Learn to Use Your Spiritual Authority Instead of Facing Your Goliath in Someone Else’s Armor

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We all have our Goliaths, our own giants to face in life. We all have spiritual battles to fight with a very real enemy who wants nothing more than our utter defeat. Do you recognize the spiritual authority given to you as children of God?

The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God but do you often find yourself facing your Goliath in someone else’s armor feeling much like David did as Saul had him wear his? 

Well, as David did, you can rely solely on the power of God to fight the power of the enemy in your own life! Read on to learn how to exercise the full authority God has clothed you with through the Name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Spiritual Authority of a Shepherd Boy

David was just a young shepherd boy, the son of Jesse. He had three older brothers who had gone to war alongside King Saul against the Philistines.

When it came to the Philistines, Goliath was their champion.

He was a giant who would come out each day and taunt the Israelites, including David’s own brothers. He would challenge them to send someone to fight him. But not only would no one step up to battle this giant, but they also fled.

One day, David’s father Jesse asked his young son to bring some food to his brothers on the front lines.

David left his sheep in Bethlehem in the care of a shepherd and took off to the Valley of Elah to bring the grain and bread to his brothers.

David Meets Goliath

David arrives and he hears this giant Goliath taunting the Israelites. So he asks what will be done for the man who can defeat Goliath.

He is told the King, Saul will give this man great wealth, his daughter in marriage, and his family will be tax-exempt.

David apparently thinks this is worth the battle, so he tells King Saul that he will fight this giant.

Saul essentially laughs him off because, after all, David is a mere child.

But David was not about to be laughed off. He basically reads Saul his resume and tells him of the time he killed a lion and a bear to protect the sheep.

He says this “uncircumcised Philistine” is just like a wild animal and that the same God who helped him defeat the lion and bear will allow him to defeat Goliath.

David did not put his faith in his own abilities when he told Saul about his conquests. He wasn’t bragging. He knew it was not his own authority that mattered and neither was it King Saul’s. He was informing Saul that God had been with him in the past and he knew God would be with him now.

He knew he had spiritual authority given by God which was the only power he needed, and this enemy was no match for the Lord God of Israel.

So Saul agrees and then proceeds to dress David in his own armor.

Saul’s Armor

Now it’s important to note that King Saul was a VERY tall man and David was a teenage boy. So Saul’s armor was nowhere near ideal for David. Also, David was a shepherd boy, not a warrior. He was not used to this kind of equipment. These were strange things to someone like David.

1 Samuel 17:39 says:

David buckled his sword on his armor and tried to walk, but he wasn’t used to such equipment. David said to Sha’ul, “I can’t move wearing these things, because I’m not used to them.” So David took them off.

CJB

Saul’s armor would not work for David because it was too big and far too bulky for a shepherd.

It was not meant for David, it was meant for Saul.

David tried to make it work because well…Saul was the king! But spiritual authority doesn’t come by forcing someone else’s armor to fit you in battle! The weapons of our warfare come from the authority of God, not man.

Saul's armor would not work for David because it was too big. It was not meant for David, it was meant for Saul. David tried to make it work because Saul was the king! But spiritual authority doesn't come by forcing someone else's… Click To Tweet

All David wanted or needed was the 5 smooth stones he picked up off the ground, his slingshot, and the blessing of the Lord.

David took out Goliath with one shot and cut off his head with his Goliath’s own sword.

David didn’t need Saul’s armor. He only needed to put on the full armor of God, the Holy One of Israel.

His armor was his faith in God!

And in spiritual warfare our armor cannot come from anyone else the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. You cannot fight evil spirits with man’s authority. No preacher or teacher can take a position of authority over the Word of God.

To battle the power of the devil you need the Lordship of Jesus Christ, not some clunky armor built for someone else.

What does this mean? Well, let me explain.

Put on the Full Armor of God for Spiritual Authority in Battle

In the world today, are you trying to solve life’s problems and battling the enemy the way someone else advises or the way someone else handled a similar issue, or are you going to God and putting on the only armor you need; the full armor of God?

What happens in the lives of believers and how God works through their battles doesn’t mean that is what He would have YOU do.

Their lesson in their trial is for them. God may be trying to teach them a lesson for a reason and a season and while they may share some important truths with you, those truths might have been for THEIR situation and God may have a different road He wants you on.

While the full armor of God may be the same for believers, each piece might look a little different for each of us depending on our battles.

My sword of the Spirit might look different than yours. God may have different scriptures for me and the ones He gave you may not be the ones He wants me to find for my trial.

And my armor might even look a little different for various trials in each area of life.

I cannot battle Goliath in Saul’s armor.

The Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. 
Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 
Pray in the Ruach (Spirit) on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim (holy ones).

TLV (parentheses mine)

Test Everything

David tried on the armor Saul gave him and found it didn’t fit. He knew he could not battle his enemy in armor not meant for him.

God doesn’t want us doing things the way other people have. Sure, we should seek godly counsel but at the end of the day, we have to be sure it is what God wants for us.

We need to seek Him in His Word and in prayer.

Everything must be measured up against the Word of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:21:

…but test all things, hold fast to what is good,…

TLV

Facing your Goliaths means that, like David, you have to give the battle to the Lord. Let the Lord go before you into battle!

This is not a physical battle but a spiritual one, and your spiritual authority doesn’t lie in your own power or someone else’s solutions. It is found in God alone!

Are you going up against your giants in someone else's armor? Click To Tweet

David did not want to wear Saul’s armor, not only because it was too large but because it was untested in the battle for him. Put on the full armor of God, not the armor of man! Trust the Son of God to go into that battle with you.

Test everything! Don’t assume because something works for someone else that it will work for you! God’s authority is all you need to see you through your spiritual battles.

Don’t try facing your Goliath in someone else’s armor! Let the Lord lead you!

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CJB – Taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.

Tree of Life (TLV) – Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society.  Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.