual giant who could be defeated with just one stone. I then cried out to the Lord asking Him what the stone represented in the spiritual, so that I could also use this stone to defeat this spiritual giant. Immediately the Holy Spirit replied to my question with just one word, “Obedience.” I knew with absolute certainty that this answer was from the Lord, because He immediately opened my eyes to see it and understand it. Thank You Jesus!

In terms of greater understanding:

• David is a type of Jesus. Just as David took aim for Goliath’s forehead, Jesus takes perfect aim for us, so that when we move in obedience to His instructions (by faith), we conquer our giants.

• David took his staff in his hand – I believe this represents the authority that we have been given in Christ. (Luke 10:19)

• David chose 5 smooth stones from the brook. The message I received from the Lord is this: The stones represent our obedience to the Lord. Any moving water (like brooks, streams and rivers) usually represent the Holy Spirit. Just as water, sediment and wind refines pebbles in a river over time to make them smooth, the Holy Spirit works with us to refine our obedience in all areas of our walk with the Lord. Examples include: Obedience to God’s commandments contained within His written word, obedience when we hear His voice speaking to us, patiently enduring under trials, remaining steadfast, being diligent in prayer and scripture study, living by faith and not by sight, and continually nurturing our relationship with Him.

• The sling (in my case) represents faith. Faith and action must always go together – see James 2:14-26. “Faith without works is dead.” Just as a sling propels a stone forward, our faith propels us forward in obedience to what God has asked us to do.

David proclaimed his faith in God, and was greatly rewarded. He fought Goliath based on his faith in God to bring about the victory. David did not rely on his own knowledge, efforts and ability to kill Goliath, but instead he believed in the God he knew and loved. David explained how he had experienced God’s faithfulness in the past, and because of this, he knew that God would give him victory over Goliath.

Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

1 Samual 17:37 NKJV

So how do we practically apply this understanding to the giants we face?

I’d like to offer you an example from my life:

Worry

There may be many things to worry about, like: our work, our income, our families, our finances, our obedience to God, where the world is headed, etc. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25 not to worry, but how do we practically live that out when worry is constantly knocking at the door?

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I have personally faced this giant for a while now, and because of this, I have been diligently applying the above-mentioned Scripture to my life. I have been trying to fight this giant using only the sword of the Spirit, however, I still didn’t have victory over worry. The Lord helped me understand that just as David prevailed over Goliath using a sling and a stone, I too would need to fight this battle using the spiritual weapons Jesus has given us (a sling and a stone).

For me, the stone represents obedience. The Lord in His lovingkindness and mercy gave me a specific instruction which I needed to diligently apply to my life. The Lord told me to “Let go of worry.” Therefore every time something comes up which causes me to worry, I know that I need to pray about it, and then also “let go” of the worry or concern, and trust in God. Jesus gave me the understanding that if I continually act in obedience to this instruction, the giant of worry would fall.

The Lord also gave me the understanding that I needed to use the sling to propel the stone forward. For me, the sling represents faith. He helped me understand that not only did I need to let go of worry, but I also needed to move forward in the direction He has for my life, and that I would need to do so by faith.

I’d like to leave you with a message of encouragement. We have all been given access to the same spiritual weapons, and when we ask God to teach us how to use them, He will – because he wants us to defeat the giants we face. At times we will fight the enemy using the sword of the Spirit, but other times we will need to use a sling and a stone. Perhaps you would like to spend time with the Lord and ask Him to teach you how to use a sling and a stone (spiritually speaking of course) to defeat the giant you are facing. He is a good Father who loves you dearly, He will help you.

Thank You Lord Jesus!