THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S A review of 1 Samuel 17,

and Acts 6:9-14 and 7:51-60

Some people seem to never let anything get them down. They remind me of the
little boy who kept bragging to his father about what a great hitter he was. Fin
ally
his father said, "All right, son, show me!"
So the little boy got his softball and his bat and they went out to the back yar
d.
The father stood over to the side while his son tossed the ball into the air and
swung the bat with all his might. "Strike one," said the little fellow after he
had
completely missed the ball. "Strike two," he said as he missed again. "Strike
three," he called on a third miss. He turned to his father with a determined
glow on his face and said. "Boy, am I a great pitcher!"
Some folk can deal with life like that; with faith, enthusiasm and the ability t
o
"bounce back." Others of us have difficulty facing failure, disappointment and
other Goliaths that appear univited. Part of that difficulty comes because we tr
y
to fight Goliath on our own terms. We forget that "The Battle is the Lord's."
We fail to remember, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Stephen, whom we read about in our Scripture today faced the Goliath of persecut
ion
and death. He did it with outstanding courage and faith. Acts 7:55 relates
that Stephen looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God.
He even prayed: "Do not hold this sin against them." Did Stephen's courage
and faith save him from death? We know it didn't. Nor was Jesus spared from
death on the cross. But, Scriptures tells us that death did not win and that
Jesus led captivity captive on the cross. The enemy no longer has any power
over those who are in Christ because Christ has overcome death. So death
held no threat for Stephen. He saw beyond his circumstances into heaven.
Stephen showed us how to face the Goliath of persecution and death.
Few of us will face that kind of Goliath. But what Goliath might we face? For
youth in might be the Goliath of self-esteem. You think, "I'm not good enough."
You think "I'm ugly...nobody likes me. You're afraid you can't measure up. Peer
pressure is another Goliath young people face. Others try to influence you to
do things you know are wrong. The temptation is to listen to Satan's lie:
"Everybody else is doing it, so It must be okay." That Goliath taunts you. But
God has something better for you! "Greater is He (Jesus) that is in you than he
(Satan) that is in the world."
You know the story of David and Goliath. Physically the odds were stacked
against him. Here was a giant of a man that made the very armies of Israel flee
in fear. But David did not face Goliath in his own strength and this is where we
often fall short. We forget that "the battle is the Lord's.'
What was it David said before he went into battle against Goliath? He said, "The
Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear
,
He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." This is what it means to
see beyond our circumstances and see the glory of God. He boldly told Goliath,
"You come to me with a sword, and with a spear and with a shield: but I come to
you in the name of the Lord of hosts. This day will the Lord deliver you into my
hand and all the assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and
spear...for the battle is the Lord's."
All of us encounter Goliaths. It may be depression, loneliness, grief, an illnes
s,
uncertainty, failure, a family problem, a problem at work, an addiction, and we
could go on. You probably have a Goliath in mind. Just having to face a new
day may be a battle. For some of us growing old may be a Goliath.
The Goliath I have struggled with much of my life is inferiority. I tend to feel
good about something I've worked on , like a sermon, confirmation class or a
Bible study. And when It's over, Goliath comes and tells me it was a flop; that
I
could have done better; should have said this or done that. I failed to recogniz
e
this enemy and deal with it years ago. Most of our enemies are within us.
Your Goliath may be laziness, selfishness, a short fuse, a critical spirit or so
me
other weakness.
I've come to realize that some Goliath's aren't slain with one stone. Sometimes
Goliath dies by degrees. Sometimes he just gets knocked out for awhile. Then
suddenly, there he is again, awake and making life difficult. The Apostle Paul
had a Goliath. Remember...the "thorn in the flesh?" There is controversy over
what that thorn was. Many think it had to do with poor eyesight. Whatever it was
he prayed to be free of it. But God told him, "My grace is sufficient." And Paul
found that to be true. God's all sufficient grace is a powerful weapon!
I'm doing better with inferiority by trusting the Lord. If you don't slay Goliat
h
with one blow, stone him to death gradually, one pebble at a time, if that's all
you can muster. Wound him until he dies. But through it all recognize that the
battle is the Lord's. Look stedfastly to heaven as Stephen did. Look beyond
the circumstances. "My faith looks up to thee, O Lamb of Calvary, Saviour
Divine."
David's weapon was a sling and five smooth stones. But his greatest weapon
was faith in God. And that is our greatest weapon. Faith is our sling. It is God
's
gift to us and it has a way of stretching and expanding. The greater the need,
the greater the faith. "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!"
Remember Cassie Burnall who died in the Littleton, Colorado massacre some
years ago? She faced the Goliath of death the same way Stephen did, with a
steadfast faith. She must have seen beyond death into heaven also. A real live
Goliath was in the school killing Christians. In spite of the danger, when asked
if she was a Christian, Cassie said, "Yes!" She went to Heaven that day, but
because of her "yes", many, young and old, made a decision to follow Christ.
And the one who wrote of her brave witness added a prayer. "One life, Lord,
give me the courage of a 17 year old, not just to die for Jesus, but to live for
Jesus."
Faith is our weapon...the sling. The Word of God is the stone to place in the
sling and hurl at our personal Goliath. Our own wisdom and strength will not
save us. I Samuel 17:47 states, "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord
saves not with sword and spear (not with man-made solutions); for the battle
is the Lord's and he will give Goliath into our hands."
Is there anyone here who wants to slay your Goliath in the Name of the Lord
at the altar this morning? The Lord invites you to come and in His all powerful
Name settle the score with whatever it is that troubles and hinders you in your
Christian life. Give the battle to the Lord. It is His, after all, and He wants
to
give you victory in His Name. Come, claim that victory. The battle is the Lord's
!